Loading AI tools
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, generating several hit ballads. The group had a steady stream of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Second only to The Beach Boys in Billboard singles and albums chart success among American bands, Chicago is one of the longest-running and most successful rock groups, and one of the world's best-selling groups of all time, having sold more than 100 million records.[1][2]
| Chicago discography | |
|---|---|
 Chicago in 2004 (L-R): Keith Howland, James Pankow, Bill Champlin, Walt Parazaider, Tris Imboden, Lee Loughnane, Robert Lamm (view blocked) and Jason Scheff. | |
| Studio albums | 26 |
| Live albums | 7 |
| Compilation albums | 11 |
| Singles | 67 |
According to Billboard, Chicago was the leading US singles charting group during the 1970s. They have sold over 40 million units in the US, with 23 gold, 18 platinum, and 8 multi-platinum albums.[3][4] Over the course of their career they have had five number-one albums and 21 top-ten singles. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 8, 2016 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Canon albums
| No. | Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] |
AUS [6] |
CAN [7] |
FIN [8] |
FR [citation needed] |
GER [9] |
ITA | NDL [10] |
NO [11] |
NZ [12] |
SWE [13][14] |
UK [15] | ||||
| 1 | The Chicago Transit Authority | 17 | 23 | 10 | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | 8 | — | — | 9 | ||
| 2 | Chicago |
|
4 | 5 | 4 | — | 13 | 20 | 8[18] | 2 | — | — | 7 | 6 | |
| 3 | Chicago III |
|
2 | 6 | 7 | 6 | — | 17 | 9[19] | 5 | 8 | — | 5 | 9 | |
| 4 | Chicago at Carnegie Hall |
|
3 | 26 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 | Chicago V |
|
1 | 5 | 1 | 14 | — | — | 13[20] | 4 | 7 | — | 5 | 24 | |
| 6 | Chicago VI |
|
1 | 12 | 2 | 26 | — | — | 22[21] | — | 13 | — | 3 | — | |
| 7 | Chicago VII |
|
1 | 13 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | 18 | — | |
| 8 | Chicago VIII |
|
1 | 27 | 3 | — | 17 | — | — | — | 6 | 30 | 25 | — | |
| 9 | Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits |
|
1 | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | |
| 10 | Chicago X |
|
3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 5 | 8[22] | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 21 | |
| 11 | Chicago XI |
|
6 | 7 | 4 | — | 8 | 39 | 15[22] | 12 | 5 | — | 8 | — | |
| 12 | Hot Streets |
|
12 | 14 | 10 | — | 25 | — | — | — | 7 | 9 | 23 | — | |
| 13 | Chicago 13 |
|
21 | 24 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | 30 | — | |
| 14 | Chicago XIV |
|
71 | 71 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | |
| 15 | Greatest Hits, Volume II |
|
171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 16 | Chicago 16 |
|
9 | 22 | 17 | — | — | 11 | 13[24] | 33 | — | 24 | — | 44 | |
| 17 | Chicago 17 |
|
4 | 65 | 4 | — | 23 | 12 | — | 20 | 14 | 25 | 1 | 24 | |
| 18 | Chicago 18 |
|
35 | — | 53 | 31 | — | 49 | — | — | 12 | — | 15 | — |
|
| 19 | Chicago 19 |
|
37 | — | 38 | 39 | — | 42 | — | — | 5 | — | 7 | — |
|
| 20 | Greatest Hits 1982–1989
Issued as: The Heart of Chicago in Europe. |
|
37 | 71 | 73 | — | — | 47 | 23[25] | — | — | — | — | 6 | |
| 21 | Twenty 1 |
|
66 | — | 73 | 40 | — | 66 | — | 52 | 11 | — | 18 | — | |
| 22 | Night & Day: Big Band |
|
90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 23 | The Heart of Chicago 1967–1997 |
|
55 | — | 47 | 8 | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 41 | — | 21 | |
| 24 | The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II |
|
154 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 25 | Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album
Reissued as: What's It Gonna Be, Santa? (2003). |
|
47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 26 | Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 27 | The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning
Issued as: The Chicago Story: Complete Greatest Hits in Europe. |
|
