# Spin off: How many artists do you recognize from the video/song "We Are the World"? (Video inside) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400 "2010-01-10T16:49:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/21 "2010-01-10T19:53:44Z")
I recognized 13 of the 21 soloists (plus two more after I had the list of names), plus 5 of the extras, for 18 total. I’m 58. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/22 "2010-01-10T21:10:53Z")
I’m 36 and named 23 while watching the video. Some of the others seemed familiar but I couldn’t place them. Man I love that song. Kind of sad that some of those singers are no longer with us. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/23 "2010-01-10T21:28:15Z")
1. I recognized all of them. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/24 "2010-01-10T21:53:22Z")
English, age 51 and got 13. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/25 "2010-01-10T22:22:30Z")
Sweet spot for me. I’m 42 and was 18 when it came out. I counted 30, including Bette Midler, Lindsay Buckingham and so forth in the background. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/26 "2010-01-10T23:28:45Z")
I’m 32, and I recognized 13 of them (by name, a handful more by face) _without_ the volume on while rewatching the video. I was all of eight when this came out, so I couldn’t tell you who a bunch of these people are…some of them are still a mystery even after looking at the list a wiki. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/27 "2010-01-10T23:39:57Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > I’m 36 and named 23 while watching the video. Some of the others seemed familiar but I couldn’t place them. Man I love that song. Kind of sad that some of those singers are no longer with us. Strange, but I was thinking the opposite, how many of them are still with us, although not on top of the charts any longer. To the best of my knowledge, only Michael Jackson and Ray Charles have passed on. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/28 "2010-01-10T23:40:07Z")
31, recognized 3 ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/29 "2010-01-10T23:42:16Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Strange, but I was thinking the opposite, how many of them are still with us, although not on top of the charts any longer. To the best of my knowledge, only Michael Jackson and Ray Charles have passed on. I thought there were a couple more, but if it’s only 2 I guess it’s not that bad. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/30 "2010-01-11T03:33:24Z")
I knew one guy was Hall or Oates, but I didn’t know which so I claim a half credit for him. 14 and a half. Was that Quincy Jones conducting? If so, 15 and a half. And I kept wondering “Who us the geeky guy in the back next to Belafonte?” The best I could come up with was Jackson Brown, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t him. But Dan Ackroyd??!! Gimme a break. And who did Kenny Rogers blow to get into that group? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/31 "2010-01-11T03:41:03Z")
Missed an edit window. Let me add my voice to the chorus of disgust about having to listen to that drivel again. 20+ years is not a long enough banishment for it. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/32 "2010-01-11T03:57:27Z")
Steve Perry, Michael Jackson, and I think that was Tina Turner at the beginning but I only base that on having watched Mad Maxx Beyond Thunderdome. I’m 26, I listen to classic rock primarily, but don’t watch videos so I don’t know what many artists even look like. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/33 "2010-01-11T04:48:12Z")
I’m 49. I recognized 21 by name, a couple more faces and that’s it. I had forgotten why I loved Springsteen so back then. Thanks for reminding me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/34 "2010-01-11T04:52:10Z")
1. A lot, but when I first sat down and watched all the way through (this year, right after MJ died and they were showing his videos), I had the aid of a friend so we both tried to ID as many as we could. I didn’t know Latoya was there, though I remember being surprised that I didn’t see any of his siblings, esp. Janet…wiki says Jackie, Latoya, Marlon, Randy and Tito were there, though… ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/35 "2010-01-11T05:12:54Z")
1. I recognized maybe 3 or 4 people. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/36 "2010-01-11T05:20:07Z")
Oops, forgot the age thing. I’m 51. ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/37 "2010-01-11T06:20:11Z")
I recognized everyone, but I can’t remember the names of two, including one of the soloists. It may be James Ingram. And, as others have said, why is Dan Aykroyd in this anyway? I’m 51. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/38 "2010-01-11T06:37:20Z")
I recognized all of the ones who had solos (well, there were a couple I wasn’t sure of: was that Jeffrey Ingram\*? Kim Carnes?) and some of the others who were only in the background. But then, I’m 41, this was recorded during the height of my own personal paying attention to mainstream popular music, and I owned the cassette. \*Oops—on reading through the thread, it appears I’m confusing James Ingram and Jeffrey Osborne. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/39 "2010-01-11T06:39:27Z")
> [@oliversarmy](#): > > And, as others have said, why is Dan Aykroyd in this anyway? I think I saw an interview where he said he snuck in. He really wasn’t supposed to be there. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400/40 "2010-01-11T06:40:10Z")
34 y.o., I could name 21 including Q with the baton. The fuzzy resolution kind of made it hard. I watched it twice and still didn’t see Dan Ackryod. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-off-how-many-artists-do-you-recognize-from-the-video-song-we-are-the-world-video-inside/524400.md?page=3)