Songs for a Cause: Music equals Change
Playlist and Article by: Shannon Alfonso
During the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s many issues such as famine, disease, illness, poverty, etc arose. People in the music business, having seen the horrors in the world, took the initiative to write, produce, and record music to provide relief and aid in times of distress. Charities have arisen from these events and have proposed music as an outlet, hoping to bring awareness for causes. In other words, music is like a bandaid; it is meant to heal our wounds, alleviate our burdens, and give us hope in uncertain circumstances. Here are some songs that do just that...
‘JUST STAND UP!’ - Artists Stand Up to Cancer
“ JUST STAND UP!” is a 2008 charity single, featuring well- renowned female singers such as Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, Ciara, and more. The song was meant to provide support and raise money for the charity Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), in hopes of accelerating cancer research. There was also a powerful all-star television performance of the song which tugged on the heartstrings. Broadcasting channels such as ABC, CBS, and NBC dedicated a one hour commercial free time to this event. This was the first ever cross-network broadcast to raise funds to fight against a disease.
If you want to watch the performance, click the link here: https://youtu.be/HUEF-NzPnD8?si=fmyxzuKGmh-EfEjC
‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ - Band Aid
This song can be considered the British version of ‘We are the World,’ or vice versa. This was written to help the famine in Ethiopia, in 1984. The creation of this piece of music was thanks to BBC journalist Michael Buerk’s reports of the devastating event in Africa, drawing more awareness to the cause. In fact, BBC news was the first to ever document the famine. This prompted action in the United Kingdom, leading to the formation of charities, gathering famous artists to dedicate their talents to the song. Some of the artists that are featured on this song are George Michael, Boy George, Sting, Phil Collins, and more. Overall, the song raised £8 million, sold 2.5 million copies in the U.S, and reached #1 in 13 countries.
Here is the official music video for the song: https://youtu.be/GKDPz3T4W5U?si=1tk4blLNXy_rcIKC
‘Strange Fruit’ - Billie Holiday
This song is a protest against the inhumanity of racism, which was inspired by Lawrence Beitler’s photograph of the lynchings of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. The musical piece was originally a poem titled ‘ Bitter Fruit’ written by Abel Meeropol, a white Jewish school teacher in the Bronx, which he set to music, blossoming into ‘ Strange Fruit.’ The title is a hidden metaphor for African American bodies dangling from southern trees, calling out prejudice and violence. This song was very controversial as the FBI tried to silence Holiday and stop her from singing it. This issue is more explored in the film The United States vs. Billie Holiday on Hulu, if you are interested in learning more!
Here is the trailer to the film: https://youtu.be/USi-ppCfxEA?si=d70-NnF1WrL5FcBJ
‘Voices That Care’ - David Foster
‘Voices that Care’ is a song written by David Foster, Peter Cetera, and Linda Thompson. This song raised over one million dollars for the American Red Cross and was meant to help boost the morale of U.S. troops involved in Operation Desert Storm. It features popular singers such as Celine Dion, Bobby Brown, Michael Bolton, and The Pointer Sisters, as well as Hollywood names such as Richard Gere, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, and Meryl Streep. The single reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and features Kenny G on the saxophone.
Check out the music video: https://youtu.be/g4jKHTJRJmY?si=WnpJ8Fr_qW-Y86eI
‘We are the World’ - USA for Africa
“ We are the World” is a 1984 charity single, composed by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. The idea to come up with this song started with Harry Belafonte’s decision to provide relief during the African famine in Ethiopia. Richie and Jackson then came up with a list of the 80’s most popular, and acclaimed artists to join the project such as Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggings, Tina Turner, Billy Joel and more. Through this song, the United Support of Artists for Africa, also known as USA for Africa raised 64 million dollars, and snubbed many awards at the Grammys the following year, including record of the year.
Recently, the Netflix documentary called “ The Biggest Night in Pop" was made, detailing the story and cause behind the song. Be sure to check this out if you wish to learn more about the creative process in more detail.
Here is the trailer: https://youtu.be/MD3oU1gowu4?si=g1_82i9B6HoNFd5S
Listen here! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7da7RYRkF85UPt4SwWgOrf?si=lnho7cRlQmWh3vfKVUbung&pi=u-JI3vLABfQvyu
