Farm Aid '85: The 1980s Concert That Rocked the Heartland

The summer of 1985 will forever be known for Live Aid, the charity benefit concert that defined 1980s pop culture. But a few months later came Farm Aid '85, another massive musical event with a very different mission.   This time, the spotlight turned to America's farmers as some of the biggest names in Rock and Country -- Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young -- came together to raise awareness for a growing rural crisis.  Inspired by an offhand comment by the legendary Bob Dylan, the concert came together in just 6 weeks. But unlike Live Aid, Farm Aid kept going, evolving over the decades, still happening to this day.  Today, we look back at how Farm Aid began, the challenges it addressed, and the changes it helped create. And the event itself also gave us some of the most historic moments in 1980s music history... Get early access to new episodes, ad-free: Patreon.com/80s