“The Greatest Night in Pop”, the new Netflix music documentary, is a little gem of the genre that should not be missed under any circumstances.
What is this talking about?
Of an exceptional night, that of
January 28, 1985, during which 47 of the biggest pop stars in the United States (from Diana Ross to Bob Dylan via Bette Midler and Al Jarreau) met in the same studio to record “We Are The World”, a global hit to raise funds for famines in Africa.
If even today, more than thirty years later, everyone knows the heady refrain of this ode to compassion lasting more than seven minutes, this exciting new film lifts the veil behind the scenes of its production.
Supported by an incredible wealth of unpublished archives and interviews with the protagonists.
The film begins with an on-camera interview with Lionel Richie today.
And he confides, with his always trickster smile, about the decade of the 1980s which made him a star.
After his group Commodores, his solo career took off with eternal hits like “All Night Long”.
This period is skillfully recalled with great clips and reports from the time, which instantly triggers the nostalgia machine for those who lived through this period, and will delight generation Z, fans of “Stranger Things”.
While he was at the height of his career, star Harry Belafonte and famous producer Ken Kragen approached him with an idea in mind: to create a choral song whose sales would raise funds for Africa.
Lionel Richie then asks his friend Stevie Wonder for help.
Problem: Stevie never responds.
Also read: Quincy Jones: “I dreamed of being a gangster but everything changed with a piano note”
As a result, Lionel Richie offered the young Michael Jackson the chance to co-write it, under the leadership of Quincy Jones.
With ease.
And quickly, a date was found to bring together Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon and even Tina Turner: that of the American Music Awards ceremony, where all the elite met in Los Angeles.
Once the meeting has been arranged, a race against time ensues to finish composing and then recording this extraordinary piece.
Told like a thriller, almost minute by minute, with a lot of suspense, “The Greatest Night in Pop” is devouring and captivates the viewer in front of so many images, sounds and little stories in the big one.
The film conveys the feeling of looking through the keyhole at one of the most iconic moments in music.
Gorgeous.
Editor's note:
4.5/5
"The Greatest Night in Pop",
Editor’s rating: 4.5/5
American documentary (2024) by Bao Nguyen.
1h37.