Our Top 10 Songs From The Band War presents 10 classic War songs from a group that celebrated great success in the 1970s. With a unique sound that crossed the genres of rock, soul, r&b and pop, War were a favorite of music fans in the decade of the 1970s. The group started out as Eric Burdon & War for their first two albums released in the early 1970s. However, Eric Burdon left the group early on and War went on to have great success especially in the mid 1970s. The band War had release seventeen studio albums and released sixty singles throughout their fabulous career. Our top 10 songs from the band War presents material released both with and without Eric Burdon.
# 10 – All Day Music
We open up our Top 10 War Songs list with one of our favorite songs from the band. The song “All Day Music,” was the title track to their 1971 album All Day Music. This one groves so soulfully you almost can’t take it. The song was never a big hit on the charts, but it remains one of our favorite War songs
# 9 – Slippin’ into Darkness
This is one of those rare War songs that starts out right away with the vocals. This one will tingle you with its soulful gospel opening that floats into a spiritual adventure balanced by a slow funky bass line that is too die for. This is War!
# 8 – Me and Baby Brother
Continuing with our top 10 War songs we deliver a very funky tune called “Me and Baby Brother.” This is one of those gems that got away. It was issued on the album Deliver the Word. The song was released as a single in 1973. It actually was a top 20 hit on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B Charts. This one will get you out of your seat
# 7 – They Can’t Take Away Our Music
War was a very different sounding band when Eric Burdon was in the group for a short time. This one sounds nothing like the mid 1970s War hits. The song “They Can’t Take Away Our Music was released on the second Eric Burdon & War album entitled The Black-Man’s Burdon. The song They Can’t Take Away Our Music was released as a single. It broke the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number 50.
# 6 – The World Is a Ghetto
“The World Is A Ghetto,” is the first of two songs in a row on this list from the album The World Is a Ghetto. The album was released in 1972. The song “The World Is A Ghetto,” was a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number seven. Its a laid back r&b groove laced lyrically with social and political undertones echoing issues of the early 1970s.
# 5 – The Cisco Kid
As we enter the second half of our top 10 War songs list we present the funky tune “The Cisco Kid.” Musically, there is so much going on in this song, its amazing how they make it all work together in such a dynamic R&B grove. The bass playing in this band by B.B. Dickerson is so fundamental to their sound and their song’s grooves. Listen to B.B. Dickerson light it up on this track. The song was a huge top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 just missing the number one spot as it peaked at number two
# 4 – Summer
Is there no better summer song than War’s classic song “Summer?” Well, there are a few, but this one is one of the best. Summer songs are all about a lazy groove and this one fits the mold perfectly. It fit it so wonderfully that it hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Easy Listening charts. The song “Summer,” was also a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number seven in 1976.
# 3 – Why Can’t We Be Friends
This was one of those songs in 1975 that you could not turn a radio dial without bumping into it. It was constantly played on am radio all day long. It was the first of two huge top 10 singles released from the album Why Can’t We Be Friends? The song was a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number six. The band Smash Mouth released a version of the song in 1998 and had a minor hit with it. Nonetheless the original version released by War is a pure gem and one of our all time favorite songs from the 1970s.
# 2 – Spill The Wine
As we wind down our War songs list we turn to a song that was released by the band when it was called Eric Burdon & War. The song “Spill The Wine,” was released on the album Eric Burdon Declares “War.” The album was released in 1970. It was the band’s first hit single and the band’s only hit record to feature Eric Burdon on lead vocals. The song was written by Lonnie Jordan Papa Dee Allen, Lee Oskar Harold Brown, B.B. Dickerson, Charles Miller, Howard E. Scott and Eric Burdon. The song was a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peaking all the way up to number three.
# 1 – Low Rider
At number one on our top 10 War songs list is the grand grooving soulful classic song “Low Rider.” Hands down, this one employs one of the grooviest bass lines and cowbell rhythms of all time. Listen to that bass man. Listen to that vocal. And oh baby that horn line cuts right through you. One of the all time great rock and roll soul singles released in the 1970s. The song “Low Rider,” was released in 1975 on the album Why Can’t We Be Friends. The song was a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at number seven. However, it earned the band War a number one record on the U.S. Billboard R&B Charts. The brilliance of this song has led it to be covered by a wide variety of musical artists from all genres of music from Santana to Phish, to Willy Deville to Widespread Panic to Blues Traveler to Barry White.
Top 10 War Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business or any organizations is allowed to republish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission.
![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
