#Chicago November 12

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

One of the earliest albums I owned was by CHICAGO. Their first album was called CHICAGO Transit Authority and it was released in 1969.

When it comes to bands putting out a lot of hit songs over decades CHICAGO is right at the top. When they started out in the 1960’s they got labeled as a rock band with horns. Those horns gave them a unique sound. Somewhere along the way they adopted a softer rock moniker. Many of CHICAGO’s early tunes had a political overtures.

After their first album the band dropped the Transit Authority and just called themselves CHICAGO.

Several years ago a got to watch a fabulous documentary called “Now More Than Ever: The History of CHICAGO”.

That film really covers the turning points in the history of the group. It goes in to the decision to all live on a ranch in Colorado, Terry Kath dying of an accidental self inflicted gun shot in 1978, keyboardist Robert Lamm‘s stories, and David Foster and Peter Cetera ballads of the 1980’s.

The first album includes 12 songs and the success it had eventually led CHICAGO to receiving a Grammy in 1969 for Best New Artist of the Year.

Discography

One song that I completely forgot about after all of these years was Poem 58. That song reminded me of what CHICAGO was when they began. They were a rock band with horns.