What’s It About
On a January night in 1985, music’s biggest stars gathered to record “We Are the World.” The team goes behind the scenes of the event to see how the artists came together to make history.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
The Greatest Night in Pop is a revisiting of the making of We Are the World, a serious trip down memory lane. Imagine it’s January 28th, 1985, at A&M Studios in LA, where musical legends converged to create something extraordinary. Netflix just dropped this doc, premiered at the ’24 Sundance Film Festival, unraveling the chaos and euphoria of the marathon recording for “We Are the World.” Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, and a supergroup of American musicians united for a cause – to raise funds for famine relief in Africa, particularly Ethiopia. The Greatest Night in Pop, produced by Lionel Richie (he’s front and center), delves into a night that generated over $68 million for Africa, exploring the possibilities of failure that were miraculously averted. The film beautifully captures moments weeks before the event, shedding light on Harry Belafonte’s vision and superagent Ken Kragen’s role in making the single a reality. A flood of memories resurfaces as Lionel Richie guides us through the night. After hosting and winning at the AMAs, he heads straight to the studio to join other icons in recording We Are the World. The documentary contextualizes the ’84 music scene, portraying key figures and leading up to Harry Belafonte’s decision to respond to Do They Know It’s Christmas? with an American single to combat African hunger. Richie recalls Harry Belafonte saying, “We have white folks saving Black folks. “We don’t have Black folks saving Black folks.” The film unveils compelling details – Stevie Wonder guiding Ray Charles, a spontaneous sing-along tribute to Harry Belafonte, and even Diana Ross asking for Daryl Hall’s autograph, sparking a chain of stars collecting signatures. Interviews with Cindi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen, and Dionne Warwick infuse the narrative with an authentic ’80s vibe. We Are the World wasn’t meant to be a musical masterpiece; it was a mainstream activism piece by some of the world’s most famous people. The documentary respectfully avoids criticism, emphasizing the unity of these stars for a greater cause. It wasn’t meant to be Mozart, but a mainstream activism piece by celebs. It followed in the footsteps of Do They Know It’s Christmas? organized by Bob Geldof. When the documentary delves into the recording process – Bruce Springsteen explains the need for the song’s broadness to accommodate diverse voices. Soloists contributed a small portion uniquely, and Quincy Jones’s friend Tom Bahler orchestrated vocals for contrast. It’s a nostalgic experience, identifying voices and relishing the quirks of each artist. Lionel Richie’s extraordinary recollections of writing with Michael Jackson amidst exotic pets and facing unexpected challenges helped add a touch of normalcy to the narrative. Behind-the-scenes stories of stars behaving like awkward kids at a school social, abiding by Jones’s “Check your ego at the door” rule, provide a heartwarming glimpse into their humanity. Quincy Jones emerges as the unsung hero, orchestrating these diverse talents into one of the most significant recordings of the ’80s. The Greatest Night in Pop is not just a trip down memory lane. It’s a testament to the power of music and unity, reminding us of a night that transcended success and egos for a cause greater than ourselves. I think The Greatest Night in Pop could question whether an initiative like We Are the World could happen today. There’s a sense that the magic of that studio gathering in ’85 was unique. The film doesn’t definitively declare it the ultimate night, but it crafts a compelling argument for its legendary place in specialness.
OUR RATING – A YOU HAD TO BE THERE 9.5