Timeless classic or better left forgotten?

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Timeless. Considering that the video was popular before the song was.

Phil Collins' drumming on this track is actually damned good:
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I love the headphone holding, the fake guitar playing on a track that has no guitars on it and the patronizing, self-righteous tone of the whole thing. "Thank God it's them instead of you" indeed.

Lots of hair styles that day are better left forgotten. Mullets everywhere and whatever Sting called this:

The thing I always thought was lame was that England has such a wide variety of musical talent they could've used for this - but were represented by too many artists across only a few bands. 29 artists coming from just 10 bands.

At least with the US and Canadian efforts had a huge mix of different musicians/personalities.

In any case, all 3 songs sucked.

"There won't be snow in Africa this Christmas."

Of course not - because over there is it summer!

"Do they know it's Christmas"?

For the millions of Africans who are Christians, I'm pretty sure they do.

"Thank God it's them instead of you."

It doesn't have to be anyone. The world is not a zero sum game. And right now, Ethiopia actually has the fastest growing economy of any country in the world.

They should have kept the song exactly like that, instead of adding all that other stuff.

One of my favorite Christmas songs.

1989

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2004

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2014

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I enjoy the song year after year but I have always felt uncomfortable about that line.

The 2014 version changed that line.

Pulp made a parody video for their song "Bad Cover Version" using celebrity lookalikes.

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I'd go with timeless classic. It's a well-written song with solid performances.

"We are the World", however, was just not a very good tune, IMO.

Personally I think it's a great tune, and at least a holiday classic. But I'm also a big fan of most of the bands these guys come from... U2, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Wham! But outside of U2, many people no longer look at those bands as anything but a bad 80's joke.

Good tune I'd say classic. When it first came out it was quite magical.

Duran Duran still has a following though not on the same level as U2 of course.

Cheesy but good and the original 1984 version was the best.

I tried to download it at Itunes but it is not available and says "Album only"