Starr's version of War was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970, and is not only the most successful and well-known record of his career, but it is also one of the most popular protest songs ever recorded. It was one of 161 songs on the Clear Channel no-play list after September 11, 2001.hitfield first produced the song â a blatant anti-Vietnam War protest â with The Temptations as the original vocalists.