There are at least nine artists with this name: 1. WAR were a popular funk group of the '70s. They mixed soul, jazz, blues, reggae, Latin and rock influences in their music. They had a very recognizable sound, due to their mix of harmonica, horns, guitar, bass, percussion, and vocals. WAR was initially formed in 1969 from a band called Nightshift to jam while Eric Burdon free-associated lyrics. They released two albums under Burdon's name, the first of which contained the hit Spill the Wine.