When it appeared in 1985, USA for Africa's "We Are the World" was viewed as '80s pop stars finally gaining a social conscience. On January 28, 45 vocalists -- including Richie, Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, and Bob Dylan -- gathered at the A&M Recording Studios to sing "We Are the World." It hit number one later in 1985, and eventually sold 7.5 million copies in America, raising $50 million for famine relief. The accompanying compilation LP USA for Africa: We Are the World, featuring unreleased tracks from Prince and Bruce Springsteen, among others, was one of the year's best-selling albums. The format of Band Aid and USA for Africa continued to be duplicated nearly two decades later. ~ Michael Sutton
