Chicago the Band

The band Chicago has stuck together since they originally formed as a cover band in the late sixties. This probably explains why they’ve been ranked on Billboard charts as the second most triumphant American rock band, aside from the Beach Boys. Their music has stuck through the generations via radio play and their easily recognizable style. Several of the bands original members were DePaul music students and they made time to play around Chicago’s club scenes. In 1969, the name the band released their first record under was “Chicago Transit Authority”, but due to an objection by the actual Transit Authority, they simply shortened it to “Chicago”. Their second album, known as “Chicago II” quickly found itself in the Billboard top ten charts, even prior to their first single showing up in the top 100.

Approximately 4 decades later, Chicago is still going strong. They have an impressive four out of their six original members playing with the band to this date. In 2000, they signed all of their output over to Rhino Records, after spending years and years with Columbia records, Warner Brothers records, and even their own label for a short period of time. Rhino is currently releasing updated versions of most of the band’s albums. They still tour from time to time, including a tour spanning 2004-2005 with the band Earth, Wind and Fire. They also used material from that tour to create a DVD. In late 2007 they released "The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition".