Northern Lights was the name used by the supergroup of Canadian musicians who were gathered by the music talent manager Bruce Allen in 1985 to record the single "Tears Are Not Enough".

Like Band Aid (who recorded "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984) and USA for Africa (who recorded "We Are the World" a few weeks later in 1985), proceeds from the song were donated to famine relief in Ethiopia. The Live Aid concert followed on July 13, 1985.

Vocalists who had solo appearances on the track included Gordon Lightfoot, Burton Cummings, Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell, Dan Hill, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Bruce Cockburn, Geddy Lee and Mike Reno.

Vocalists who appeared in duos or trios with other vocalists: Liberty Silver, Carroll Baker, Ronnie Hawkins, Murray McLauchlan, Véronique Béliveau, Robert Charlebois, Claude Dubois, Don Gerrard, Salome Bey, Mark Holmes, Lorraine Segato, Lisa Dalbello, Alfie Zappacosta, Paul Hyde and Carole Pope.

Liona Boyd, Tom Cochrane, Tommy Hunter, Kim Mitchell, Oscar Peterson, Paul Shaffer, Jane Siberry, Martha Johnson and Sylvia Tyson participated as instrumentalists or as backing vocalists in the song's chorus.