20 | 86 | — | — | — | 25 | — | 4 | — | — | — | 11 | |
| 28 | The Box |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 29 | Love Songs |
|
57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | |
| 30 | Chicago XXX |
|
41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 31 | The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition |
|
100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 32 | Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus |
|
122 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 33 | Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three |
|
170 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 34 | Chicago XXXIV: Live in '75 |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 35 | Chicago XXXV: The Nashville Sessions |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 36 | Chicago XXXVI: Now |
|
82 | — | — | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | 181 | |
| 37 | Chicago XXXVII: Chicago Christmas |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 38 | Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 39 | Chicago Greatest Christmas Hits |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 40 | Chicago At The John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/71) |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Notes:
Other albums
Live albums
- 1972: Live in Japan
- 2015: Chicago at Symphony Hall
- 2018: Chicago: VI Decades Live (This is What We Do) (box set)
- 2018: Chicago: Chicago II Live on Soundstage
- 2018: Chicago: Greatest Hits Live
- 2018: Chicago: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival
Compilation albums
- 1983: If You Leave Me Now
- 1984: The Ultimate Collection
- 1985: Take Me Back to Chicago
- 1991: Group Portrait
- 1995: Overtime
- 1995: 25 Years of Gold – AUS #30[6]
- 1996: The Very Best of Chicago
- 1997: Chicago Presents the Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath
- 2013: Chicago Collectors Edition (3 CD set from Madacy Records)
In 1969, Chicago appeared at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, the same one day rock festival that produced John Lennon's Live Peace in Toronto 1969. (Also appearing at the Festival were Alice Cooper, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry - whose performances of the event were also issued on albums.) Since 1978, there have been innumerable unauthorized LP, Cassette and CD releases of the same poor-quality recording of this performance.
There were eight songs recorded at the gig, seven from Chicago Transit Authority plus the then unreleased "25 or 6 to 4." Almost all of these releases include only seven of the songs; "Beginnings" is nearly always omitted, its title often being wrongly given to the first track "Introduction". "South California Purples" is often listed as "Purples," "Purple Song" or "South Carolina Purples", and sometimes given an incorrect writing credit—i.e., to composer Carl Michalski or "John Gunner/J.Marks".[27][28]
The one song in the set not to appear previously on any official live album is "Liberation", which is frequently edited or faded early and whose correct total runtime is approximately 16:05. On some versions, all the songs are faded early. Some LP versions include talking between songs, most notably Lamm pointing out that "25 or 6 to 4" was a brand new song.
Despite its shortcomings, some reviewers have regarded the recording quite positively. For example, the 1984 LP release Chicago: Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 69 by Design Records is considered by reviewer Doug Stone to be a "choice concert souvenir...captur(ing) the group in its live prime. Supporting the Chicago Transit Authority debut, before mastering wedding material, Chicago was a rock & roll force to be reckoned with."[29] A reviewer of an earlier version of the same recording, entitled Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 1969, Volume 1 (Accord, 1981) considers that "...there's certainly nothing wrong with the performance. In some ways, the at times fuzzy sound works in the album's favor, giving Chicago a garage-y edge rarely found on their studio works."[30]
