Superstars To Statespersons

In October 1984, Bob Geldof, vocalist with the post-punk Booomtown Rats, watched news reports of the escalating famine in Ethiopia. Determined to do something he persuaded friends in the industry to record 'Do they Know It's Christmas', which he had written with Ultravox vocalist Midge Ure. Released under the name of Band Aid it went straight to number one.

Similar fund-raising records were recorded by artists in the United States and around the world. The record was followed by Live Aid, a concert staged simultaneously in Wembly Stadium and Philadelphia. It featured many of the world's greatest rock stars and attracted a television audience of 100 million world-wide.

The Band Aid/Live Aid experience proved that recording artists are among the most influential people in the world, and that they were prepared to use that influence in a humanitarian context. As the recognised ambassador of rock, Geldof has access to the world's top politicians as he argued the case for urgent action to relieve famine in Africa.

music 100 pays tribute to the humanitarian efforts of Band Aid/Live Aid with footage of Michael Buerk's BBC reports, Bob Geldof behind the scenes at Wembly and video of the concert itself. Visitors can also take time to listen to ten numbers from the period relayed to a listening post.