WAR Announce 50th Anniversary ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ CD Boxset

On Friday 6th June 2025 WAR will release Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition), celebrating the multi-million-selling, blockbuster album that topped charts and left an indelible mark on music history.

This deluxe 3CD and digital set commemorates 50 years of some of the band’s most iconic songs, including its timeless title track, ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’, the perennially cool ‘Low Rider’, ‘So’ and more.

First released in 1975, Why Can’t We Be Friends? remains a groundbreaking record—defined by unforgettable melodies, a powerful message of unity, and an enduring influence that continues to shape music, film, and social movements today.

On 6th June  via Avenue/Rhino, the arrival of this special edition will not only honour the album’s milestone anniversary, but celebrate WAR’s 55-year legacy as cultural trailblazers whose impact still resonates across generations today. They are “one of the most seminal bands in music” (Billboard), and “when it comes to low rider Cali-cool multiculturalism, WAR wrote the biggest, loudest book” (Variety).
 

Newly remastered by Bernie Grundman, Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) presents the original album alongside two additional discs. Featuring seven unearthed bonus tracks, rare jam sessions and unedited mixes, as well as a revelatory recording about the making of ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’, the collection offers a deeper look into the record than ever before.

The 3CD and Digital editions follow the stunning Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) 3LP set that just debuted as a 2025 Record Store Day Vinyl Exclusive. WAR’s previous box set, honouring 50 years of The World Is a Ghetto, was named Best New Reissue by Pitchfork, and hailed as one of the best of the year by The New York Times, Variety and more. Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) continues that streak. 

WAR’s signature fusion of funk, soul, jazz, Latin, rock and street music is what first propelled them to prominence 55 years ago, but it was their ability to craft songs of social consciousness that further cemented their place in the modern American songbook.

The immediate global impact of ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ was so profound that NASA transmitted the title track into space during the historic Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. Since then, WAR have continued to sing out against racism, hunger, crime and conflict, while their music has been sampled by Janet Jackson, Tupac, Beastie Boys, Method Man, Sublime, Redman, Cypress Hill, Shaggy, A$AP Mob, Scarface, The Geto Boys, De La Soul, Flo Rida, Liam Payne, Thomas Rhett and more, and covered by everyone from Willie Nelson to The Muppets, George Clinton, Phish, ZZ Top and The Isley Brothers.

With more than 50 million albums sold, 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum records, three Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominations, a GRAMMY Hall of Fame entry, four No.1 LPs, nine Top 10s and twenty Top 40 songs, WAR didn’t just define the sound of the 1970s—they became a lasting voice for creative collaboration and social change, with a mission of love and harmony that resonates now more than ever.

From the prophetic message of ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ to the timeless groove of ‘Low Rider’, this collection captures WAR at their most innovative and socially impactful. More than just a musical milestone, Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) reaffirms the album’s relevance—both as a reflection of the polarizing era that inspired it, and as a beacon of hope for our present and future. 

As WAR enters its sixth decade, their influence remains undeniable. Recent honours—including their debut in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—further cement WAR’s status as musical and cultural giants. Meanwhile, WAR will hit the road for dozens of tour dates across the US and they will visit the UK for two special festival appearances including Love Supreme (July 5^th) and a headline set at the Most Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival on July 12^th. You can find full tour dates at https://war.com/tour. 

TRACK LIST
CD 1: Why Can’t We Be Friends?

1. Don’t Let No One Get You Down
2. Lotus Blossom
3. Heartbeat  
4. Leroy’s Latin Lament (Medley)
   1. Lonnie Dreams
   2. The Way We Feel
   3. La Fiesta        
   4. Lament
5. Smile Happy
6. So 
7. Low Rider
8. In Mazatlan
9. Why Can’t We Be Friends?

CD 2 & 3: Making of Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Disc 1

1. Zorro (Bonus Track) 
2. Don’t Let No One Get You Down (Original Unedited Mix) 
3. Roam & Ramble (Bonus Track)        
4. Low Rider (Original Unedited Mix) 
5. So (Unedited Remix)

Disc 2

1. Oatmeal Box (Bonus Track) 
2. Heartbeat (Original Jam) 
3. The Making of Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Wilful Publicity

WAR will release Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) on Friday 6th June 2025 via Avenue/Rhino.

Pre-Order Why Can’t We Be Friends? 50th Anniversary (Collector’s Edition)

For more information visit: https://war.com/