War

Recorded in 1970 at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Starr's version was produced by Norman Whitfield with backing by the Funk Brothers and the Undisputed Truth. Whitfield and Barrett Strong originally wrote the song for the Temptations, who released their recording earlier that year. Released during the Vietnam War, its forceful denunciation of armed conflict became a major protest anthem. It spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Starr's biggest hit. The recording remains Starr's signature song and an enduring anti-war anthem. It entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, while later recordings by Bruce Springsteen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood extended the song's reach.