In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

We Are the World

Music by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie

Originally Performed by Michael Jackson

"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie (with arrangements by Michael Omartian) and produced by Quincy Jones and Willie Collins for the album We Are the World. With sales in excess of 20 million copies, it is one of the fewer than 30 all-time singles to have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide.

Following Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" project in the UK, an idea for the creation of an American benefit single for African famine relief came from activist Harry Belafonte, who, along with fundraiser Ken Kragen, was instrumental in bringing the vision to reality. Several musicians were contacted by the pair, before Jackson and Richie were assigned the task of writing the song. The duo completed the writing of "We Are the World" seven weeks after the release of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", and one night before the song's first recording session, on January 21, 1985. The historic event brought together some of the most famous artists in the music industry at the time.

Release Date: 1985
Awards
1986 - Grammy Winner - Record of the Year
1986 - Grammy Winner - Song Of The Year

Songbooks, Arrangements and/or Media

Displaying 1-2 of 2 items.

Lionel Richie : Lionel Richie Anthology

27 songs from this Grammy-winning platinum-selling singer/songwriter superstar, including: All Night Long (All Night) - Ballerina Girl - Dancing on the Ceiling - Do It to Me - Easy - Endless Love - Hello - Lady - My Love - Penny Lover - Running with the Night - Three Times a Lady - Truly - We Are the World - and more.

Songlist: Hello, All Night Long (All Night), Easy, Sail On, Still, Stuck On You, You Are, Lady, My Love, Ballerina Girl, Heroes, Dancing On The Ceiling, Endless Love, Oh No, Penny Lover, Running With The Night, Say You, Say Me, Sela, Three Times A Lady, Truly, We Are The World, Do It To Me, Just To Be Close To You, Fancy Dancer, Brick House, Deep River Woman, Love Will Conquer All

Various : Peace, War & Social Justice

A collection of 31 war and peace songs, including: Buffalo Soldier - Give Peace a Chance - If I Had a Hammer - Imagine - Let It Be - London Calling - Revolution - Turn! Turn! Turn! - War - We Are the World - What a Wonderful World - What's Going On - and more.

Songlist: Freedom, Signs, Abraham, Martin And John, Share The Land, Buffalo Soldier, Joy To The World, War, Power To The People, We Shall Overcome, Revolution, Imagine, Black And White, Eve Of Destruction, London Calling, Give Peace A Chance, Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season), He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, The Universal Soldier, If I Had A Hammer (The Hammer Song), In The Ghetto (The Vicious Circle), Let It Be, Let Me Be, One Tin Soldier, People Got To Be Free, San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair), We Are The World, What A Wonderful World, What The World Needs Now Is Love, What's Going On, Where Have All The Flowers Gone?, and more

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