We Are The World 25 For Haiti vs the original

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What's better, the new version or the original?
What's better, the new version or the original?

Okay, so the new version of We Are The World is upon us, this time renamed We Are The World 25 For Haiti. Like the original, which was recorded to aid famine victims in Africa, the cause is timely and admirable: to raise funds for the earthquake-ravaged country of Haiti.

Although the framework of the 1985 composition, written by Michael Jackson (who appears in portions taken from the original video) Lionel Richie and that track's producer, Quincy Jones, remains mostly intact, the talent assembled for the remake differs wildly from the gang who gathered together a quarter century ago.

Back in the day there was - in addition to Messrs Jackson and Richie - Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Dianna Ross, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Dionne Warwick, Tina Turner and Willie Nelson, among others. Strong voices? You betcha!

This time out we have Jamie Foxx, Justin Bieber, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, Enrique Inglesias, Pink, Usher, Barbra Streisand, Mary J Blige, Bizzy Bone, Celine Dion, Kayne West, Tony Bennett, Miley Cyrus, Toni Braxton, Jennifer Nettles (from Sugarland), Nicole Scherzinger (from Pussycat Dolls) and the unironically Auto-Tuned triumvirate of Lil Wayne, Akon and T-Pain, among others.

So what do you think? How does We Are The World 25 For Haiti...

...stack up against the original?

Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.