| Year | Title | US [31][5] |
US AC [32][33][5] |
AUS [6] |
UK [15] |
IRE [15] |
CAN [34] |
US CB [35] |
Certification | Lead singer | Album | B-side | Label and cat# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1969 | "Questions 67 and 68" | 71 | — | — | — | — | 54 | 82 | Peter Cetera/Robert Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority | "Listen" | Columbia 44909 | |
| Oct. 1969 | "Beginnings" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Lamm | "Poem 58" | Columbia 45011 | ||
| March 1970 | "Make Me Smile" | 9 | — | 33 | — | — | 11 | 11 | Terry Kath | Chicago | "Colour My World" | Columbia 45127 | |
| June 1970 | "25 or 6 to 4" | 4 | — | 12 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 6 | Cetera | "Where Do We Go from Here" | Columbia 45194 | ||
| Oct. 1970 | "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" | 7 | 5 | 35 | — | — | 2 | 5 | Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority | "Listen" | Columbia 45264 | |
| Feb. 1971 | "Free" | 20 | — | 99 | — | — | 12 | 19 | Kath | Chicago III | "Free Country" | Columbia 45331 | |
| April 1971 | "Lowdown" | 35 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 25 | Cetera | "Loneliness Is Just a Word" | Columbia 45370 | ||
| June 1971 | "Beginnings" (A-side) | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | 11 | Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority | Columbia 45417 | ||
| June 1971 | → "Colour My World" (B-side) | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 75 | Kath | Chicago | Columbia 45417 | ||
| Sept. 1971 | "Questions 67 and 68" (A-side) | 24 | 34 | — | — | — | — | 13 | Cetera/Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority | Columbia 45467 | ||
| Sept. 1971 | → "I'm a Man" (B-side) | 49 | — | — | 8 | 13 | 8 | 67 | Kath/Cetera/Lamm | Columbia 45467 | |||
| July 1972 | "Saturday in the Park" | 3 | 8 | 43 | — | — | 2 | 3 |
|
Lamm/Cetera | Chicago V | "Alma Mater" | Columbia 45657 |
| Oct. 1972 | "Dialogue (Part I & II)" | 24 | — | 91 | — | — | 26 | 17 | Cetera/Kath | "Now That You've Gone" | Columbia 45717 | ||
| June 1973 | "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" | 10 | — | 74 | — | — | 12 | 8 | Cetera | Chicago VI | "Jenny" | Columbia 45880 | |
| Sept. 1973 | "Just You 'n' Me" | 4 | 7 | 23 | — | — | 3 | 1 |
|
Cetera | "Critic's Choice" | Columbia 45933 | |
| Feb. 1974 | "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" | 9 | 8 | 44 | — | — | 5 | 7 | Cetera | Chicago VII | "Byblos" | Columbia 46020 | |
| June 1974 | "Call on Me" | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 10 | Cetera | "Prelude to Aire" | Columbia 46062 | ||
| Oct. 1974 | "Wishing You Were Here" | 11 | 1 | 51 | 51[A] | — | 12 | 9 | Kath/Cetera | "Life Saver" | Columbia 10049 | ||
| Feb. 1975 | "Harry Truman" | 13 | 23 | — | — | — | 16 | 19 | Lamm | Chicago VIII | "Till We Meet Again" | Columbia 10092 | |
| April 1975 | "Old Days" | 5 | 3 | 80 | — | — | 6 | 6 | Cetera | "Hideaway" | Columbia 10131 | ||
| Aug. 1975 | "Brand New Love Affair (Part I and II)" | 61 | 27 | — | — | — | 65 | 43 | Kath/Cetera | "Hideaway" | Columbia 10200 | ||
| June 1976 | "Another Rainy Day in New York City" | 32 | 2 | — | — | — | 37 | 33 | Cetera | Chicago X | "Hope for Love" | Columbia 10360 | |
| July 1976 | "If You Leave Me Now" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Cetera | "Together Again" | Columbia 10390 | |
| March 1977 | "You Are on My Mind" | 49 | 17 | — | — | — | 75 | 56 | James Pankow | "Gently I'll Wake You" | Columbia 10523 | ||
| Sept. 1977 | "Baby, What a Big Surprise" | 4 | 8 | 14 | 41 | — | 3 | 4 | Cetera | Chicago XI | "Takin' It on Uptown" | Columbia 10620 | |
| Jan. 1978 | "Little One" | 44 | 40 | — | — | — | 49 | 59 | Kath | "Till the End of Time" | Columbia 10683 | ||
| May 1978 | "Take Me Back to Chicago" | 63 | 39 | — | — | — | 66 | 62 | Lamm/Chaka Khan | "Policeman" | Columbia 10737 | ||
