Special Report

The Most Popular Songs About War and Peace on the Billboard Hot 100

Taylor Hill / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Edwin Starr’s song “War” from 1970 asked the question, “War. What is it good for?” – and answered emphatically “Absolutely nothing!” One thing war has been good for, though, is as a fertile topic – along with its hoped-for opposite, peace – for music.

To determine the most popular songs about war and peace, 24/7 Tempo reviewed performance data on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for songs protesting or advocating war or recounting a battle or a soldier’s experience in war (some treatments of the subject are more abstract than others). Songs were ranked based on an inverse score where in a week at No. 1 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point. Chart data is current through the week of Dec. 31, 2022.

All of the war and anti-war songs on our list are from the post-World II era, addressing the Cold War, nuclear war, the Vietnam War, racial strife, and the war on terror. With folk and folk-rock performers such as Phil Ochs, Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan providing much of the messaging, anti-war music surged in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Get Together,” and “Peace Train.” (Here are 50 protest songs that made the Billboard Hot 100.)

The Vietnam War was singled out in the tunes “Bring the Boys Home,” “Born in the USA,” “Daniel,” and “Sunshine” – as well as, on the other side of things, “The Ballad of the Green Berets.”

Nuclear war was in the crosshairs of musicians with songs such as “Eve of Destruction,” “It’s a Mistake,” and “1999” – in the last of which, Prince poked fun at Armageddon.

Not all the songs about conflict are protesting it. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir had a hit with the “Battle Hymn Of The Republic” as did Whitney Houston with her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” (These are the origins of America’s national anthems, songs, and marches.)

Click here to see the most popular songs about war and peace on the Billboard Hot 100

After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, country singers weighed in with ballads such as “Have You Forgotten?”, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

40. Cat Stevens, “Peace Train”
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 25, 1971
> Peak position on Hot 100: #7 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 12 weeks

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Tony Russell / Redferns via Getty Images

39. Freda Payne, “Bring the Boys Home”
> Entered Hot 100: June 5, 1971
> Peak position on Hot 100: #12 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 13 weeks

CA / Redferns via Getty Images

38. Barry McGuire, “Eve of Destruction”
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 21, 1965
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 11 weeks

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

37. Glen Campbell, “Galveston”
> Entered Hot 100: March 1, 1969
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 12 weeks

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Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

36. Toby Keith, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”
> Entered Hot 100: June 8, 2002
> Peak position on Hot 100: #25 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

Cindy Ord / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

35. Lil Baby, “The Bigger Picture”
> Entered Hot 100: June 27, 2020
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

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George Frey / Getty Images

34. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 7, 1959
> Peak position on Hot 100: #13 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 16 weeks

Rusty Russell / Getty Images

33. Darryl Worley, “Have You Forgotten?”
> Entered Hot 100: March 15, 2003
> Peak position on Hot 100: #22 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

Bill Steber / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

32. Alan Jackson, “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 24, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #28 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

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Courtesy of Amazon

31. Larry Verne, “Mr. Custer”
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 29, 1960
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 13 weeks

Public Domain/ Wikimedia Commons

30. Sgt. Barry Sadler, “The Ballad of the Green Berets”
> Entered Hot 100: Feb. 5, 1966
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 5 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 13 weeks

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Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

29. Men At Work, “It’s a Mistake”
> Entered Hot 100: July 2, 1983
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks

Annamaria DiSanto / WireImage via Getty Images

28. Toby Keith, “American Soldier”
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 27, 2003
> Peak position on Hot 100: #28 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

27. The Supremes, “Stoned Love”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 7, 1970
> Peak position on Hot 100: #7 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 14 weeks

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Hulton Archive / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

26. Peter, Paul & Mary, “Blowin’ in the Wind”
> Entered Hot 100: June 29, 1963
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

25. Don Henley, “All She Wants to Do Is Dance”
> Entered Hot 100: Feb. 23, 1985
> Peak position on Hot 100: #9 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 19 weeks

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Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

24. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the USA”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 10, 1984
> Peak position on Hot 100: #9 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 17 weeks

Photo by George Rose / Getty Images

23. Whitney Houston, “The Star Spangled Banner”
> Entered Hot 100: March 9, 1991
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 27 weeks

David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images

22. Elton John, “Daniel”
> Entered Hot 100: April 7, 1973
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks

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John Downing / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

21. ABBA, “Waterloo”
> Entered Hot 100: June 1, 1974
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 17 weeks

20. Jonathan Edwards, “Sunshine”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 13, 1971
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 16 weeks

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Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

19. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On”
> Entered Hot 100: Feb. 20, 1971
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks

Central Press / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

18. Joan Baez, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 14, 1971
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks

Courtesy of Columbia Records / AllCDCovers

17. USA For Africa, “We Are the World”
> Entered Hot 100: March 23, 1985
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 4 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 18 weeks

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Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

16. The Temptations, “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)”
> Entered Hot 100: May 23, 1970
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks

Rick Diamond / Getty Images

15. Aaron Tippin, “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly”
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 20, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #20 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

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David Redfern / Getty Images

14. Edwin Starr, “War”
> Entered Hot 100: July 11, 1970
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks

13. Green Day, “21 Guns”
> Entered Hot 100: July 11, 2009
> Peak position on Hot 100: #22 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

12. White Lion, “When the Children Cry”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 5, 1988
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 23 weeks

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Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

11. The Youngbloods, “Get Together”
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 2, 1967
> Peak position on Hot 100: #5 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 25 weeks

Graham Wood / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

10. Genesis, “Land of Confusion”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 1, 1986
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 21 weeks

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Central Press / Getty Images

9. Sly & The Family Stone, “Everyday People”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 30, 1968
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 4 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 19 weeks

RB / Redferns via Getty Images

8. Nena, “99 Luftballons”
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 10, 1983
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 23 weeks

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

7. Poison, “Something to Believe In”
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 6, 1990
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 21 weeks

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6. Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Now”
> Entered Hot 100: April 13, 1991
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 25 weeks

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

5. Prince, “1999”
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 30, 1982
> Peak position on Hot 100: #12 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 30 weeks

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Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

4. Scorpions, “Wind of Change”
> Entered Hot 100: June 1, 1991
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 25 weeks

Taylor Hill / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

3. M.I.A., “Paper Planes”
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 2, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

2. Johnny Horton, “The Battle of New Orleans”
> Entered Hot 100: April 27, 1959
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 6 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 21 weeks

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Jo Hale / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

1. Green Day, “Holiday”
> Entered Hot 100: April 9, 2005
> Peak position on Hot 100: #19 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 32 weeks

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