'We Are The World 25 for Haiti' Vs. The 1985 Original

By Mike Ryan Posted Feb 16th 2010 03:50PM

On Friday night, during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, a new version of 'We Are the World' was unleashed upon, well, the world, in an effort to raise money for Hatian earthquake relief. The original song, released in 1985, raised money and awareness for humanitarian aid in Africa. That original song went on to become a powerhouse of cultural significance. The new version? The cause is clearly just, but it's significance to popular culture remains to be seen. So, we decided to make a verse by verse comparison for each artist in the original version to those in the remake and see how they match up.

Original Version

New Remake

- Lionel Richie vs. Justin Bieber

Normally, we'd be a bit cynical here -- a 15-year-old teenage Canadian pop star taking over for Richie, who was riding high with 'Can't Slow Down' at the time of the original. But there is something haunting about Bieber's voice opening the song, plus Richie hand-picked Bieber to replace him. We were considering calling this a push until we also remembered Lionel was also directly involved in introducing the world to Nicole Richie.

Advantage: Bieber/2010

- Stevie Wonder vs. Jennifer Hudson

We'd be happy to hear Stevie Wonder sing the phone book, which we hear were actually quite useful back in 1985, so Hudson didn't stand much of a chance here. The Oscar-winning actress uses her "listen to my vocal range" singing voice, which reminds us of her attempt to stand out during Hollywood Week on 'American Idol.' She didn't get the memo that only Cyndi Lauper and Celine Dion were allowed to do that.

Advantage: Wonder/1985

- Paul Simon vs. Jennifer Nettles

Nettles' gritty voice hits the mark. Simon's performance was fine, but it's hard not to think that poor Paul is about to be eaten by a Sasquatch when Kenny Rogers enters the frame.

Advantage: Nettles/2010

- Kenny Rogers vs. Josh Groban

The aforementioned Sasquatch (the white shirt he's wearing doesn't help) lays down some "hey, this is important"-type vocals, while Grobin just sounds like he's singing in his ironic 'I'm F**king Ben Affleck' tone. It's now impossible to distinguish Groban's serious voice from his pretending-to-be-serious voice.

Advantage: Sasquatch/1985

- James Ingram vs. Tony Bennett

The biggest shock in this match-up is that Tony Bennett actually appears in the 2010 version. For that reason alone...

Advantage: Bennett/2010

- Tina Turner and Billy Joel vs. Mary J. Blige

Blige appears ready to attend a 'Watchmen' costume party immediately following the recording session. The interesting thing about Tina Turner, who looks ready to break into 'Private Dancer' right there (and it would have been glorious), is that she hands it off to Billy Joel. It seems an odd pairing until you remember that Turner appeared with Bryan Adams in a duet of 'It's Only Love' on his 'Reckless' album. After Adams, this duet with Joel seems a lot less odd.

Advantage: Turner and Joel/1985

- Michael Jackson vs. Michael Jackson

In the second most odd moment of the new 'We Are the World,' archive footage of Michael Jackson is used from the original -- with his sister, Janet, superimposed on to the screen. It is oddly reminiscent of Jim McMahon in 'The Superbowl Shuffle.' In 1985, Jackson was already starting to look a little different. In 2010, the 1985 version of Michael Jackson is a welcome sight.

Advantage: Jackson/2010

- Diana Ross vs. Barbra Streisand

Now this is interesting: Two dueling divas from, roughly, the same era. Ross makes no attempt to memorize the words, reading from her lyric sheet. Streisand looks way too happy to be there, even though she's probably not happy at all. If this is a true battle of divas, the winner has to be the one acting like a diva.

Advantage: Ross/1985

- Dionne Warwick vs. Miley Cyrus

Warwick, through the Psychics Friends Network, once envisioned that, someday, there would be a man who sang a country hit called 'Achy Breaky Heart.' And, she envisioned, one day, that man's daughter would some day sing her part in this tune.

