This is a discography for American rock band Chicago.
| 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 | 21 |
| Live albums | 3 |
| Compilation albums | 10 |
| Singles | 63 |
Studio albums
| Year | Titel | US Chart | UK Chart | RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Chicago Transit Authority | 17 | 9 | 2x Multi-Platinum |
| 1970 | Chicago II | 4 | 6 | Platinum |
| 1971 | Chicago III | 2 | 9 | Platinum |
| 1972 | Chicago V | 1 | 24 | 2x Multi-Platinum |
| 1973 | Chicago VI | 1 | - | 2x Multi-Platinum |
| 1974 | Chicago VII | 1 | - | Platinum |
| 1975 | Chicago VIII | 1 | - | Platinum |
| 1976 | Chicago X | 3 | 21 | 2x Multi-Platinum |
| 1977 | Chicago XI | 6 | - | Platinum |
| 1978 | Hot Streets | 12 | - | Platinum |
| 1979 | Chicago 13 | 21 | - | Gold |
| 1980 | Chicago XIV | 71 | - | - |
| 1982 | Chicago 16 | 9 | 44 | 3x Multi-Platinum |
| 1984 | Chicago 17 | 4 | 24 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
| 1986 | Chicago 18 | 35 | - | Platinum |
| 1988 | Chicago 19 | 37 | - | Platinum |
| 1991 | Twenty 1 | 66 | - | - |
| 1995 | Night & Day Big Band | 90 | - | - |
| 1998 | Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album | 47 | - | Gold |
| 2006 | Chicago XXX | 41 | - | - |
| 2008 | Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus | 122 | - | - |
Live albums
| Year | Titel | US Chart | UK Chart | RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Chicago at Carnegie Hall | 3 | - | Platinum |
| 1975 | Live in Japan | - | - | - |
| 1999 | Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert | - | - | - |
Compilations
| Year | Titel | US Chart | UK Chart | RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits | 1 | - | 5× Multi-Platinum |
| 1981 | Greatest Hits, Volume II | 171 | - | - |
| 1989 | Greatest Hits 1982-1989 | 37 | 6 | 5× Multi-Platinum |
| 1991 | Group Portrait | - | - | - |
| 1997 | The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 | 55 | 21 | Gold |
| 1998 | The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II | 154 | - | - |
| 2002 | The Very Best of: Only the Beginning | 38 | 11 | 2× Multi-Platinum |
| 2003 | The Box | - | - | - |
| 2005 | Love Songs | 57 | - | - |
| 2007 | The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition | 100 | - | Gold |
Imports
- Chicago: If You Leave Me Now (1983)
- Chicago: The Ultimate Collection (Canadian release 1984)
- Take Me Back to Chicago (1985)
- Chicago: Overtime (Canadian release)
- Chicago: 25 Years of Gold (Australian release)
- The Very Best of Chicago (European release)
- The Heart of Chicago: 1967-1981, 30th Anniversary (Japanese Release)
- The Heart of Chicago: 1982-1997, 30th Anniversary (Japanese Release)
Unauthorized releases
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. Since 1978, there have been innumerable unauthorized LP and CD releases of the same poor-quality recording of this performance.
There were eight songs recorded at the gig, seven from The 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 track "Introduction." (All of these releases give at least a couple of incorrect song titles, such as "Purple Song" or "Questions 57 and 58.") "Liberation," the one song in the set not to appear on any official live album, is frequently edited or faded early. (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) that, for some reason, was not carried over to CD versions.
