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The World Is a Ghetto

The World Is a Ghetto is the fifth album by American band War, released in late 1972 on United Artists Records. The album attained the number one spot on Billboard, and was Billboard magazine's Album of the Year as the best-selling album of 1973.[2] In addition to being Billboard's #1 album of 1973, the album was ranked number 444 on Rolling Stone magazine's original list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[3] The title track became a gold record.

For the songs, see The World Is a Ghetto (War song) and The World Is a Ghetto (Geto Boys song).

The World Is a Ghetto

November 1972

1972

Crystal Industries in Los Angeles

43:49

United Artists Records

Jerry Goldstein with Lonnie Jordan and Howard E. Scott

Cover[edit]

The cover illustration, a light-hearted drawing showing a Rolls-Royce with a flat tire in a ghetto, was drawn by Howard Miller, with Lee Oskar credited with album concept.[4]


It uses a blue and black colour pallet as a reference to the melancholy nature of the album.

Alternate formats[edit]

The album was also made available in a 4-channel surround sound (quadraphonic) mix in the 8-track tape format (United Artists UA-DA178-H).[5]

– guitar, percussion, vocals

Howard Scott

– bass, percussion, vocals

B.B. Dickerson

– organ, piano, timbales, percussion, vocals

Lonnie Jordan

– drums, percussion, vocals

Harold Brown

– conga, bongos, percussion, vocals

Papa Dee Allen

– clarinet, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, percussion, vocals

Charles Miller

– harmonica, percussion, vocals

Lee Oskar

List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1973

List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1973

War-The World Is A Ghetto at Discogs