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There was no sign declaring “Check Your Ego At The Door” before the 28th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony, but USA For Africa, the historic all-star benefit for African relief, enjoyed Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Music Video, Short Form, awards for “We Are The World.” However, this wide-ranging GRAMMY show began on a different, more somber musical and political note with Sting appearing in a tux before an orchestra to perform his Cold War commentary “Russians,” complete with its famous lyric, “I hope the Russians love their children too.”

Host Kenny Rogers, turning out in a rhinestone tux, noted that the past year wasn’t the first time the music industry had expressed its social conscience, before introducing a performance by one of the artists who ruled the mid-’80s, <a href="/grammys/artists/phil-collins">Phil Collins</a>. Soon after, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt presented Collins with the GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, for his No Jacket Required album. Collins’ other awards for the night were Album Of The Year and Producer Of The Year (with his then collaborator Hugh Padgham). Then Dionne Warwick — along with Julian Lennon — presented the Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, to her niece <a href="/grammys/artists/whitney-houston">Whitney Houston</a> for “Saving All My Love For You.”

Accepting the Song Of The Year, reigning King of Pop <a href="/grammys/artists/michael-jackson">Michael Jackson</a> struck a grand note, saying, “I’d like to thank God…for choosing [co-writer] <a href="/grammys/artists/lionel-richie">Lionel [Richie]</a> and I to write ‘We Are the World.’”

Barbra Streisand offered a heartfelt presentation of a posthumous Trustees Award to the legendary songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin. “Like the love in the last song they ever wrote together, their music is definitely here to stay,” Streisand noted, before Ira Gershwin’s widow, Leonore, graciously accepted the award.

Ronnie Milsap’s big country hit “Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night)” — which would win the GRAMMY for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male — became the jumping off point for an ambitious ’50s medley that featured Milsap, Fred Parris and the Five Satins, Carl Perkins and Huey Lewis &amp; The News.

A salute to the Rolling Stones began with Kenny Rogers singing their praises, saying “They set a tone for rock music for the next generation that made it okay to play from your heart...and sometimes even lower.” Then Eric Clapton appeared via satellite with the Stones from the Roof Garden Club in London. “As far as I’m concerned, they are what rock and roll is all about — toughness and relentless to the very end,” Clapton said. Slowhand then presented the band with the <a href="/grammys/awards/lifetime-awards">Lifetime Achievement Award</a>, noting they were “the most volatile and intact rock group to survive the ’60s. The band seemed to be having a very good night indeed, and Mick Jagger offered these words: “I’d like to say thank you to all the people that have stuck by this band through thick and thin. And to all the people that took the piss, the joke’s on you.”

The final award of the evening was Record Of The Year, and in accepting for “We Are The World,” producer <a href="/grammys/artists/quincy-jones">Quincy Jones</a> made reference to that famous “Check Your Ego At The Door” sign outside the recording sessions for the song. “It was never necessary,” Jones said warmly. And then he set the stage for many more such high-minded musical efforts in the future, saying, “I hope it becomes fashionable.”&nbsp;

We Are The World

The Boys Of Summer (Single)

Money For Nothing (Single)

The Power Of Love (Single)

Born In The U.S.A. (Single)

Record Of The Year

Whitney Houston (Album)

We Are The World-USA For Africa/The Album (Album)

The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (Album)

No Jacket Required

Brothers In Arms (Album)

Album Of The Year

I Want To Know What Love Is (Single)

Everytime You Go Away (Single)

Song Of The Year

Best New Artist

We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) (Single)

We Belong (Single)

Saving All My Love For You

Lush Life (Album)

Crazy For You (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female

The Heat Is On (Single)

Part-Time Lover (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male

Easy Lover (Single)

Broken Wings (Track)

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Shake Down (Single)

Miami Vice Theme

Love Theme From St. Elmo's Fire (Single)

Harlequin (Album)

Axel F (Single)

Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist)

What A Thrill (Track)

Rock This House (Track)

Read My Lips (Track)

One Of The Living

Invincible (Theme From Legend Of Billie Jean) (Single)

Best Rock Vocal Performance - Female

The Boys Of Summer

Scarecrow

Reckless (Album)