Despite its shortcomings, some reviewers have regarded the recording quite positively. For example, the 1984 LP release Chicago: Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 69 (Design Records) is considered by reviewer Doug Stone to be a "choice concert souvernir...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."[1] A reviewer of a later version of same recording, entitled Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 1969, Volume 1 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."[2]
Singles
| Year | Song title | US Hot 100 | US AC | UK | Lead singer | Album | B-Side | Label & Cat # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1969 | "Questions 67 and 68" | 71 | - | - | Cetera/Lamm | The Chicago Transit Authority | "Listen" | Columbia 44909 |
| Oct. 1969 | "Beginnings" | - | - | - | Lamm | The Chicago Transit Authority | "Poem 58" | Columbia 45011 |
| March 1970 | "Make Me Smile" | 9 | - | - | Kath | Chicago | Colour My World | Columbia 45127 |
| June 1970 | "25 or 6 to 4" | 4 | - | 7 | Cetera | Chicago II | "Where Do We Go From Here" | Columbia 45194 |
| Oct. 1970 | "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" | 7 | 5 | - | Lamm | The Chicago Transit Authority | "Free Country" | Columbia 45264 |
| Feb. 1971 | "Free" | 20 | - | - | Kath | Chicago III | "Free Country" | Columbia 45331 |
| April 1971 | "Lowdown" | 35 | - | - | Cetera | Chicago III | "Loneliness Is Just A Word" | Columbia 45370 |
| June 1971 | "Beginnings"/ (A-Side) | 7 | 1 | - | Lamm | The Chicago Transit Authority | Columbia 45417 | |
| June 1971 | → "Colour My World" (B-Side) | 7 | - | - | Kath | Chicago II | Columbia 45417 | |
| Sept. 1971 | "Questions 67 and 68"/ (A-Side) | 24 | - | - | Cetera/Lamm | The Chicago Transit Authority | Columbia 45467 | |
| Sept. 1971 | → / "I'm a Man" (B-Side) | 49 | - | 8 | Kath/Cetera/Lamm | The Chicago Transit Authority | Columbia 45467 | |
| July 1972 | "Saturday in the Park" | 3 | - | - | Lamm | Chicago V | "Alma Mater" | Columbia 45657 |
| Oct. 1972 | "Dialogue (Part I & II)" | 24 | - | - | Cetera/Kath | Chicago V | "Now That You've Gone" | Columbia 45717 |
| June 1973 | "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" | 10 | - | - | Cetera | Chicago VI | "Jenny" | Columbia 45880 |
| Sept. 1973 | "Just You 'N' Me" | 4 | 7 | - | Cetera | Chicago VI | "Critic's Choice" | Columbia 45933 |
| Feb. 1974 | "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" | 9 | - | - | Cetera | Chicago VII | "Byblos" | Columbia 46020 |
| June 1974 | "Call on Me" | 6 | 1 | - | Cetera | Chicago VII | "Prelude To Aire" | Columbia 46062 |
| Oct. 1974 | "Wishing You Were Here" | 11 | 1 | - | Kath/Cetera | Chicago VII | "Life Saver" | Columbia 10049 |
| Feb. 1975 | "Harry Truman" | 13 | - | - | Lamm | Chicago VIII | "Till We Meet Again" | Columbia 10092 |
| April 1975 | "Old Days" | 5 | 3 | - | Cetera | Chicago VIII | "Hideaway" | Columbia 10131 |
| Aug. 1975 | "Brand New Love Affair (Part I & II)" | 61 | - | - | Kath/Cetera | Chicago VIII | "Hideaway" | Columbia 10200 |
| June 1976 | "Another Rainy Day in New York City" | 32 | 2 | - | Cetera | Chicago X | "Hope For Love" | Columbia 10360 |
| July 1976 | "If You Leave Me Now" | 1 | 1 | 1 | Cetera | Chicago X | "Together Again" | Columbia 10390 |
| March 1977 | "You Are On My Mind" | 49 | - | - | Pankow | Chicago X | "Gently I'll Wake You" | Columbia 10523 |
| Sept. 1977 | "Baby, What a Big Surprise" | 4 | - | 41 | Cetera | Chicago XI | "Takin’ It On Uptown" | Columbia 10620 |
| Jan. 1978 | "Little One" | 44 | - | 41 | Kath | Chicago XI | "Till The End Of Time" | Columbia 10683 |
| May 1978 | "Take Me Back To Chicago" | 63 | - | - | Lamm | Chicago XI | "Policeman" | Columbia 10737 |
| Oct. 1978 | "Alive Again" | 14 | - | - | Cetera/Dacus | Hot Streets | "Love Was New" | Columbia 10845 |
| Dec. 1978 | "No Tell Lover" | 14 | 5 | - | Cetera/Dacus | Hot Streets | "Take A Chance" | Columbia 10879 |
