No.87: War, ‘Low Rider’ – Top 100 Classic Rock Songs

From the opening percussion and boss bass riff all the way to that wailing saxophone outro, War unleashed an irresistible funky groove with their 1975 hit 'Low Rider'.

The song hit the airwaves in the summer of 1975 and the single rode all the way to No. 7.

War were a very unique band, mixing funk with Latin, jazz, rock, soul and pop to make a sound that was truly their own. 'Low Rider' delivered a groove that was somehow both slinky and chunky, even funkier vocals, and a catchy as hell harmonica riff, courtesy of Lee Oskar -- one of the true masters of the instrument.

This song was ubiquitous that summer and has taken on a life of its own in the years that followed. It has been used in countless movies, commercials and television shows and still gets airplay on oldies and classic rock radio.

For a band that basically started off as Eric Burdon's backing group, War certainly made a large mark on music history all by themselves with tracks like 'Low Rider,' our choice for one of the Top 100 Classic Rock Songs of all time.

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Watch War Perform 'Low Rider'