Music can be used as a fundraiser or to promote a cause. This has been proven a number of times by artists and musicians who created music and wrote lyrics based on their corresponding causes and sold them as singles, with the proceeds going to charity. For a charity effort, this type of fundraiser is actually very effective. After all, who can resist the urge of being able to help by buying a single by one (or some) of the best artists, singing songs that promote their causes and their charities. These singles, especially when they are done properly and impeccably, are sure to hit the charts by storm. Although they may not reach the number one spot all the time, they are surely hits that can at least reach the top 50 of the Billboard charts, for instance.



Take, for example, the recent song done during the Stand Up To Cancer telethon in America. Titled ?Just Stand Up!,? this song was performed by some of the most popular and the best female artists in America, including Beyonce Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, Leona Lewis, and Miley Cyrus, among others. This song reached the 11th spot of the Billboard Top 100'a feat for a charity effort. But while it is a charity song, this does not mean that the song isn't any good. With music and lyrics created by Antonio Reid and Kenneth Edmonds, this song is just as good as any song on the airwaves today.

The lyrics of the song speak of resilence and strength during a time of hard times and problems; while the lyrics did not directly mention cancer, it alludes to it. Notice the kind of hope the lyrics what to instill, aptly fitting the intentions of the fundraiser: ?I'm tellin? you things get better through whatever / If you fall, dust if off, don't let up / Don't you know you can go be your own miracle / You need to know!? The lyrics pertain to how the charity of other people can help fund cancer research, although the general sense of the lyrics can also stand on its own.

Another similar song is ?What's Going On,? recorded in 2001 by a number of artists billed using the name ?Artists Against AIDS Worldwide.? The song was originally recorded by Martin Gaye in the 1970s, so its AIDS advocacy was not intentional. Yet, the lyrics of the song have a theme that can work for the cause. For instance, this part of the lyrics is general, but it can have additional depth when placed in the context of AIDS: ?You see war is not the answer / For only love can conquer hate / You know we've got to find a way / To bring some lovin' here today.?

An earlier attempt of this is the song ?Voices That Care,? featuring some of the hottest artists during that time, including Will Smith, Luther Vandross, Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Kenny G, and others. With lyrics aiming to boost the spirits of the troops during the Gulf War, this reached top spots in various charts in the country?and the world. This goes to show that a sincere song with sincere lyrics and admirable intentions can go a long way.