Chicago

Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The group has described itself as a "rock and roll band with horns," and its music incorporates elements of classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop.

The band emerged from several Chicago-area groups in the late 1960s. The original lineup consisted of Peter Cetera (bass, vocals), Terry Kath (guitar, vocals), Robert Lamm (keyboards, vocals), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), James Pankow (trombone), Walter Parazaider (woodwinds), and Danny Seraphine (drums). Cetera, Kath, and Lamm shared lead vocal duties. The group was initially named The Big Thing, then adopted the name Chicago Transit Authority in 1968, before shortening it to Chicago in 1969.

Laudir de Oliveira joined as a percussionist and second drummer in 1974. After the death of Terry Kath in 1978, the band employed several guitarists in succession. Bill Champlin joined in 1981, contributing vocals, keyboards, and rhythm guitar. Cetera departed in 1985 and was replaced by Jason Scheff. Seraphine left in 1990 and was replaced by Tris Imboden. Although the lineup has changed over time, Lamm, Loughnane, and Pankow have remained long-standing members. Parazaider retired from touring in 2017 and later disclosed in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Since 2025, Lamm and Pankow have paused touring due to health concerns but remain official members of the band.

In September 2008, Billboard ranked Chicago thirteenth among the top 100 artists of all time based on Hot 100 singles performance, and fifteenth on a similar list in October 2015. The publication also ranked the band ninth among the 100 greatest artists of all time in terms of Billboard 200 album chart performance in 2015. Chicago is among the longest-running and commercially successful rock groups and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. In 1971, the band became the first rock act to sell out Carnegie Hall for a full week. The group is also noted for its consistent visual branding, including a distinctive logo and the use of Roman numerals in album titles.

Chicago has sold more than 40 million units in the United States and has received numerous certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, including 23 gold, 18 platinum, and eight multi-platinum albums. The band achieved five consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and placed 20 singles in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. In 1974, all seven of the group’s albums released to that date were simultaneously on the Billboard 200 chart. Chicago has received ten Grammy Award nominations and won one for the song "If You Leave Me Now." Their debut album, "Chicago Transit Authority," released in 1969, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. The original lineup was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2017, Cetera, Lamm, and Pankow were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The band received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_(band)

Studio albums Chicago Transit Authority (1969) Chicago (1970) Chicago III (1971) Chicago V (1972) Chicago VI (1973) Chicago VII (1974) Chicago VIII (1975) Chicago X (1976) Chicago XI (1977) Hot Streets (1978) Chicago 13 (1979) Chicago XIV (1980) Chicago 16 (1982) Chicago 17 (1984) Chicago 18 (1986) Chicago 19 (1988) Twenty 1 (1991) Night & Day: Big Band (1995) Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album (1998) Chicago XXX (2006) Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus (2008) Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three (2011) Chicago XXXV: The Nashville Sessions (2013) Chicago XXXVI: Now (2014) Chicago XXXVII: Chicago Christmas (2019) Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment (2022)