Rock Records With a Cause: 40 Charity Singles
7. "We Are the World," U.S.A. for Africa (1985)
It's possibly the most famous charity single of all time: 1985's "
We Are the World," as recorded by U.S.A. for Africa. The brainchild of
Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie,
Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, the song's list of contributors reads like a who's who of popular music, ranging from
Bob Dylan to
Billy Joel,
Tina Turner to
Willie Nelson,
Ray Charles to
Cyndi Lauper and many more in between. It currently holds the record for eighth best-selling single of all time, raising over $80 million for humanitarian aid in Africa.
34. "We Are the World 25 for Haiti," Various (2010)
A quarter of a century after the original came "We Are the World 25 for Haiti," once again produced by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie and recorded in a marathon session. There was a mixture of older and newer artists, from
Carlos Santana, Tony Bennett and Al Jardine of the
Beach Boys, to
Justin Bieber,
Miley Cyrus and
Adam Levine. This time, money and awareness was raised for those affected by a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti that killed tens of thousands and left millions more affected.
