📀 We Are The World – Album: Apr. 1985
- GlamSlamEscape
- Apr 12, 1985
- 4 min read
We Are The World stands as one of the most significant charity albums of the 1980s, created to support famine‑relief efforts in Ethiopia. Built around the global success of the USA for Africa title track, the album expanded the project with nine previously unreleased songs donated by major artists — including Prince & The Revolution’s exclusive contribution “4 The Tears In Your Eyes.” Its release marked a cultural moment where pop, rock, R&B, and funk united for a humanitarian cause.
Released on April 12, 1985 by Columbia Records, the album marked a major philanthropic milestone in popular music, it showcased a wide range of artists contributing exclusive material. The release generated massive commercial impact, topping charts worldwide and earning a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
Label: Columbia Records
Catalogue Number: [variant depending on country]
Format: LP (12")
Released: April 12, 1985 (Worldwide)
🟣 Track List
Worldwide LP — Columbia Records
Side A
• USA For Africa – We Are The World — 7:02
• Steve Perry – If Only For The Moment, Girl — 4:34
• The Pointer Sisters – Just A Little Closer — 3:53
• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Trapped — 5:11
• Northern Lights – Tears Are Not Enough — 4:21
Side B
• Prince And The Revolution – 4 The Tears In Your Eyes — 2:45
• Chicago – Good For Nothing — 3:35
• Tina Turner – Total Control — 3:38
• Kenny Rogers – A Little More Love — 2:54
• Huey Lewis & The News – Trouble In Paradise — 4:34
Writing Credits
• Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie — “We Are The World”
• Randy Goodrum, Steve Perry — “If Only For The Moment, Girl”
• Robbie Nevil, Mark Mueller — “Just A Little Closer”
• Jimmy Cliff — “Trapped”
• David Foster, Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance — “Tears Are Not Enough”
• Prince — “4 The Tears In Your Eyes”
• Richard Marx, Robert Lamm, David Foster — “Good For Nothing”
• Martha Davis, Jeff Jourard — “Total Control”
• Thom Schuyler, J. Fred Knobloch — “A Little More Love”
• Johnny Colla, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper, Huey Lewis, Mario Cipollina — “Trouble In Paradise”
Production Credits
• Produced by: [Not supplied]
• Mixed by: [Not supplied]
• Engineered by: [Not supplied]
• Recorded: [Not supplied]
• Executive Producer: Ken Kragen
• Album Supervisor: Humberto Gatica
🟣 Key Highlights
• Released April 1, 1985
• Lead singles: “We Are The World,” “Tears Are Not Enough”
• Recorded at: [Not supplied]
• Notable collaborators: Prince & The Revolution, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Chicago, Steve Perry, Northern Lights
• Era significance: One of the most successful charity albums of the decade; Grammy‑nominated for Album of the Year
🟣 The Story
We Are The World was created as part of the USA for Africa initiative, a massive humanitarian effort aimed at raising funds for Ethiopian famine relief. The title track — written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie — became a global phenomenon upon release in March 1985.
The album expanded the project by including nine previously unreleased tracks donated by participating artists. Prince, who did not appear on the title track, contributed the exclusive “4 The Tears In Your Eyes,” recorded with The Revolution. A rare live version of the song, performed for Live Aid, later appeared on The Hits/The B‑Sides.
Other contributions included Northern Lights’ “Tears Are Not Enough,” Bruce Springsteen’s live version of “Trapped,” and new tracks from Chicago, Tina Turner, Steve Perry, Kenny Rogers, and Huey Lewis & The News. The album’s diversity reflected the broad coalition of artists supporting the cause.
Commercially, the album was a major success, selling over three million copies and reaching #1 on the Billboard 200 within two weeks — the fastest ascent since the Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You in 1981. It topped charts across Europe and Oceania and received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year in 1986.
🟣 Personnel
• Ken Kragen — Executive Producer
• Humberto Gatica — Album Supervisor
• Prince & The Revolution — Artists on “4 The Tears In Your Eyes”
• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band — Artists on “Trapped”
• Northern Lights — Artists on “Tears Are Not Enough”
• Chicago — Artists on “Good For Nothing”
• Tina Turner — Artist on “Total Control”
• Kenny Rogers — Artist on “A Little More Love”
• Huey Lewis & The News — Artists on “Trouble In Paradise”
🟣 Variants (Region)
LP
• LP — Columbia Records — Worldwide — 1985
Cassette
• Cassette — Columbia Records — Worldwide — 1985
CD
• CD — Columbia Records — Worldwide — 1985
🟣 Chart Performance
USA — Billboard 200
Peak Position: #1
UK — Official Albums Chart
Peak Position: #31
Europe
• Netherlands — #1
• Norway — #1
• Switzerland — #1
• Sweden — #4
• Germany — #8
• Austria — #5
Oceania
• Australia — #6
• New Zealand — #6
US R&B/Hip‑Hop Albums
Peak Position: #6
🟣 Context & Notes
• Album era: 1985 charity‑driven pop era
• Singles: “We Are The World,” “Tears Are Not Enough”
• Production: Ken Kragen (executive), Humberto Gatica (supervision)
• Sleeve notes: [Not supplied]
• Historical placement: One of the most successful charity albums of the decade
• Reissues / remasters: [Not supplied]
🟣 Related Material
Additional material connected to this entry is listed in the tag index at the foot of the page.
🟣 Mini‑Timeline
✦ 1984–85 — Recording begins
✦ April 1, 1985 — Album released
✦ April 27, 1985 — Reaches #1 on Billboard 200
✦ 1986 — Grammy nomination for Album of the Year
🟣 Glam Flashback
A global chorus, a purple‑lit contribution — and a moment when pop, rock, and funk united to change the world.
🟣 Sources
Primary reference sources: Columbia Records, Discogs, Official Charts Company, Billboard, archival documentation.
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