The Greatest Night in Pop: what is the new Netflix documentary about, when is it out and who appears in it?

While the United Kingdom may have had Band Aid, a rag-tag bunch of British musicians brought together to record the charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” spawning the Live Aid event and platforming humanitarian issues taking place in Ethiopia at that time - the United States also decided to dedicate their efforts towards humanitarian causes.

“We Are The World,” written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones, was that single.  The idea for the song originated with Harry Belafonte, who suggested the creation of a benefit song similar to Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" recorded by British artists. 

Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie then wrote "We Are the World" to convey a message of unity and compassion; it quickly became a massive commercial success. The song topped the charts worldwide and won several awards, including three Grammy Awards. The accompanying music video, directed by Tom Trbovich, showcased footage of the recording session as well as images highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Africa.

Now, a new Netflix documentary looks to provide archival footage of that fateful recording session at Henson Studios, with “The Greatest Night in Pop” bringing modern-day interviews with some of the musicians involved alongside footage of some of music’s most hallowed names of yesteryear. 

What is “The Greatest Night in Pop” about?

“On January 25, 1985, dozens of the biggest names in music convened at a studio in Los Angeles, checked their egos at the door and recorded a song to benefit African famine relief that would alter global pop culture history. The Greatest Night in Pop chronicles the massive undertaking to assemble the world’s most impressive supergroup in a world before cell phones and email.” 

“That group of artists — led by the song’s co-writers and two of the most significant musicians of the 20th century — Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie — came from different worlds but united to record “We Are the World.” Featuring never-before-seen footage, the film details the early planning stages, including the writing sessions with Richie and Jackson, and goes inside the famed Henson Studios where “We Are the World” was recorded.”

Who features in “The Greatest Night in Pop”

With archival footage comprising the documentary, there will no doubt be appearances by both Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, while Netflix has also stated that Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Smokey Robinson, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Loggins, Dionne Warwick, and Huey Lewis will all “reminisce alongside musicians, engineers, and production crew about one of the most storied nights in music history.”

When is “The Greatest Night in Pop” out on Netflix in the UK?

“The Greatest Night in Pop” is out now on Netflix in the United Kingdom.