Richie opens up about choosing between Madonna and Cyndi Lauper at the time for the song on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

Lionel Richie believes he made a mistake when it comes to the lineup of the 1985 hit “We Are the World.”

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the R&B legend, 74, reflected on the choice to include Cyndi Lauper instead of Madonna on the song.

“It’s probably one of the most interesting questions in the world because we had only a half a line to sing. Let me say this now, a half a line. So we had to have voices that people knew right away. And so, for whatever reason, and by the way, we didn’t know whether Cyndi was coming. Because after the show I said to Cyndi, ‘Are you coming?’ And she said, ‘I spoke to my boyfriend and he says he doesn’t say it’s a hit.’ And I said, ‘Don’t miss this session,’ and she showed up and killed it,” Richie said.

Lionel Richie on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on Feb. 15, 2024.RANDY HOLMES/DISNEY

He added: “The point is, you have to have an identifiable voice. Whatever reason, Cyndi had that…that was it.”

Jimmy Kimmel then pressed Richie about why he couldn’t have included both Lauper, 70, and Madonna, 65, and whether he believes that not featuring the latter was a “mistake.”

“I’m gonna say this now on national and international television — you’re right,” the “All Night Long” artist told the host, 56.

The Greatest Night in Pop , a new Netflix documentary directed by Bao Nguyen and released in January, offers an inside look into the one-night making of “We Are the World” — a charity single in support of African famine relief, specifically in Ethiopia, that became one of the most successful hits of all time.

Richie and Michael Jackson penned the track together, and it was produced by Quincy Jones, with an ensemble of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Bette Midler lending their vocals to bring it to life.

‘We are the World’ Album Artwork. BLANK ARCHIVES/GETTY

“If you’ve ever been in a symphony and you’re sitting close to the orchestra, you feel all that vibration and that energy and that music like a wave over you,” cameraman Ken Woo told PEOPLE. “That’s what it was like in the studio when they sang it the very first time. It just blew everybody away —my jaw dropped.”

Vocal arranger Tom Bahler told PEOPLE that the making of the song was “such a beautiful night, and so special.”

“It was just love, love, love,” he added.