This song was recorded in an all-night recording session immediately after the American Music Awards.
Jane Fonda states in the intro to the documentary that there were 45 singers and musicians involved in the recording of the song. In actuality, there were 43: Prince left almost immediately, once he saw the "leave your ego at the door" sign, and Waylon Jennings left over a dispute with the lyrics.
Profits from the sale of the video were contributed to the charitable organization USA for Africa.
"We Are the World" was an all-star ensemble which was the American response to the UK's chart-topping single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid in 1984, which had similarly united many of the biggest British and Irish pop stars for the cause of Ethiopian famine relief.
Ensemble includes 5 Academy Award winners (Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan, as well as host/narrator Jane Fonda) and 10 nominees (Dan Aykroyd, James Ingram, Huey Lewis, Johnny Colla, Chris Hates, Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, and Paul Simon).