Everyone knows the famous line We Are the Earth, a chorus that sticks with you long after a song fades. It remains one of the most recognizable tunes in pop history, not for its artistic bravura alone but for its power. The piece is sung by nearly fifty artists, among them icons such as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, and Tina Turner, part of a constellation of American music royalty.
The documentary about the making of Pop’s Greatest Night weaves archive footage with interviews from many of the people who recorded the track. It was shown at the Sundance Festival days before its streaming premiere on Netflix, offering a behind‑the‑scenes look at the creative process.
The spark that started it all came at the end of 1984, when Bob Geldof convinced Britain’s top pop stars to write and perform a charity track to ease the famine in Ethiopia. The result was Band‑Aid and Do They Know It’s Christmas? In the United States, the project drew attention from Harry Belafonte, a longtime civil rights advocate who challenged the musicians to think bigger and more inclusive in their response.
As the film recalls, Belafonte spoke with Lionel Richie about Band‑Aid being perceived as a predominantly white effort and asked why more Black artists were not involved. The idea was immediately set in motion to create a U.S. response, bringing in producers who could coordinate a national collaboration.
Quincy Jones, fresh off his work on Michael Jackson’s Thriller, entrusted Richie with the task of drafting a new song with Stevie Wonder. When Wonder did not respond promptly, the job fell to Richie with Jackson’s eventual involvement, a decision that would also bring into focus Jackson’s larger‑than‑life persona and the careful management of the recording’s star power.
Then began the logistical challenge: assembling dozens of artists and getting them into the same studio on a tight schedule. The solution came on January 28, 1985, in Los Angeles, the night after a major awards show, turning into a marathon session that lasted until dawn and brought together most of the chosen performers under one roof.
Many singers contribute recollections throughout the documentary, including Bruce Springsteen, Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson, Cyndi Lauper, and Kenny Loggins. Sheila E. explains that her invitation was partly a nudge to persuade her friend Prince to join; Prince did not participate, and Huey Lewis took on a role at the last minute. Madonna, who had just released Like a Virgin, was not invited, a detail that still sparks curiosity among viewers. The film also offers frank moments from comedian Dan Aykroyd about his involvement.
Vulnerability in the studio
The film, however, does not dwell on the charitable purpose of the project or the specific aid it generated. Its true appeal lies in the studio segments, where the artists reveal vulnerability and the human side of collaboration—moments of doubt, humor, and candid conversation without assistants or a polished safety net.
There are anecdotes of Al Jarreau grappling with recording after a night of wine, while Roberta Flack’s presence underscores a culture of honesty. Wonder once argued for a Swahili verse, only to be reminded that Swahili is not spoken in Ethiopia. Dylan carried a heavy night, and Jones offered more than production—he acted as confidant and mediator, even inviting Geldof to share a few Africa‑bound stories to settle egos. Richie emerges as the central figure, the driving force who rallied the participants to realize a seemingly impossible project, and he remains astonished by the scale of its success.
Written and recorded in under two months, the track went on to sell more than 20 million copies in its era and remains among the best‑selling singles of all time. It has raised tens of millions for humanitarian causes in Africa, a figure that continues to be adjusted for inflation. And of course its chorus endures, continuing to echo through the years as a symbol of global solidarity and collaborative art. [Cited: documentary materials and archival interviews].