Advantage: Cyrus/2010

- Willie Nelson vs. Enrique Iglesias

Nelson once sang a duet with Enrique's father Julio called 'To All the Girls I've Loved Before.' That has little to do with this comparison, but the fact that Nelson gave an honest rendition with this man's father on a song with lyrics like, "To all the girls I once caressed/And may I say I've held the best..." speaks volumes.

Advantage: Nelson/1985

- Al Jarreau vs. Jamie Foxx

Jaime Foxx has an Oscar for playing Ray Charles (hold this thought) while Al Jarreau sang the theme song to the Bruce Willis television show 'Moonlighting.'

Advantage: Jarreau/1985

- Bruce Springsteen vs. Wyclef Jean

The Boss, in all of his 'Born in the U.S.A.' glory, overdoes his part to the point where he sounds like he's passing a kidney stone. (Full disclosure: We love Springsteen, just not on this song.) Springsteen is from New Jersey; Jean is from Haiti and sings a lyric in Haitian Creole.

Advantage: Jean/2010

- Kenny Loggins vs. Adam Levine

Neither artist really stands out on their given part, though Loggins did sing the theme song to 'Caddyshack,' so...

Advantage: Loggins/1985

- Steve Perry vs. Pink

Poor Pink. It's not an easy task to take over for the Journey front man who's been immortalized in every karaoke bar in the world. Plus, Perry once sang a duet with Kenny Loggins called 'Don't Fight It' ... and Loggins sang the theme song to 'Caddyshack.'

Advantage: Perry/1985

- Daryl Hall vs. BeBe Winans

Both give soulful renditions. We can't help but think John Oates always got the worst of this Hall & Oates "duo." Name one song that Oates sang. How is this a true duo? John Oates is at the 1985 recording, so why doesn't he get to be front and center with Hall? We feel Hall was in a position to pull some strings for his "partner" and chose not to do so.

Advantage: Winans/2010

- Huey Lewis vs. Usher

Poor Lewis and Usher. They were both given the thankless role of being the warm-up act for human dynamos Cyndi Lauper and Celine Dion, respectively.

Advantage: Push

- Cyndi Lauper vs. Celine Dion

It's shocking how similar these two are in their respective videos. Shocking because, in human history, it's not often these two show up in the same sentence. Both nail the "Whoa, Whoa, whoa!" and both clinch their fists in triumph or, possibly, agony. Dion was given her own room. Lauper was perched between Lewis and Kim Carnes. The look on Carnes' face is priceless. "I have to follow, that?"

Advantage: Lauper/1985

- Kim Carnes vs. Fergie

Just like Huey Lewis and Usher, these two are only here so Lauper and Dion can catch their individual breaths and belt out one more "Yeah!"

Advantage: Lauper and Dion

- Bob Dylan vs. Lil Wayne

The biggest surprise when comparing these two versions is that Dylan and Lil Wayne sound eerily similar. But Dylan didn't need an electronic voice manipulator.

Advantage: Dylan/1985

- Ray Charles vs. LL Cool J., Will.i.am, Snoop Dog, Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz, Iyaz, Kanye West.

After hearing the most shocking change between the two songs, somewhere, in this studio, Jaime Foxx had to be shaking his head while thinking, "You know, this rap just isn't quite right." He was probably also thinking his version of Charles, that won him an Oscar, may have proved the better choice here.

Advantage: Charles/1985

- The Hollywood Representative: Dan Aykroyd vs. Vince Vaughn

When the original 'We Are the World' was released, no one could quite figure out what the hell Dan Aykroyd was doing there. Vince Vaughn has taken the 2010 WTF? baton and -- according to exasperated Twitter users -- far exceeded any confusion Aykroyd could have hoped to accomplish. Both were representing the Hollywood community. Aykroyd had just come off the sucess of 'Ghostbusters' and was a 'Blues Brother' with John Belushi; Vaughn had just come off 'Couples Retreat' and was a 'Swinger' with Jon Favreau.