Just Another Night (Single)

Centerfield (Album)

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male

Would I Lie To You? (Single)

We Built This City (Single)

Money For Nothing

It's Only Love (Track)

Heart (Album)

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

The Ritual (Track)

Say What! (Track)

Rising Force (Album)

Guitar Army (Track)

Escape

Back To Earth (Track)

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

You Give Good Love (Single)

New Attitude (Single)

Lovergirl (Track)

I Feel For You (Album)

Freeway Of Love

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female

You Are My Lady (Single)

The Night I Fell In Love (Album)

In Square Circle

High Crime (Track)

Chinese Wall (Album)

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

The Way You Do The Things You Do/My Girl (Single)

Solid (Album)

Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves (Track)

Nightshift

Contact (Album)

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Rain Forest (Album)

Pacific Coast Highway (Track)

Musician

Love Light In Flight (Track)

First Avenue (Single)

Caribbean Queen (Single)

Bass And Trouble

Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist)

Through The Fire (Single)

Nightshift (Single)

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

You're Under Arrest (Album)

Straight To The Heart

Sportin' Life (Album)

Magic Touch (Album)

Atlantis (Album)

Alternating Currents (Album)

Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal Or Instrumental

The Great Songs From The Cotton Club (Album)

Sing Joy Spring (Track)

Meet Benny Bailey (Track)

Made In New York (Album)

Cleo At Carnegie - The 10th Anniversary Concert

20 Years Blue (Track)

Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Female

Oh Yes, I Remember Clifford (Track)

Mark Murphy Sings Nat's Choice - The Nat "King" Cole Songbook, Volume I (Album)

Live At Vine Street (Album)

Beyond The Sea (Track)

Another Night In Tunisia

Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Male

Vocalese

To You (Track)

Ray's Rockhouse (Track)

Night In The City (Album)

Hot IV (Album)

Blue (Track)

American Eyes (Album)

Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group

Human Nature (Track)

Black Codes From The Underground

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist

Voyage (Album)

The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (Track)

Standards, Vol. 2 (Album)

One Night With Blue Note (Album)

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group

The Cotton Club - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The African Game (Album)

March Of The Tadpoles (Album)

Don't Stop Now! (Album)

Ambassador At Large (Album)

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band

You Make Me Want To Make You Mine (Single)

The Ballad Of Sally Rose (Album)

She's Single Again (Single)

Real Love (Album)

I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me

Best Country Vocal Performance - Female

You Make Me Feel Like A Man (Single)

Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night)

I Don't Mind The Thorns (If You're The Rose) (Single)

Forgiving You Was Easy (Single)

Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

Why Not Me

The Forester Sisters (Album)

Real Love (Track)

Meet Me In Montana (Single)

Highwayman (Single)

Can't Keep A Good Man Down (Single)

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Windy And Warm (Track)

Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Dave Holland (Album)

Lasso The Moon (Instrumental) (Track)

Folsom Prison Blues (Track)

Cosmic Square Dance

Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist)

Love Is Alive (Single)

Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night) (Single)

I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me (Single)

Highwayman

Forty Hour Week (For A Livin') (Single)

Desperados Waiting For A Train (Single)

Best Country Song

Unguarded

Hymns Just For You (Album)

Don't Hide Your Heart (Album)

Choose Life (Album)

Black And White In A Grey World (Album)

Best Gospel Performance, Female

Power Of Praise (Album)

Medals (Album)

How Excellent Is Thy Name

He Holds The Key (Album)

Fifty Golden Years (Album)

Best Gospel Performance - Male

Let The Wind Blow (Album)

I've Just Seen Jesus

I Could Never Say Goodbye (Single)

Commander Sozo And The Charge Of The Light Brigade (Album)

Beat The System (Album)

Best Gospel Performance By A Duo Or Group, Choir Or Chorus

Martin

Lift Him Up (Track)

Deleon (Album)

Chosen (Album)

Blessed Assurance (Track)

Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female

Unspeakable Joy (Album)

Stop Your Searchin' (Try God!) (Track)

So Good (Album)

Heavy Load (Album)

28th Annual GRAMMY Awards