“We Are the World” (1985) was recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa, with a core line-up of soloists plus a large all-star chorus.

Main Solo Singers (in order)

These are the artists who sang the main solo lines in the original 1985 version:

  1. Lionel Richie
  2. Stevie Wonder
  3. Paul Simon
  4. Kenny Rogers
  5. James Ingram
  6. Tina Turner
  7. Billy Joel
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Diana Ross
  10. Dionne Warwick
  11. Willie Nelson
  12. Al Jarreau
  13. Bruce Springsteen
  14. Kenny Loggins
  15. Steve Perry
  16. Daryl Hall
  17. Huey Lewis
  18. Cyndi Lauper
  19. Kim Carnes
  20. Bob Dylan
  21. Ray Charles

All of these soloists also join in the big group parts of the song.

Chorus and Other Featured Singers

In addition to the soloists, a large all-star chorus backed the track as USA for Africa. Some of the better‑known chorus members include:

  • Dan Aykroyd
  • Harry Belafonte
  • Lindsey Buckingham
  • Sheila E.
  • Bob Geldof
  • Members of Huey Lewis and the News (Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper)
  • Jackie, La Toya, Marlon, Randy, and Tito Jackson
  • Waylon Jennings
  • Bette Midler
  • John Oates
  • Jeffrey Osborne
  • The Pointer Sisters (Anita, June, Ruth)
  • Smokey Robinson

Quick HTML Table of Key Singers

Here is a compact HTML table highlighting the main soloists and some chorus members:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Role</th>
      <th>Artists</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Main soloists</td>
      <td>
        Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram,
        Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick,
        Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins,
        Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes,
        Bob Dylan, Ray Charles
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Notable chorus members</td>
      <td>
        Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Sheila E., Bob Geldof,
        Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper,
        Jackie Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Randy Jackson,
        Tito Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, John Oates,
        Jeffrey Osborne, Anita Pointer, June Pointer, Ruth Pointer,
        Smokey Robinson
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Tiny story-style note

All of these artists were brought together overnight on January 28, 1985, just after the American Music Awards, when Quincy Jones famously posted a note at the studio door: “Check your egos at the door.”

TL;DR: The singers in “We Are the World” include 21 lead soloists such as Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, and Ray Charles, plus a large chorus featuring stars like the Jackson family, Harry Belafonte, the Pointer Sisters, Lindsey Buckingham, Bette Midler, John Oates, Smokey Robinson, and many more.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.