<P> The single was also a commercial success; the initial shipment of 800,000 "We Are the World" records sold out within three days of release . The record became the fastest - selling American pop single in history . At one Tower Records store on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, 1,000 copies of the song were sold in two days . Store worker Richard Petitpas commented, "A number one single sells about 100 to 125 copies a week . This is absolutely unheard of ." By the end of 1985, "We Are the World" had become the best selling single of the year . Five years later it was revealed that the song had become the biggest single of the 1980s . "We Are the World" was eventually cited as the biggest selling single in both US and pop music history . The song became the first - ever single to be certified multi-platinum; it received a 4 × certification by the Recording Industry Association of America . The estimated global sales of "We Are the World" are said to be 20 million . </P> <P> Despite the song's commercial success, "We Are the World" received mixed reviews from journalists, music critics and the public following its release . American journalist Greil Marcus felt that the song sounded like a Pepsi jingle . He wrote, "...the constant repetition of' There's a choice we're making' conflates with Pepsi's trademarked' The choice of a new generation' in a way that, on the part of Pepsi - contracted song writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, is certainly not intentional, and even more certainly beyond the realm of serendipity ." Marcus added, "In the realm of contextualization,' We Are the World' says less about Ethiopia than it does about Pepsi--and the true result will likely be less that certain Ethiopian individuals will live, or anyway live a bit longer than they otherwise would have, than that Pepsi will get the catch phrase of its advertising campaign sung for free by Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and all the rest ." Author Reebee Garofalo agreed, and expressed the opinion that the line "We're saving our own lives" was a "distasteful element of self - indulgence". He asserted that the artists of USA for Africa were proclaiming "their own salvation for singing about an issue they will never experience on behalf of a people most of them will never encounter". </P> <P> In contrast, Stephen Holden of The New York Times praised the phrase "There's a choice we're making, We're saving our own lives". He commented that the line assumed "an extra emotional dimension when sung by people with superstar mystiques". Holden expressed that the song was "an artistic triumph that transcends its official nature". He noted that unlike Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas", the vocals on "We Are the World" were "artfully interwoven" and emphasized the individuality of each singer . Holden concluded that "We Are the World" was "a simple, eloquent ballad" and a "fully - realized pop statement that would sound outstanding even if it weren't recorded by stars". </P> <P> The song proved popular with both young and old listeners . The public enjoyed hearing a supergroup of musicians singing together on one track, and felt satisfied in buying the record, knowing that the money would go towards a good cause . People reported they bought more than one copy of the single, some buying up to five copies of the record . One mother from Columbia, Missouri purchased two copies of "We Are the World", stating, "The record is excellent whether it's for a cause or not . It's fun trying to identify the different artists . It was a good feeling knowing that I was helping someone in need ." </P>

Who sang on the we are the world