A posted sign told the artists to “check your egos at the door” before the recording of this 1985 single
The Final Jeopardy clue for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, appeared in the category “’80s Music” and read: “A posted sign told the artists to ‘check your egos at the door’ before the recording of this 1985 single.” The clue points to one of the most famous all-star recording sessions in pop music history. The correct response is We Are the World.
What Is We Are the World?
The correct response is We Are the World, the 1985 charity single recorded by an extraordinary collection of American music stars under the name USA for Africa.
The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones with Michael Omartian. Its proceeds were intended to support humanitarian relief efforts in Africa, particularly in response to the devastating Ethiopian famine.
“Check Your Egos at the Door”
The wording in the Final Jeopardy clue comes from one of the most famous details surrounding the recording session. Quincy Jones had a sign placed at the entrance instructing the assembled stars to “Check Your Egos at the Door.”
The message was practical as much as humorous. Jones had gathered dozens of extremely famous singers in the same studio and needed everyone to focus on a single collective performance rather than individual status.
A Recording Session Packed With Superstars
The recording took place at A&M Recording Studios in Los Angeles on January 28, 1985. Many of the performers arrived immediately after attending that year’s American Music Awards.
The lineup included Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and many other major artists.
How the Song Came Together
The project was inspired in part by the success of Britain and Ireland’s Band Aid, whose 1984 single Do They Know It’s Christmas? raised money for famine relief.
Harry Belafonte wanted to organize a comparable American effort. Producer and manager Ken Kragen helped assemble the project, with Richie, Jackson and Jones taking central creative roles.
Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie Wrote the Song
Jackson and Richie worked together on the composition before the massive recording session. The finished song was deliberately written around a memorable chorus that could accommodate a large group of singers.
Individual stars were assigned short solo passages before the ensemble joined together for the chorus. That structure allowed many recognizable voices to appear without losing the sense that the recording was a collective effort.
The Success of We Are the World
Released in March 1985, We Are the World became an enormous commercial success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold millions of copies.
The song also won several Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while becoming permanently associated with the wave of large-scale charity recordings that emerged during the 1980s.
USA for Africa
The participating performers were collectively credited as USA for Africa, short for United Support of Artists for Africa.
Money raised through the project was directed toward food, medicine and other forms of humanitarian assistance. The recording demonstrated how the combined visibility of major entertainers could be used to generate enormous public attention for an international crisis.
Why We Are the World Is the Correct Answer
The phrase “check your egos at the door” is one of the best-known stories from the We Are the World recording session. Quincy Jones’ instruction became symbolic of the extraordinary challenge of bringing so many major stars together for one night.
Combined with the clue’s 1985 date, it makes the identification clear. The correct Final Jeopardy response is What is We Are the World?, the historic USA for Africa charity single recorded by some of the decade’s biggest musical performers.