| Oct. 1978 | "Alive Again" | 14 | 39 | 37 | — | — | 11 | 13 | Cetera | Hot Streets | "Love Was New" | Columbia 10845 | |
| Dec. 1978 | "No Tell Lover" | 14 | 5 | 67 | — | — | 10 | 14 | Cetera/Donnie Dacus | "Take a Chance" | Columbia 10879 | ||
| March 1979 | "Gone Long Gone" | 73 | — | — | — | — | 93 | 75 | Cetera | "The Greatest Love on Earth" | Columbia 10935 | ||
| Aug. 1979 | "Must Have Been Crazy" | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | Dacus | Chicago 13 | "Closer to You" | Columbia 11061 | |
| Oct. 1979 | "Street Player"* | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cetera | "Window Dreamin'" | Columbia 11138 | ||
| July 1980 | "Thunder and Lightning" | 56 | 46 | — | — | — | — | 67 | Cetera/Lamm | Chicago XIV | "I'd Rather Be Rich" | Columbia 11345 | |
| Oct. 1980 | "Song for You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cetera | "The American Dream" | Columbia 11376 | ||
| May 1982 | "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Cetera | Chicago 16 | "Sonny Think Twice" | Full Moon/Warner 29979 | |
| Sept. 1982 | "Love Me Tomorrow" | 22 | 8 | 82 | — | — | 35 | 22 | Cetera | "Bad Advice" | Full Moon/Warner 29911 | ||
| Jan. 1983 | "What You're Missing" | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cetera | "Rescue You" | Full Moon/Warner 29798 | ||
| April 1984 | "Stay the Night" | 16 | — | — | — | — | 47 | 15 | Cetera | Chicago 17 | "Only You" | Full Moon/Warner 29306 | |
| July 1984 | "Hard Habit to Break" | 3 | 3 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 2 | Cetera/Bill Champlin | "Remember the Feeling" | Full Moon/Warner 29214 | ||
| Nov. 1984 | "You're the Inspiration" | 3 | 1 | 43 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 4 | Cetera | "Once in a Lifetime" | Full Moon/Warner 29126 | ||
| Feb. 1985 | "Along Comes a Woman"** | 14 | 25 | — | 96 | — | 17 | 19 | Cetera | "We Can Stop the Hurtin'" | Full Moon/Warner 29082 | ||
| Aug. 1986 | "25 or 6 to 4" (Newly re-recorded version) | 48 | — | — | — | — | 52 | 46 | Jason Scheff | Chicago 18 | "One More Day" | Full Moon/Warner 28628 | |
| Oct. 1986 | "Will You Still Love Me?" | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | 4 | Scheff/Champlin | "25 or 6 to 4" (Newly re-recorded version) | Full Moon/Warner 28512 | ||
| March 1987 | "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." | 17 | 9 | — | — | — | 54 | 16 | Scheff/Champlin | "Forever" | Full Moon/Warner 28424 | ||
| June 1987 | "Niagara Falls" | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Scheff/Champlin | "I Believe" | Full Moon/Warner 28283 | ||
| May 1988 | "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" | 3 | 5 | 60 | 127 | — | 4 | 5 | Champlin | Chicago 19 | "I Stand Up" | Full Moon/ Reprise 27855 | |
| Sept. 1988 | "Look Away" | 1 | 1 | — | 77 | — | 1 | 1 |
|
Champlin | "Come in from the Night" | Full Moon/ Reprise 27766 | |
| Jan. 1989 | "You're Not Alone" | 10 | 9 | — | — | — | 22 | 9 | Champlin | "It's Alright" | Full Moon/ Reprise 27757 | ||
| April 1989 | "We Can Last Forever" | 55 | 12 | — | — | — | 74 | 53 | Scheff | "One More Day" | Full Moon/ Reprise 22985 | ||
| Nov. 1989 | "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" | 5 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 4 | 5 | Scheff | Chicago 19/Greatest Hits 1982-1989 | "25 or 6 to 4" | Full Moon/ Reprise 22741 | |
| July 1990 | "Hearts in Trouble" | 75 | — | 77 | — | — | — | 57 | Champlin | Days of Thunder soundtrack | "Car Building" | DGC 19679 | |
| Jan. 1991 | "Chasin' the Wind" | 39 | 13 | — | — | — | 50 | 31 | Champlin | Twenty 1 | "Only Time Can Heal the Wounded" | Reprise 19466 | |
| Apr. 1991 | "Explain It to My Heart" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 107 | Scheff/Champlin | "God Save the Queen" | Reprise 19449 | ||
| Aug. 1991 | "You Come to My Senses" | — | 11 | — | — | — | 57 | — | Scheff | "Who Do You Love" | Reprise 19205 | ||
