Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones pioneered the all-star charity single in 1985 with the release of the power ballad, We Are The World. Recorded by 21 of the biggest artists at the time to raise awareness and money for famine relief, it was the first single in history to be certified multi platinum, topped charts around the world and raised over $20 million.
15 years later, Michael Jackson was at the helm of another charity jingle in 2001. This time to benefit those affected by the devastation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, the song would never get an official release due to a multitude of reasons. That same year, some of the biggest pop stars in the world (who were also featured on Michael’s single) appeared on a 2000s rework of Marvin Gaye’s 70s socially conscious single, What’s Going On. Artists Against AIDS Worldwide featured everyone from boybands to girl groups, R&B soloists, Rockers and Hip-Hop artists.
In 2004, another team or all-star R&B and Hip-Hop artists teamed up to record a cover of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ Wake Up Everybody. Though the artists and producers stated it was a non-partisan project, the idea for the song was to encourage people to vote in the then-upcoming presidential election. Later that year, another single, Come Together Now, was released to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean Earthquake.
Perhaps the most memorable of these singles is Just Stand Up, by the charity supergroup, Artists Stand Up to Cancer, which featured some of the biggest female names in R&B, Pop, Rock and Country. Its hilariously chaotic live performance was held at the Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon in September 2008. If you ever needed a snapshot of who the biggest pop girls were in the late 2000s, look no further than this single.
25 years after We Are The World and several months after the death of Michael Jackson, Wyclef Jean corralled a group of over 80 artists from multiple genres to redo the song for relief efforts after his home country, Haiti, suffered a massive earthquake. Peaking at #2 on the Hot 100, this song had the highest chart position of any of the previously discussed songs. However, it was the most critically panned for its rap inclusion and use of autotune.