| March 1979 | "Gone Long Gone" | 73 | - | - | Cetera | Hot Streets | "The Greatest Love On Earth" | Columbia 10935 |
| Aug. 1979 | "Must Have Been Crazy" | 83 | - | - | Dacus | Chicago 13 | "Closer To You" | Columbia 11061 |
| Oct. 1979 | "Street Player"* | - | - | - | Cetera | Chicago 13 | "Window Dreamin'" | Columbia 11138 |
| July 1980 | "Thunder And Lightning" | 56 | - | - | Cetera/Lamm | Chicago XIV | "I’d Rather Be Rich" | Columbia 11345 |
| Oct. 1980 | "Song For You" | - | - | Cetera | Chicago XIV | "The American Dream" | Columbia 11376 | |
| May 1982 | "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" | 1 | 1 | 4 | Cetera | Chicago 16 | "Sonny Think Twice" | Full Moon/Warner 29979 |
| Sept. 1982 | "Love Me Tomorrow" | 22 | 8 | - | Cetera | Chicago 16 | "Bad Advice" | Full Moon/Warner 29911 |
| Jan. 1983 | "What You're Missing" | 81 | - | - | Cetera | Chicago 16 | "Rescue You" | Full Moon/Warner 29798 |
| April 1984 | "Stay the Night" | 16 | - | - | Cetera | Chicago 17 | "Only You" | Full Moon/Warner 29306 |
| July 1984 | "Hard Habit to Break" | 3 | 3 | 8 | Cetera/Champlin | Chicago 17 | "Remember The Feeling" | Full Moon/Warner 29214 |
| Nov. 1984 | "You're the Inspiration" | 3 | 1 | 14 | Cetera | Chicago 17 | "Once In A Lifetime" | Full Moon/Warner 29126 |
| Feb. 1985 | "Along Comes a Woman"** | 14 | 25 | 96 | Cetera | Chicago 17 | "We Can Stop The Hurtin'" | Full Moon/Warner 29082 |
| Aug. 1986 | "25 or 6 to 4 (remix)" | 48 | - | - | Scheff | Chicago 18 | "One More Day" | Full Moon/Warner 28628 |
| Oct. 1986 | "Will You Still Love Me?" | 3 | 2 | - | Scheff/Champlin | Chicago 18 | "25 Or 6 To 4" | Full Moon/Warner 28512 |
| March 1987 | "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." | 17 | 9 | - | Scheff/Champlin | Chicago 18 | "Forever" | Full Moon/Warner 28424 |
| June 1987 | "Niagara Falls" | 91 | - | - | Scheff | Chicago 18 | "I Believe" | Full Moon/Warner 28283 |
| May 1988 | "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" | 3 | 5 | - | Champlin | Chicago 19 | "I Stand Up" | Full Moon/ Reprise 27855 |
| Sept. 1988 | "Look Away" | 1 | 1 | 77 | Champlin | Chicago 19 | "Come In From The Night" | Full Moon/ Reprise 27766 |
| Jan. 1989 | "You're Not Alone" | 10 | 9 | - | Champlin | Chicago 19 | "It’s Alright" | Full Moon/ Reprise 27757 |
| April 1989 | "We Can Last Forever" | 55 | 12 | - | Scheff | Chicago 19 | "One More Day" | Full Moon/ Reprise 22985 |
| Nov. 1989 | "What Kind Of Man Would I Be?" | 5 | 2 | - | Scheff | Chicago 19 / Chicago Greatest Hits 1982-1989 | "25 Or 6 To 4" | Full Moon/ Reprise 22741 |
| July 1990 | "Hearts In Trouble" | 75 | - | - | Champlin | Days Of Thunder Soundtrack | "Car Building" | DGC 19679 |
| Jan. 1991 | "Chasin' the Wind" | 39 | 13 | - | Champlin | Twenty 1 | "Only Time Can Heal The Wounded" | Reprise 19466 |
| Apr. 1991 | "Explain it to My Heart" | - | - | - | Scheff/Champlin | Twenty 1 | "God Save The Queen" | Reprise 19449 |
| Aug. 1991 | "You Come To My Senses" | - | 11 | - | Scheff | Twenty 1 | "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 | The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 | *** | Reprise | |
| June 1998 | "All Roads Lead to You" | 13 | - | Champlin/Lamm/Scheff | The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II | Reprise | ||
| Oct. 1998 | "Show Me a Sign" | 28 | - | Scheff/Champlin | The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Vol. II | Reprise | ||
| 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" | 21 | - | Scheff/Champlin | Chicago XXX | Rhino | ||
| June 2008 | "Let's Take A Lifetime" | - | Scheff | Chicago XXXII Stone of Sisyphus | Rhino |
* Also charted #91 on Black Singles chart.
** Also charted #10 on Mainstream Rock chart.
*** Also Lamm/Lenny Kravitz on leads.
Music videos
References
- ^ Review of Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 69; www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Bob Koch, Vinyl Cave: Toronto Rock 'n Roll Revival 1969, Volume I by Chicago Transit Authority; www.thedailypage.com, November 10, 2008.