More than 100 million records sold across 37 albums. 47 gold and platinum records. 35 top 40 hit singles including 21 top 10s. 5 Grammys. 1 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Chicago, a self-described “rock and roll band with horns,” will celebrate 55 years in the business when they take the stage Saturday night at 8 p.m. in New Orleans at the Saenger Theatre, and they’ve got a lot more to offer fans than just longevity.
Beginning their journey in the city that gave them their name in 1967, the eight-piece outfit was known right from the outset for their chutzpah.
As noted by singer Rob Thomas at Chicago’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, “Their first album was a double-album… Second album – double-album. Third album – also a double-album. Three double-albums to start their career. And what did they call those albums? Chicago I… Chicago II… Chicago III – f—king fearless!”
The band would rarely deviate from that album-naming system across their catalog, all the way to their most recent release, Chicago XXXVII: Chicago Christmas in 2019.
Five of those albums topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart, a consecutive stretch that spanned from 1972-1975 and including the five releases from Chicago V to Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits.
And those albums were populated by an enviable string of hit songs that are now considered rock classics: Make Me Smile, 25 Or 6 To 4, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, Beginnings, Colour My World, Saturday In The Park, Feelin’ Stronger Every Day, Just You ‘N’ Me, (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long, Call On Me and Old Days all made the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 from 1970 to 1975, leading to their first chart-topper, If You Leave Me Now, in 1976.
After a late-1970s lull that stemmed from the sudden death of lead guitarist and founding member Terry Kath, Chicago found their stride once again in the 1980s with a string of hit power-ballads that put them back at the forefront of pop radio playlists.
Starting with their surprise comeback #1 hit Hard To Say I’m Sorry in 1982, Chicago would hit the top 10 six more times in the 80s with romantic tunes like Hard Habit To Break, You’re The Inspiration, Will You Still Love Me, You’re Not Alone, and their final #1 hit Look Away in 1988, all along the way weathering an ever-shifting lineup and the defection of the man who had become their de facto lead singer, Peter Cetera, to solo ambitions.
And even though they had their last major smash hit over 30 years ago, 1990’s What Kind Of Man Would I Be, Chicago has remained a constant presence on radio stations and streaming playlists thanks to the enduring legacy of their impressive collection of hits.
Three familiar faces remain part of the band’s lineup from their earliest days: keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane and trombonist James Pankow. The band has been fronted by Neil Donell as lead singer since 2018.
Tickets for Chicago’s March 12 performance at the Saenger Theatre are currently sold out.
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