Music. A combination of singing and instruments that has the capability to make you laugh, cry, dance and smile all at once. A melody that brings people together from all over the world, no matter their race, ethnicity, or religion.

Music can be listened to alone, in the comfort of your room, with your headphones in.

It can be listened to in the company of your friends and family, eliciting a desire to get up and dance.

Music is shared at marriages, funerals, parties, or simply in your car with the windows rolled all the way down.

But what is it about music that has brought people together for so many years?

How does it bring out the beauty of humanity when all else seems to be going wrong?

Below is a list, in no particular order, of some of the most memorable moments in which music captivated us and brought us together as one big human family:

1. We Are The World 25:

In 2010, Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake which destroyed homes and communities in Port-au-Prince. To help with the relief of this natural disaster, over 80 artists came together and created a remake of Michael Jackson’s “We Are The World”. The artists included Jamie Foxx, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, The Jonas Brothers, will.i.am, Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, and so much more. This charity single not only brought help and relief to those in need after the earthquake, but it also showed the world the power of music and people working together.

2. The Beatles

Basically anything having to do with The Beatles was pretty memorable because c’mon, I mean, we’re talking about The Beatles here. But these four fellas brought a new taste to music in its entirety, taking the world by storm with their catchy songs such as “Here Comes the Sun”, “I Am The Walrus”, “Come Together”, and “All You Need is Love”. The Beatles have been inspiring us for generations now, and will surely continue to do so.

3. “Wavin’ Flag” by K’NAAN

This was technically the unofficial song for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, but nevertheless, it was still a great tune. Eventually, Coca Cola even decided to use it as their campaign for that year’s world cup. With catchy lines such as “When I get older I will be stronger” and “they’ll call me freedom just like a waving flag”, it’s no wonder so many people came together to not only listen to it, but also watch some futbol.

4. Woodstock

This historic music festival brought together 400,000 people for “3 Days of Peace & Music.” In the name of music, all these people gathered together over the course of three days to celebrate peace and listen to artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Although quite controversial, this moment in history is still to this day deemed as one of the greatest times in musical history.

5. Anything involving Michael Jackson

From his genesis in the Jackson 5 to his solo career which lasted until his demise, Michael Jackson is and still will be one of the greatest of all times. His rhythmic and catchy melodies were pretty hard not to dance to and his performance abilities awed everyone who watched him. One of his great hits included “The Man in the Mirror”, which gave the message of making a change in the world.

Although these are only a few of some of the best moments in music, they all illustrate the impactful effect music has on our lives and the capacity it has to bring us all together.