"Why Can't We Be Friends?" | ||||
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Single by War | ||||
from the album Why Can't We Be Friends? | ||||
B-side | "In Mazatlan" | |||
Released | April 1975 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:50 | |||
Label | United Artists | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Jerry Goldstein | |||
War singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
Why Can't We Be Friends on YouTube |
"Why Can't We Be Friends?" is a song by American funk band War, from their 1975 studio album of the same name. It has a simple structure, with the phrase "Why can't we be friends?" being sung four times after each two-line verse amounting to forty-four times in under four minutes. The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1975, and uniquely features each band member singing their own verse. It was played in outer space when NASA beamed it to the linking of Soviet cosmonauts and U.S. astronauts for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project. [3] Billboard ranked it as the No. 23 song of that year.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [10] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Why Can't We Be Friends?" | ||||
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Single by Smash Mouth | ||||
from the album Fush Yu Mang | ||||
Released | January 12, 1998 [11] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | Interscope | |||
Songwriter(s) | Papa Dee Allen, Harold Ray Brown, B. B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott | |||
Producer(s) | Eric Valentine | |||
Smash Mouth singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Why Can't We Be Friends?" on YouTube |
American pop rock band Smash Mouth covered the song on their debut album, Fush Yu Mang , and released it as the album's third single in January 1998.
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Hot on the heels of 'Walkin' On The Sun' comes a wonderfully festive, anthemic rendition of War's pop/R&B chestnut. The song's original funk-flavored arrangement proves perfectly accessible to Smash mouth's pop/ska style. The heartfelt 'let's get along' tone of the lyrics remains as relevant as ever to today's social and political climate, and the band's rousing approach makes the message all the more user-friendly to the pop masses. Another sure-fire multi-format hit from the album Fush Yu Mang ." [13]
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [14] | 67 |
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [15] | 19 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [16] | 19 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [17] | 89 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [18] | 39 |
Spain (AFYVE) [19] | 5 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [20] | 29 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [21] | 28 |
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994 and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass). With Harwell's departure in 2021, De Lisle is now the only original member. They are known for their songs "Walkin' on the Sun" (1997), "All Star" (1999), and "Then The Morning Comes" (1999), as well as a cover of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" (2001).
Fush Yu Mang is the debut studio album by American rock band Smash Mouth, released on July 8, 1997 by Interscope Records. It includes their first major hit, "Walkin' on the Sun", which was the last song to be added onto the album. The title of the album was taken from a line slurred by Al Pacino in Scarface. On the cover of the album is the band in guitarist Greg Camp's 1962 Ford Falcon Squire wagon flying through space with an outstretched arm giving the finger. The title is written in a stylized, pseudo-Asian font. The album also features a cover of War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?". The initial release was given a Parental Advisory label, while later releases were not. Fush Yu Mang has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA in the U.S. for sales in excess of 2 million.
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"It's the Same Old Song" was recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. It was released in 1965 as the second single from their second album. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is today one of The Tops' signatures, and was reportedly created—from initial concept to commercial release—in 24 hours. It reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard R&B chart. It also reached #34 in the UK.
"I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by American band the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966, and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the last number-one hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the number-five song for 1967. While originally published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music (BMI), it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC), with administration passed to Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group.
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"All Star" is a song by the American rock band Smash Mouth from their second studio album, Astro Lounge (1999). Written by Greg Camp and produced by Eric Valentine, the song was released on May 4, 1999, as the first single from Astro Lounge. The song was one of the last tracks to be written for Astro Lounge, after the band's record label Interscope requested more songs that could be released as singles. In writing it, Camp drew musical influence from contemporary music by artists like Sugar Ray and Third Eye Blind, and sought out to create an "anthem" for outcasts. In contrast to the more ska punk style of Smash Mouth's debut album Fush Yu Mang (1997), the song features a more radio-friendly style.
"That's the Way (I Like It)" is a song by American disco and funk band KC and the Sunshine Band from their self-titled second studio album (1975). The single became the band's second No. 1 hit in the Billboard Hot 100, and it is one of the few chart-toppers in history to hit No. 1 on more than one occasion during a one-month period, as it did between November and December 1975. It topped the American pop chart for one week, and then was replaced by another disco song, "Fly, Robin, Fly" by Silver Convention. "That's the Way (I Like It)" returned to No. 1 for one more week after "Fly, Robin, Fly" completed three weeks at the top. "That's the Way (I Like It)" also spent one week at No. 1 in the soul singles chart. The song is in natural minor.
"Over My Head (Cable Car)" (originally performed simply as "Cable Car") is a song by American rock band the Fray. It was released in October 2005 as the lead single from their debut album How to Save a Life and from the soundtrack to the science fiction action film Stealth (2005). It hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single helped propel their album from the Top Heatseekers chart to the top 20 of The Billboard 200 chart. The CD single was backed with "Heaven Forbid" and a live version of "Hundred". In the United Kingdom, "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was released as the second single from the album, following "How to Save a Life".
"Low Rider" is a song written by American funk band War and producer Jerry Goldstein, which appeared on their album Why Can't We Be Friends?, released in 1975. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart, peaked at number seven on the Hot 100 singles chart, and number six in Canada.
"Walk On By" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for singer Dionne Warwick in 1963. Warwick's recording of the song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.
"Walkin' on the Sun" is a song by American rock band Smash Mouth from their first album, Fush Yu Mang (1997). Released as their debut single in June 1997, the song was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. It was also a success abroad, peaking at No. 3 in Canada and Iceland, No. 5 in Italy and Spain, and No. 7 in Australia, where it is certified platinum for shipments exceeding 70,000 units.
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"I Don't Know Why" is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, from the 1968 album For Once in My Life. It was released as a single on January 28, 1969, with "My Cherie Amour" on the B-side. A few months later, the single was re-issued with sides reversed because of the growing popularity of "My Cherie Amour", which became a Top Ten hit.
"Why Can't We Live Together" is a song written and recorded by Timmy Thomas in 1972. A chart hit in the following year, it was included on the album Why Can't We Live Together. It was one of the first major hits to feature the use of a rhythm machine.
"Can't Get Enough of You Baby" is a song written by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer and first recorded by the Four Seasons in 1965 for their album Working My Way Back to You and More Great New Hits. The protopunk band? and the Mysterians recorded it in 1967 for their second album Action. Their version reached No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released as a single.
The discography of Smash Mouth, an American rock band, consists of seven studio albums, four compilation albums, 19 singles and 13 music videos. Their first studio album, Fush Yu Mang, was released in 1997. It peaked at number 19 in the US and was certified platinum two times by the RIAA. A single from the album, "Walkin' on the Sun", peaked at number 1 on the US Adult Top 40 and Alternative Songs charts and at number 3 in Canada. In 1999, Smash Mouth released their second studio album, Astro Lounge. Helped by the singles "Can't Get Enough of You Baby", "All Star", and "Then the Morning Comes", the album peaked at number 6 in the US and was certified platinum three times by the RIAA. "All Star" peaked at number 1 on the US Adult Top 40 chart and also reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100, US Alternative Songs, Australia, and Canada charts. "Then the Morning Comes" peaked at number 2 on the US Adult Top 40 and Canada charts.