Charity record
A charity record is a song released by Musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity.
Ex-Beatle George Harrison's "Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-made charity single – in this case to help fund relief efforts following the 1970 Bhola cyclone and the Bangladesh Liberation War. The money raised was donated to UNICEF, as were takings from Harrison's all-star charity concert held at Madison Square Garden, New York, and its spin-off live album and concert film. This is one way of using artistic talent as art for charity.
Some of the other early charity records came from the January 1979 Music for UNICEF Concert, with the likes of ABBA's "Chiquitita" and the Bee Gees' "Too Much Heaven" released as singles, all the royalties from which went to UNICEF. Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in November 1984 began the revolution of the charity record, which would be popularised throughout the 1980s.
In the United States, charity records reached their peak with USA for Africa's "We Are the World" in 1985, but then essentially died out afterwards. In the United Kingdom, however, charity singles, have become annual hits.
Purpose-made "charity singles" however were not the first charity records. As early as 1956, The Lord's Taveners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artists at the time.
This was made with the gratitude of The Decca Record Company and the entire profits of the record together with the royalties and fees from artists, publishers, etc., were donated to The National Playing Fields Association. This was the first charity record to make the UK charts and reached Number 2. Due to its success, it was followed by a second compilation in 1957.
Notable charity singles
1970s
1980s
1990s
| Release Date | Title | Artists | Charity/Cause | Highest Chart Position |
| April 1990 | "Use It Up and Wear It Out" | Pat and Mick | Capital Radio 1990 Help a London Child | 22 |
| June 1990 | "You've Got a Friend" | Big Fun, Sonia, featuring Gary Barnacle on saxophone | ChildLine | 14 |
| February 1991 | "Voices that Care" | Voices that Care | To boost the morale of U.S. troops involved in Operation Desert Storm | 11 |
| March 1991 | "The Stonk" | Hale and Pace | Comic Relief | 1 |
| November 1991 | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | George Michael, Elton John | 10 charities for AIDS, children and education | 1, 1, 1 |
| March 1992 | "One" | U2 | Proceeds going towards AIDS research | 7, 1, 10, 4 |
| April 1992 | " Elected" | Smear Campaign | Comic Relief | 9 |
| July 1992 | "Give a Little Bit" | Supertramp | The 1992 ITV Telethon. | 29 Re-Release failed to chart. |
| September 1992 | "Suicide Is Painless" | Manic Street Preachers | The Spastics Society | 7 |
| November 1992 | "Heal The World" | Michael Jackson | Heal the World Foundation | 1, 2, 2, 2, 4 |
| February 1993 | "Stick It Out" | Right Said Fred and friends | Comic Relief | 4 |
| May 1994 | "Absolutely Fabulous" | Pet Shop Boys with Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley | Comic Relief | 6, 2 |
| March 1995 | "Love Can Build a Bridge" | Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton | Comic Relief | 1, 41 |
| November 1995 | "Earth Song" | Michael Jackson | Heal the World Foundation, Environmental Awareness | 1, 1, 1, 3 |
| November 1995 | "The Gift of Christmas" | Childliners | ChildLine | 9 |
| December 1996 | "Knockin' on Heaven's Door/Throw These Guns Away" | Ted Christopher, Mark Knopfler | Aid of victims of the Dunblane massacre | 1 |
| March 1997 | "Mama"/"Who Do You Think You Are" | The Spice Girls | Comic Relief | 1, 13, 3 |
| September 1997 | "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About The Way You Look Tonight" | Elton John | Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund | 1, 1, 1, 1 |
| October 1997 | "Perfect Day" | Various Artists, see specific article for full list | Children in Need | 1, 6 |
| April 1998 | "Release" | The Tea Party | White Ribbon Campaign | |
| March 1999 | "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" | Boyzone | Comic Relief | 1 |
| November 1999 | "Talking in Your Sleep/Love Me" | Martine McCutcheon | Children in Need | 6 |
| December 1999 | "It's Only Rock 'n Roll " | Various Artists | Children's Promise | 14 |