In January 2024, Netflix released a documentary titled, The Greatest Night in Pop. It follows the creation of the song, “We Are the World,” by the USA for Africa. The song was created by the top artists in the US during the 1980s in response to the famine in Ethiopia. It became such a hit that it reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1985. The documentary is engaging and has a lot of never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage that you have to watch if you’re a music connoisseur. This documentary will leave you inspired and wanting to make a change in the world.
USA for Africa was created in response to Band Aid, which was created by Bob Geldof, lead singer of the 80s new wave band, the The Boomtown Rats. Geldof also put together Live Aid, which is one of the largest concerts of all time. USA for Africa was produced by Quincy Jones, and the song was written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. They were accompanied on the track by a whole plethora of big-name artists such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross, to name a few. The most impressive part of its production was that it was all recorded and filmed on the night of the American Music Awards. These artists stayed up till the crack of dawn after being at an awards show all night, and some had even performed. I’d say that that’s pretty impressive. This documentary is so powerful and highlights so many amazing moments, but here are a few of my favorites:
One of my favorite moments is when they all arrive at the studio. Each artist arrives one by one into the driveway of the studio, and the crew uses walkie-talkies to inform which artists have arrived because they weren’t even sure who was going to show. Then you see each artist enter and interact with each other, and it is so cool to watch. It gives them this human feel as opposed to untouchable artists, so this was one of my favorite moments.
Another moment that you simply can’t miss is the scene when Diana Ross asks for Darryl Hall’s autograph. This sparks all of the other artists to ask each other for their autographs. This moment was so wholesome to me because, again, it brings these artists down to a humane level, for they have different artists and musicians that they are fans of, just like us! I loved this moment, and I found it to be profound and something you truly need to witness.
There is a scene where the rest of the artists sing Harry Belafonte’s song “Day-O” to him, and it is one of the most heartfelt things I have ever seen. To see the respect for one another that each artist has, and to see his face light up shows us, again, the humanity within the artists that isn’t normally shown. From both Harry and the other artists, we get to see them do real things like sing a song and feel happy when they’re appreciated. I loved this moment, and you will too.
Lastly, my favorite moment is one of the ending lines Lionel Richie says. Throughout the documentary, Lionel is interviewed since he was one of the integral parts in the creation of this masterpiece.
At the very end, he tells us something his dad told him, “There comes a time when you can’t go home because the house will be there, but the people in the house won’t be.”
He goes on to relate this quote to all of the people who created “We are the World,” as he sits in the room where it was recorded. Now it’s just him in the room, and the people who made it aren’t there, and they never will be again. This moment was so profound and moved me to the point that tears rolled out of my eyes. This line makes you appreciate the moments you have in life with those who mean the most to you, because he’s right. One day you might not get to see those people again. This moment was truly astounding; you have to see it.
“There comes a time when you can’t go home because the house will be there, but the people in the house won’t be.”
Lionel Richie
The Greatest Night in Pop is a must-watch, and if you haven’t listened to “We Are the World,” you should go give it a listen. This documentary will leave you moved, give you a new perspective on life, and may even invoke tears. The behind-the-scenes footage is critical in painting this picture of the artists being people too, which is very inspiring. If you love music, The Greatest Night in Pop needs to be added to your watch list, for you will be forever changed after witnessing this masterpiece.