WAR – 50th Anniversary of Hit Album “Why Can’t We Be Friends”

In 2025, WAR is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking album Why Can’t We Be Friends? with a special anniversary tour and deluxe reissue, solidifying their place as funk-rock legends still active and relevant decades later.

Formed in Long Beach, California, in 1969, WAR fused funk, soul, Latin, jazz, and rock into a multicultural sound with mass appeal. They’re best known for iconic hits like:

“Low Rider”
“Why Can’t We Be Friends?”
“Spill the Wine” (with Eric Burdon)
“Cisco Kid”
“Slippin’ into Darkness”

The group’s blend of conscious lyrics, grooving rhythms, and crossover sound made them pioneers of “street funk.”