Heal the World

"Heal the World"
"Heal the World"
Song

"Heal the World" is a song from Michael Jackson's hit album, Dangerous, released in 1991. The music video features children living in countries suffering from unrest. It is also one of only a handful of Michael Jackson's videos not to feature Jackson himself, the others being "Cry", "HIStory" and "Man in the Mirror". (The clips for "HIStory" and "Man in the Mirror" only feature Michael Jackson in archival footage). Jackson performed the song in the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show with a 35000 person flash card performance.

In a 2001 Internet chat with fans, Jackson said "Heal the World" is the song he is most proud to have created. He also created the Heal the World Foundation, a charitable organization which was designed to improve the lives of children. The organization was also meant to teach children how to help others. This concept of 'betterment for all' would become a centerpiece for the Dangerous World Tour. In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson said he created the song in his "Giving Tree" at the Neverland Ranch.

An ensemble performance of "We Are the World" and "Heal the World" closed Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009. The song was performed as rehearsed by Jackson at the venue just days earlier, in preparation for his planned "This Is It" tour in London.

Reception

The song reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1992, kept off the #1 position by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". It fared less well in the US, reaching a peak of #27 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his second consecutive single not to reach the Top 20.

Track listing

Original release

"Heal the World" (7" edit) – 4:31
"Heal the World" (Album version) – 6:25
"She Drives Me Wild" – 3:41
"Man in the Mirror" – 4:55

Visionary single

CD side

"Heal the World" (7" edit)
"Will You Be There"

DVD Side

"Heal the World" (Music video)

Mixes

Album version – 6:25
7" edit w/intro
7" edit
Spoken version [includes a special message from Michael Jackson of the "Signature Series" promo CD]

Charts

Chart (1992/1993)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	20
Austrian Singles Chart	4
Canadian Singles Chart	9
Dutch Singles Chart	4
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles	2
French Singles Chart	2
German Singles Chart	3
Irish Singles Chart	2
Israeli Singles Chart	2
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	3
Norwegian Singles Chart	3
Spanish Singles Chart	1
Swedish Singles Chart	15
Swiss Singles Chart	5^[1]
UK Singles Chart	2
US Billboard Hot 100	27
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	62
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	9
Chart (2006)	Peak position
Dutch Singles Chart	40
French Singles Chart	60
Spanish Singles Chart	1
Italian Singles Chart	13
Chart (2009)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	26
Austrian Singles Chart	22
Danish Singles Chart	7
Dutch Singles Chart	46
German Singles Chart	18
Irish Singles Chart	22
New Zealand Singles Chart	19
Norwegian Singles Chart	3
Swedish Singles Chart	18
Swiss Singles Chart	9^[1]
UK Singles Chart	44^[2]

Certification

Country	Certification	Sales
Germany	Gold^[3]	250,000
New Zealand	Gold^[4]	7,500^[5]

Credits

Written and composed by Michael Jackson
Produced by Michael Jackson & David Foster
Co-produced by Bruce Swedien
Recorded and mixed by Bruce Swedien and Matt Forger
Solo and background vocals: Michael Jackson
Ending solo vocal: Christa Larson
Playground girl: Ashley Farell
Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson
Orchestra arranged and conducted by Marty Paich
Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson and John Bahler
Choir arrangement by John Bahler, featuring the John Bahler Singers
Keyboards: David Paich and Brad Buxer
Synthesizers: Michael Boddicker, David Paich and Steve Porcaro
Drums: Jeff Porcaro
Percussion: Bryan Loren
Prelude composed, arranged and conducted by Marty Paich

Cover versions

The song was covered as "Heal Massa God World" in a reggae style by Jamaican artist Wayne Wonder on his 2006 album Don't Have To.
The song was also covered by R&B superstar Ciara at the 2009 BET Awards, as a tribute to Michael's passing.
The song was covered by hundreds of people, led by Judith Hill, on July 7, 2009, at the Michael Jackson Memorial Tribute.

References

^ ^a ^b "Swiss Singles Chart Archives". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
^ "UK Singles Chart". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
^ http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank.html
^ http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp
^ http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart_facts.asp

External links

Michael Jackson's Heal The World Foundation

[switzerland-1] "Swiss Singles Chart Archives". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 18, 2009.

[2] "UK Singles Chart". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 6 July 2009.

[3] ttp://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank.html

[4] ttp://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp

[5] ttp://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart_facts.asp

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v t e Michael Jackson songs
Singles Songs Unreleased songs
1970s	"Got to Be There" "Ain't No Sunshine" "I Wanna Be Where You Are" "Rockin' Robin" "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" "You've Got a Friend" "Ben" "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" "My Girl" "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" "We've Got a Good Thing Going" "With a Child's Heart" "Morning Glow" "All the Things You Are" "Happy" "Too Young" "Music and Me" "We're Almost There" "Just a Little Bit of You" "You Can't Win" "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" "Rock with You" "Working Day and Night" "It's the Falling in Love"
1980s	"Off the Wall" "Girlfriend" "She's Out of My Life" "One Day in Your Life" "The Girl Is Mine" "Billie Jean" "Beat It" "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" "Human Nature" "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" "Thriller" "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" "Lonely Teardrops" "That's What Love Is Made Of" "Farewell My Summer Love" "Girl You're So Together" "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" "Bad" "The Way You Make Me Feel" "Speed Demon" "Liberian Girl" "Just Good Friends" "Another Part of Me" "Man in the Mirror" "Dirty Diana" "Smooth Criminal" "Leave Me Alone" "Twenty-Five Miles"
1990s	"Black or White" "Jam" "In the Closet" "Remember the Time" "Heal the World" "Who Is It" "Give In to Me" "Will You Be There" "Gone Too Soon" "Dangerous" "Come Together" "Scream" "Childhood" "They Don't Care About Us" "Stranger in Moscow" "This Time Around" "Earth Song" "D.S." "You Are Not Alone" "Tabloid Junkie" "HIStory" "Smile" "Blood on the Dance Floor" "Ghosts" "Is It Scary" "On the Line"
2000s	"Speechless" "You Rock My World" "Heaven Can Wait" "Butterflies" "Cry" "One More Chance" "Cheater" "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" "Fall Again" "This Is It"
2010s	"Hold My Hand" "Hollywood Tonight" "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" "Behind the Mask" "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" "I'm So Blue" "Price of Fame" "Love Never Felt So Good" "Chicago" "Loving You" "A Place with No Name" "Slave to the Rhythm" "Blue Gangsta"
2020s	"She's Trouble"
Other	"We Are the World" "Mind Is the Magic" "What More Can I Give" "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" "Blood on the Dance Floor x Dangerous" "Diamonds Are Invincible"
Featured	"A Brand New Day" "Ease on Down the Road" "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" "Night Time Lover" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "State of Independence" "Muscles" "Say Say Say" "Somebody's Watching Me" "Don't Stand Another Chance" "Centipede" "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)" "Eaten Alive" "Get It" "2300 Jackson Street" "Do the Bartman" "Whatzupwitu" "Why" "I Need You" "We Be Ballin'" "Girls, Girls, Girls" "All in Your Name" "There Must Be More to Life Than This" "Low" "Don't Matter to Me"
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