Don't ask how or why, but over the weekend, a video of "We are the World" was watched. Again, don't even begin to ask how it happened. Which brings up the interesting thing about the song, that despite the intended purpose of the song and the whole bigness of the thing-- the earnestness, the chorus, the star power, the song is actually pretty crap. Between the overly produced '80's production and the overly earnestness, the song fits more in the category of "Hit From Hell" than classic pop. It is, in fact, pretty much looked over as a pop cultural moment despite it's star power. This is a bit different from it's inspiration, "Do They Know It's Christmas" which is still played on the radio and talked about despite the fact most of the singers who perform are currently in the "Where Are they Know" file (the video is actually fun to watch for this reason-- the whole thing becomes a trivia contest over who can recognize which star). Of course, it helps that "Do They Know It's Christmas" is actually a half-way decent song.

But what makes the song so awesome is it's star power, a motley and totally random mix of musical icons and 80's .

Here's what I mean-- here's the artist who sings a lyric of the song, in order of when they sing:

Lionel Richie (now known as Nicole Richie's dad)
Lionel Richie & Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Paul Simon
Paul Simon/Kenny Rogers (?)

Kenny Rogers (now known mainly as a victim of a really bad botox accident
James Ingram (who?)
Tina Turner (with that awesome wig)
Billy Joel (he looks a little pissed that he's here)
Tina Turner/Billy Joel

( CHORUS )
Michael Jackson (in his Thriller, you thought I was weird then look)
Diana Ross
Michael Jackson/Diana Ross (proof that they have been in the same room together)

Dionne Warwick (now doing informercials for a psychic hotline)
Dionne Warwick/Willie Nelson (??)
Willie Nelson (how stoned do you think he is at this point?)
Al Jurreau (yawn)

( REPEAT CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children (Bruce Springsteen)
Kenny Logins (why?)
Steve Perry(!)
Daryl Hal (Oates is there but surprisingly never sings)

When you're down and out there seems no hope at all (Michael Jackson)
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall (Huey Lewis)
Well, well, well, let's realize that a change can only come (Cyndi Lauper)
When we (Kim Carnes)
Kim Carnes/Cyndi Lauper/Huey Lewis (?????????????????????????????)

(REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )

(additional ad-lib vox by Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, James Ingram)