"America" is a song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond, released in 1980 on the soundtrack album of Diamond's film The Jazz Singer. It was also played in another film called Born in East LA. The song was a hit single in the United States in 1981, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Diamond's sixth number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. Billboard also rated it as the #62 pop single overall for 1981. Although the single version was a studio recording, crowd cheering overdubs simulate the feel of a live performance.