In keeping with the recent theme of protest songs, “War” by Edwin Starr is one of the more popular ones.
On Aug. 29,1970, “War” became the top tune on Billboard’s pop singles chart, and remained #1 for three weeks. The song, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, was originally recorded by the Temptations for their Psychedelic Shack LP, but Motown executives decided someone other than the Temptations, who were gaining popularity nationwide, would release the protest song as a single. Edwin Starr was selected and his efforts led to winning a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
In 1999, “War” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. “Good God, y’all!” http://youtu.be/aAsdCFc5Src
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