WAR ANNOUNCES 50th ANNIVERSARY REISSUE OF GREATEST HITS
AVENUE/RHINO
Legendary Southern Californian band WAR has announced a 50th anniversary reissue of their Greatest Hits album out July 31, 2026, via Avenue/Rhino.
Originally released in 1976, it stands as a unifying statement of the era as Greatest Hits captured a vision of America that extended far beyond the mainstream narrative, one that was multiracial, genre-defying, and rooted in everyday life.
The album’s message of unity and its seamless fusion of funk, soul, rock, jazz, and Latin influences feel as vital as ever. It features landmark tracks like ‘The World Is A Ghetto’, ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’, ‘Low Rider’, and ‘Summer’. The latter was a brand-new song at the time of the original Greatest Hits release, and the collection became far more than a compilation.
WAR’s longtime producer Jerry Goldstein reflected on the 1976 ‘Summer’ release, sharing: “It marked the first time a new song was included on a Greatest Hits album and went on to become a greatest hit itself. We recorded ‘Summer’ while assembling the original compilation, which makes this 50th Anniversary edition the most authentic and complete version of our Greatest Hits.”
The 50th anniversary edition of Greatest Hits will be available on 180-gram black vinyl, with lacquers cut by renowned mastering engineer Kevin Gray, delivering a definitive audiophile pressing for collectors and longtime fans. Also releasing the same day, a worldwide all-retail CD edition further expands the album’s reach, now including their iconic tracks ‘Spill The Wine’, ‘Don’t Let No One Get You Down’, ‘So’ and ‘Galaxy’.
In addition to the black vinyl and CD edition of Greatest Hits, exclusive song-driven merchandise will be available via WAR’s official website, alongside brand new lyric videos from the Greatest Hits tracklist
WAR’s Greatest Hits anchors Rhino’s Spirit of ’76 campaign, a 23-title series launching July 17 in weekly waves via Rhino.com and independent retailers. Spanning the full spectrum of 1976’s musical output, the campaign reflects a year when American music expanded in every direction. Within that landscape, Greatest Hits stands apart not simply as a retrospective, but as a defining statement of the era’s sound and spirit. Fifty years later, WAR’s Greatest Hits still carries the same message: music brings people together across cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.
War
Greatest Hits (50th Anniversary Reissue)
(Avenue/Rhino)
Release Date: July 31, 2026
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