“We Are the World” Turns 40! 9 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Star-Studded Charity Single

We are the World recording 1985 — Columbia Records

In 1985, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote a song with a pretty audacious goal: for it to be such a hit that its proceeds could help combat the famine in Ethiopia. Their song, the supergroup USA for Africa’s “We Are the World,” was released on March 7, 1985, and it didn’t just help with famine relief — it raised awareness of this global issue and etched its place in history as the eighth bestselling single of all time, all while also serving as a fascinating time capsule of the mid ’80s music scene.

If you lived through the ’80s, you may have known all of those facts, but there’s a lot more to the story. As we celebrate this groundbreaking song’s anniversary, here are some things you probably didn’t know about “We Are the World” … until now!

1It wasn’t the first project of its kind

Band Aid, Do They Know It's Christmas?

In 1984, musicians Bob Geldof (leader of Irish band the Boomtown Rats and star of Pink Floyd’s The Wall) and Midge Ure (Ultravox) rounded up European stars U2, Wham!, Culture Club, Duran Duran and more to record “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” under the supergroup name Band Aid. The single was released on Dec. 7, 1984, and sold a million copies in its first week, snagging the UK No. 1 spot for five weeks in a row — and raising £8 million for Ethiopian famine relief in the process.

The charity-minded Geldolf would go on to not only perform on “We Are the World,” but also organize Live Aid with Ure later in ’85

2Harry Belafonte got the ball rolling

American actor, singer, and composer Harry Belafonte poses in front of a glittery curtain with the Emmy statue that he had just won for his CBS television musical special 'Tonight With Belafonte' at the 1960 Emmy Awards, June 20, 1960. Belafonte won for best entry a 'Variety/Musical Program/Series' and was the first African-American ever to win an Emmy.

CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

The iconic Harry Belafonte originally came up with the idea to do a similar song featuring American recording artists. He pitched the idea to manager Ken Kragen, who then presented it to two of his biggest clients, Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie. They in turn recruited Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones, who locked in Michael Jackson. They rest was music history.

3Most of the recording happened after the American Music Awards

Though Richie, Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones began recording work on the track several days beforehand, primary recording occurred on the night of Jan. 28, 1985, immediately following the American Music Awards, which many of the performers had attended.

The recording session began at 10pm and ran until 8am the next morning, and included Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Smokey Robinson and many others. While many performers were thrilled to hang out together, some tempers flared; Jones supposedly admonished Diana Ross to stop singing above the others, while Waylon Jennings is said to have walked out of the session after Wonder suggested adding a line sung in Swahili.

4Prince was MIA

LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 8: Grammy and Oscar-winning recording artist Prince performs the song "Purple Rain" at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2004 in Los Angeles, California

While Prince and the Revolution contributed their own song to the We Are the World album (the less-memorable “4 the Tears in Your Eyes”), legend has it that he was originally earmarked to be a prominent voice on the title single (trading vocals with Michael Jackson, no less!). While some say that Prince missed the recording session because he was busy bailing his over-aggressive bodyguards out of jail following the AMAs, others insist that a simmering rivalry with Jackson may have been the real culprit behind his absence. Longtime Prince collaborator Sheila E. said that despite the invitation given to the Purple One, she “knew he wasn’t gonna come, ‘cause there was too many people and he would feel uncomfortable.”

5Madonna was almost in the song, too

American singer Madonna in New York, 1984.

The iconic Madonna was just hitting superstardom at the time of the song’s “We Are the World” recording, having recently released her first No. 1 single, “Like a Virgin.” Jackson invited the “Material Girl” to cancel a few dates from her in-progress Virgin tour to join the fun, but her management nudged her away from the opportunity, believing that it was more important that she stay the course, make her dates and focus on her own growing success. Their strategy worked, as her hit “Crazy for You” would eventually dethrone “We Are the World” as No. 1 on the charts.

6John Denver tried to join — but was turned away

Portrait of American Country & Pop musician and actor John Denver (born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr, 1943 - 1997) as he poses, seated on the ground with an acoustic guitar, Beverly Hills, California, 1976.

Ellen Graham/Getty Images

Denver had a long and well-documented dedication to philanthropy throughout his career. But when he asked to be included in “We Are the World,” producers gave him the thumbs down: Denver’s image was too square and squeaky-clean for a cool pop song that was supposed to engage a teen audience. A decade later, Denver wrote of the snub, “It broke my heart not to be included.”

7Lionel Richie had a big night before recording even began

Believe it or not, cowriter Lionel Richie had a huge night before he even walked through the doors of A&M Studios to join the evening’s legendary recording session. How big, you ask? He not only attended the American Music Awards with most of the song’s other artists — he also hosted the show and won five awards! Nonetheless, once the event was over and the R&B superstar walked into a recording studio full of musical icons from every musical genre and era, he claims that he practically forgot all about the AMAs — too awestruck to think of anything but the matter at hand.

8The recording studio was full of music legends … and Dan Aykroyd?

@jenoxfitness Dan Akroyd in We Are The World?! #wearetheworld #80smusic #80shits #danakroyd #80sbaby ♬ original sound – LYRICS_AFRIKA 🫧🌸

Sure, the Saturday Night Live veteran was known for his unique combination of comedic and musical chops, as displayed in his role alongside John Belushi as Elwood Blues in The Blue Brothers … but why was he there? According to Aykroyd, he and his father happened to be in town searching for a business manager. Walking into the wrong office at the right time, he was asked if he’d like to hop in and join the project. While knowing he wasn’t quite the perfect fit, he showed up as requested and cemented his own place in music history.

9A big hit with a big impact

The “We Are the World” single was released to stores on March 7, 1985, with an initial pressing of 800,000, which sold out in just a few days. In total, over 8 million copies of the single were sold in the U.S. alone, and the combined revenue from the single and album generated over $75 million toward hunger relief, creating an inspirational blueprint for future charity projects.