Musician biopics and documentaries are everywhere, revealing intimate portraits of our favorite tortured artists and the struggles to rise to the top. But “The Greatest Night in Pop” is different; a focused, entertaining entry that celebrates a very specific moment in pop culture history.
In the mid-1980s, news stories and TV specials ran endless footage of a devastating famine in Ethiopia that ravaged the country with starvation. It was impossible to escape images of children with distended bellies as the need for aid became a desperate plea. It wasn’t long before activists like Harry Belafonte got together and decided to do something to support relief efforts in Africa.
On March 7, 1985, millions gathered around radios all over the world to listen to an impossible new single. Featuring the vocal talents of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Cyndie Lauper, and more, “We Are the World” topped charts everywhere and became the fastest selling single of all time. The single also raised more than $80 million in relief funds, a total that can be doubled in today’s dollars.
And yet, it almost never happened.
A still from The Greatest Night in Pop by Bao Nguyen, an official selection of the Episodic Program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Combining archival footage with present-day interviews, director Bao Nguyen takes what could have been a straightforward and average doc and turns it into an insightful look at the challenges of gathering so many personalities and egos into one recording studio. Lionel Richie, who serves as producer and in some ways the host, shares details about the experience and the people involved. He starts by painting a picture of the music industry of the time period. His own journey breaking free from The Commodores to become a solo performer. Rivalries and competitions. It’s a quick catch-up reminiscent of an episode of VH1 Behind the Music or E!’s I Love the 80s.
Before long, we get into the details. How did this recording session come to be? Belafonte called Ken Kragen, a music producer and fundraiser with a rolodex that could fill a suitcase. Kragen knew everyone and he started making phone calls. One name led to another and then to a few more. Some jumped at the idea and others balked. Location and scheduling were obvious issues until someone realized the entire industry would be in town for the upcoming American Music Awards, hosted by Lionel Richie. With the date set and the location secure, all that was left was, well, everything else.
We get insights into details like lighting, microphone placement, choosing who got solos, which singers to put next to each other for the right vocal blends. Richie recalls the writing sessions at Michael Jackson’s house. The unreturned calls from Stevie Wonder. Using Sheila E to try to get Prince to show up. All these years later, Sheila E has some things to say about that too.
A still from The Greatest Night in Pop by Bao Nguyen, an official selection of the Episodic Program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Over the course of an entertaining and nostalgic 90 minutes or so, the audience is brought into the recording studio. In fact, Richie records his present-day interviews in the very room where they all gathered at A&M Studios in Los Angeles nearly 40 years ago. It’s an enlightening and breezy documentary where Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Huey Lewis, and Cyndi Lauper all express their own nerves about singing in front of each other. The biggest stars in the world all suffering from a bit of imposter syndrome? The stars ARE just like us!
In addition to the fun and funny moments, there are touching and inspiring ones too. Quincy Jones, the legendary producer manages to wrangle all those personalities and egos, taking center stage during the hours-long session. The attention and care he gives to each performer, not babying them but not commanding or beating them down either. This is especially displayed during a surprisingly tender moment with Bob Dylan.
The Greatest Night in Pop may not be the most revolutionary of musical documentaries, but it is a well-constructed look back on an event that accomplished its mission of drawing global attention to a specific issue. And it leads us to wonder if something like that could ever possibly happen again. Probably night, but thanks to Nguyen, we get a glimpse at what a great night that would be.