Advantage, for sheer "what the hell?": Vaughn/2010

Final Score:

We Are the World 1985: 13

We Are the World 2010: 10

'We Are the World' Raises Profits, Eyebrows

Tags: we are the world, we are the world 25 for haiti

Comments

(277)

Friday 19 February

By Bill

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Koodles? What the heck is a koodle? No kudos to you, Val

Tuesday 16 February

By nikkirenee1978

I kinda liked the updated version. The original will always remain a timeless classic though. I remember my 1st grade class getting on bleachers outside of our school and singing this song. I did the Cyndi Lauper part. I'm 31 now with an 11 year old girl and i'm happy that this song has been brought back in her time. I'm white, she's mixed, so anytime I see a very diverse group of people getting together and singing (or doing anything positive) for any great cause....it just amazes me. Really, Barbara Streisand and LL Cool J on the same stage, that's frickin' awesome. It's a beautiful song that was written and performed very well then and now.

Wednesday 24 February

By mynesha

this is a lol for this i wanted to here the sang

By J Smith

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I would have been happier if they had just re-released the 1985 version. It sounded better for some reason. There weren't enough singers and too many celebrities in the new one.

By smileydeesjays

I agree J Smith,
re-releasing the "85" version would've been just as good in sort of a remake with the images they have now of Haiti, would've been great. The "85" versions sounds better to me because it has a choir or ethreal tone to it. Lots of singers and the voices were and are amazing on it. The voices now are more squeaky and that rap thing doesn't go off too good. But that's just my opinion, everyone is entitled to their own taste and opinions.

By tg

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this song sucked when it was originally recorded and still sucks today.
a worthy cause each time, but it is really just an embarrassing piece of fluff.

someone should have written a new song for Haiti.

Thursday 18 February

By Ray

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You suck! 1985 that was music,period.

By WHITESPARROW

How dare you call the original and this lastest version of this song (suck). They are both beautiful songs. the only thing i can agree with you is they should of had a new song for this cause. but then again Michael Jackson wrote this song for peace for love and for helping our people in need. and we can now see the seed has grown to a beautiful flower called LOVE.

By Wanda S caggs

you don't know what you are talking about.those performers in the old version were really good.

By annette

I think the orginal was much better I didnt care for the new version at all it was just not what i was expecting at all

By James

Both versions are a giant pile of dog squeeze.

By Lisa

Er... no advantage to Bieber or Cyrus. Sorry-neither can really sing all that well, and Bieber is so new & untested that he could be irrelevant next year. At least in the first WATW, the soloists are remembered 25 years later.

By Mick

I like both versions and actually enjoyed the changes in the second one that distinguish the two. However, I was VERY disappointed that it appeared as though Lionel Richie seemed to just grab anyone who was walking down the street that day...including his own daughter who can....uh hum...sing? Nothing against Nicole, truly, it's just that the original version was FILLED to the gills with the LEGENDS, not just any singer or actor (what in the world were Jeff Bridges and Vince Vaughn doing there?)that could fill a spot. LEGENDS!!! There were a few but far more fillers than superstars. Michael, the perfectionist would roll over in his grave...in my opinion that is.

By Lil A's Mommy

I like both but We Are The World 25 is more up beat and I like everyone who is on the track things change I really liked how they still have MJ in it. I like it and I will buy it

By Kat2988

Nothing tops the original, the second on isn't that good.

Tuesday 23 February

By Sherry

I agree with the older original version being more about something and the voices not blended Ican still listen to it 25yrs later and name each one singing..But I give much love to the ones that are trying to be a new voice to help where Michael Jackson left (R.I.P. MJ)...they are trying and I pray they are doing with the charity and the Haiti fund what MJ did all those years he could. God Bless, Hope4Haiti....

By john

It was ok. Mary J, Barbara Streisand, and Jennifer H. stood out.
It wasn't really a remake. It is more like a 2010 rendition of
"The World, We are."
Let's leave the true classics to stand alone and this one will
rank as......Only time will tell...

John..