| June 1995 | "Dream a Little Dream of Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Scheff/Jade | Night & Day Big Band | Giant | ||
| April 1997 | "Here in My Heart" | 59* | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Champlin/Scheff | The Heart of Chicago 1967–1997 | Reprise | ||
| Oct. 1997 | "The Only One" | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | Lamm/Champlin/Scheff/Lenny Kravitz | ||||
| June 1998 | "All Roads Lead to You" | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | Champlin/Lamm/Scheff | The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II | |||
| Oct. 1998 | "Show Me a Sign" | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | Scheff/Champlin | ||||
| Sept. 1999 | "Back to You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Scheff | Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert | Chicago Records | ||
| Feb. 2006 | "Feel" | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | Lamm | Chicago XXX | Rhino | ||
| May 2006 | "Love Will Come Back" (featuring Rascal Flatts) | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | Scheff/Rascal Flatts members/Champlin | ||||
| June 2008 | "Let's Take a Lifetime" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Scheff | Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus | |||
| Dec. 2011 | "My Favorite Things" | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | Lamm | Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three | Chicago Records II | ||
| Nov. 2019 | "All Over the World" | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | Neil Donell | Chicago Christmas (2019) | Rhino | ||
| Dec. 2019 | "Sleigh Ride 2019" | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | Donell | ||||
| May 2022 [38][39] |
"If This Is Goodbye" | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | Donell/Lamm | Chicago XXXVIII: Born For This Moment | BMG |
- "Street Player" peaked at #91 on the US R&B chart in December 1979.
- The #59 peak of "Here in My Heart" was on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. The record was not eligible for the Hot 100 at the time, not being released as a retail single.
Billboard and Cash Box year-end performances
| Year | Song | BB Year-End Position |
CB Year-End Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "Make Me Smile" | 59 | 60 |
| "25 or 6 to 4" | 61 | — | |
| 1971 | "Beginnings" / "Colour My World" | 56 | 58 |
| 1972 | "Saturday in the Park" | 76 | 71 |
| 1973 | "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" | 54 | 82 |
| "Just You 'N' Me" | — | 62 (1973) 60 (1974) | |
| 1974 | "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" | 73 | 65 |
| "Call On Me" | 98 | — | |
| 1976 | "If You Leave Me Now" | 48 | 14 |
| 1982 | "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" | 10 | 11 |
| 1984 | "Hard Habit to Break" | 45 | 32 |
| 1985 | "You're the Inspiration" | 37 | 35 |
| 1987 | "Will You Still Love Me?" | 50 | 23 |
| 1988 | "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" | 48 | 40 |
| 1989 | "Look Away" | 1 | — |
| 1990 | "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" | 71 | — |
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "Good for Nothing" | We Are the World |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "If You Leave Me Now" (Live) | |
| 1978 | "Alive Again" (Live) | |
| 1982 | "Hard To Say I'm Sorry"[41] | |
| "Love Me Tomorrow" | ||
| 1984 | "Stay the Night" | Gilbert Bettman Jr. |
| "Hard Habit to Break" | Leslie Libman | |
| "You're the Inspiration" | Leslie Libman | |
| 1985 | "Along Comes a Woman" | Jay Dubin |
| 1986 | "25 or 6 to 4" | Andy Brenton |
| "Will You Still Love Me?" | ||
| 1988 | "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" | Paul Boyington |
| "Look Away" | ||
| 1989 | "You're Not Alone" | Richard Levine |
| 1990 | "Hearts in Trouble" | Michael Bay |
| 1991 | "Chasin' the Wind" | |
| "Explain It to My Heart" | ||
| 2006 | "Feel" | |
| 2014 | "Now" | |
| "More Will Be Revealed" | ||
| 2022 | "If This is Goodbye" |
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
