A lot of us were wondering about Dan Aykroyd even then. He was of course part of the Blues Brothers, who had a number-one live album and a hit movie with a top-40 soundtrack album. That was all behind him* when this video was made, but it’s the best justification I can come up with.
I’m typing this as I’m watching.
Lionel Richie.
Stevie Wonder.
Paul Simon
Kenny Loggins
No Idea
Tina Turner
Billy Joel
Michael Jackson
Diana Ross
Dionne Warwick
Willie Nelson
No Idea
Bruce Springsteen
Michael Someone
Steve Motherfucking Perry.
Hall from Hall and Oates.
Michael Jackson again
Huey Lewis
Cyndee Lauper
No clue who the blond lady is.
Oates is in the crowd
Bob Dylan
I see LaToya Jackson
I see Dan Akroyd and Harry? Belafonte
Ray Charles!
Stevie and Bruce are yelling back and forth.
Bette Midler.
Some black dude in a white shirt. No Idea.
Ray Charles again.
Fun! Let’s do “Do They Know It’s Christmas” next.
I’m 51 and I recognized every one of them.
Nobody. Ken Kragen was responsible for putting together USA For Africa. He had been contacted by Harry Belafonte, who wanted to do an anti-hunger project. He had been Belafonte’s agent, and also managed Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie. They were contacted to appear in the single early on. In fact, artist response was so overwhelming, some 50 artists had to be turned away besides the ones who participated.
17 / 18 at the time the video came out. Without looking at the video again which was in ad nauseum rotation at the time, I could name the players from recall alone.
But I came into post what has always been my biggest gripe about the video; i.e., WTF is Kim Carnes doing there?
There are definitely some questionable choices which is to be expected (Akryrod, LaToya, etc.) but Kim Carnes???
She had one hit, ONE frickin’ hit- and I guess Lionel, Michael and Quincy when coming up with the starting line-up, figured: “Oh, she has to be in there. 25 years from now, with a long string of hits to her name, we’d look like fools if we don’t include her.”
I always thought Madonna would have been a better choice and Prince should have made the cut though I’m sure he would have had the good graces to tell them to F-off.
6 or 7 for sure. A few more that I was like, “I think that could be…” but not positive.
Quite a few I had absolutely no clue about. People were really strange-looking back then. Lots of goofy hair. There were some that I would be able to match up with names if I had a list in front of me, but a lot of total strangers.
And there were definitely a fair few of the ones I eventually recognized that I would have recognized right away in their current form, but not as easily 25 years younger. And a few I wasn’t sure about that I would certainly recognize now.
I’m 18.
Who is the guy with the curly brown hair and the gravelly voice? He sings at 2:15 in the video and I think he’s hilarious.
eta: the guys at 2:32 and 2:35 are pretty hilarious, too. Nice hairdos.
I’m 23 (meaning this song is older than I am) and almost completely out of touch with pop culture. I recognized 6 of the singers:
Stevie Wonder
Paul Simon
Michael Jackson
Willie Nelson
Cyndi Lauper
Bob Dylan
Time to put some catchy music on to get that shit out of my head.
Bruce Springsteen.
I’m 42, I recognized 17 soloists, and maybe 5 or 6 background singers. Jeez, does that bring back memories.
Get off my lawn!
Somewhere around 17. Some by voice alone (Bob Dylan). the soloists I definitely didn’t recognize were Ingram, Billy Joel, Kim Carnes, Daryl Hall.
Wondering why Bette Midler didn’t get a solo spot.
16 solo singers, and 3 more from the chorus. I’m 31.
[spoiler]Lionel Ritchie
Stevie Wonder
Paul Simon
Kenny Rodgers
Tina Turner
Billy Joel
Michael Jackson
Dionne Warwick
A very young-looking Willie Nelson
Bruce Springsteen looking as goofy while singing as ever
Kenny Loggins
Dude from Journey (Steve Perry, I’m counting this even if I had to look up the name)
Huey Lewis
Cyndi Lauper
Bob Dylan
Ray Charles
Chorus:
Assorted other Jacksons, including Latoya, I think
Dan Akroid
Harry Belafonte
Bette Midler
[/spoiler]
33 - which coincidentally I am also - aged 33.
Amazing how bad that song was. And amazing how many of those people cannot sing worth a damn.
I(43) recognized all of them, except the dude in the glasses next to Harry Bellafonte. Was that Dan Akroyd? I probably knew this when the video came out but now my old eyes fail me.
For the record, I don’t think there’s any *shame *in the younger generation not knowing all these people. I’m just surprised if anyone with fairly wide musical interests doesn’t recognize many / most of them.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof walking in
John Taylor? walking in
Sting outside
Paul Young starts song
Boy George
Phil Collins playing drums
George Michael
Midge Ure standing beside the sound desk
Simon LeBon
Sting joins him
Tony Hadley
Bono
Paul Weller
Gary Kemp
Paula Yeats with a Kemp
Bono, Greorge, don’t know that blonde guy at all, Paul Young
Jon Moss is playing a guitar
Who is the blond guy, did he win a competition or something 
Marilyn joins the unknown guy
Bananarama arrive
Followed by Kool and the gang
Don’t know the black girl
The Quo are in the crowd.
That’s about me.
I could name all the main ones in the US one and a fair in the background.
39 years old.
I’m blown away that the OP’s brother can only name one in a group that includes
Jackson, Springsteen, Wonder, Charles, Richie, Joel, Turner and Dylan to name just a few. That’s mad and I’m not that into music at all.
Makes two of us.
I kept asking, incredulously “You don’t know who that is? You don’t know who that is?!”
I counted 32 definite ID’s, 34 if I stretch…
Lionel Richie
Stevie Wonder
Paul Simon
Kenny Rogers
James Ingram
Billy Joel
Tina Turner
Dionne Warwick
Michael Jackson
Diana Ross
Al Jarreau
Willie Nelson
Bruce Springsteen
Kenny Loggins
Steve Perry
Daryl Hall
Huey Lewis
Kim Carnes
Cyndi Lauder
John Oates
Randy Jackson
Latoya Jackson
Bob Dylan
Smokey Robinson
Marlon Jackson
Dan Ackroyd
Harry Belafonte
A Pointer Sister?
Jeffrey Osborne
Ray Charles
Bette Milder
Lindsey Buckingham
Another Pointer Sister
I couldn’t follow the camera when it panned across the group.
I count 25 (if you’ll indulge me, I can ID guys/gals from bands, so with that, I’m up to 29).
Bob Geldof
John Taylor
Sting
Paul Young
Boy George
George Michael
Phil Collins
Steve Lillywhite (not sure but I think that’s him behind the mixing desk)
Simon Le Bon
Tony Hadley
Bono
Paul Weller
Midge Ure
Jon Moss
Gary Kemp
Martin Somebody From Heaven 17
Bananarama (3)
Jody Watley
Dudes From Kool & The Gang (3)
Status Quo Dude (Rossi?)
Status Quo Dude #2
Marilyn (Ugh)
Nick Rhodes
Andy Taylor
*Spotted Trevor Horn sitting in the background one time.
Oh, I’m 37. I definitely knew more of the UK performers and I appreciated that there were a few Yanks in there (Jody Watley & Kool & The Gang).
English 43. (I went to Live Aid! Wooohoo!)
I got 19 from We are the World but only 15 from Band Aid (and that’s counting Bananarama as 3). I was surprised. I thought I’d get more from UK and less from US.
I did not include Unspecified-Other-Jackson or That-Can’t-Be-Dan-Akroyd in my US total.