Live Aid: The Music That United the World and Awakened Empathy
Remember July 13, 1985? No? Well, that’s the day music proved it can be mightier than any diplomacy! Live Aid, a dual concert held in London and Philadelphia, wasn’t just another music event. It was a global wake-up call, a humanitarian bomb that exploded in the hearts of billions worldwide.
How It All Started It all began with one man – Irish musician Bob Geldof. After seeing horrific images of famine in Ethiopia, he couldn’t just sit back. He teamed up with Midge Ure from Ultravox and launched the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Stars like Paul Young, George Michael, Bono, Sting, and many others sang to save millions of lives. Across the Atlantic, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote “We Are The World,” with performers like Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, and Bruce Springsteen lending their voices to solidarity.
Live Aid – The Concert That Changed the World At Wembley and John F. Kennedy stadiums, the biggest music legends of the time – Queen, David Bowie, U2, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, and many more – played for free, each performance lasting 17 minutes, with audiences of about 72,000 in London and 100,000 in Philadelphia. But the real audience was global – estimates say between 1.5 and 1.9 billion people watched the live broadcast! Yes, you read that right – nearly two billion people witnessed music changing the world.
Yugoslavia’s Contribution – A Pride That Lasts Yugoslavia didn’t stay on the sidelines. With Geldof’s blessing, the Yugoslav Rock Mission was founded, and musicians from all republics united in the song “Milion godina” (A Million Years). Oliver Mandić, Željko Bebek, Marina Perazić, Momčilo Bajagić, Vesna Vrandečić, Aki Rahimovski, and many others lent their voices for humanity. The song was performed live at the Marakana stadium before over 20,000 people, and the recording was shown on a giant screen during the Live Aid broadcast in London. All proceeds from the Yugoslav Rock Mission, then $150,000, were donated to the Yugoslav UNICEF branch.
Why Live Aid Still Matters Live Aid wasn’t just a concert. It was a moment when music transcended itself. When riffs and choruses became cries for help. When the TV became a window into someone else’s suffering and a chance for change. On that July 13, 1985, the world sang for Ethiopia – and for itself. Though 40 years have passed, the message still echoes: people can be music, and music can be people.
If you thought music was just entertainment, think again. Live Aid proves one day, one song, one concert can change the world. And if you’re already on YouTube, check out Queen’s performance at Wembley – it’s history you can’t miss.
So, are you ready to say music can’t change the world? Or will you stay stuck in your playlists while the world burns? Share your thoughts, or at least drop a meme about how music saved the world before TikTok and Instagram existed.
Because hey, if music could gather nearly two billion people, what’s your excuse?
