Chicago discography

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.
Releases
↙Studio albums	22
↙Live albums	3
↙Compilation albums	10
↙Singles	63

This is a discography for American rock band Chicago.

Albums

Canon albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications

No.	Title	Album details	Peak chart positions		Certifications
			US	UK
1	The Chicago Transit Authority	Released: April 28, 1969 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette Cover Design: Painted Shingle	17	9	US: 2× Platinum
2	Chicago	Released: January 26, 1970 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette Cover Design: Silver Bar	4	6	US: Platinum
3	Chicago III	Released: January 11, 1971 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette Cover Design: Tattered Flag	2	9	US: Platinum
4	Chicago at Carnegie Hall	Released: October 25, 1971 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette Cover Design: White Tile	3	—	US: Platinum
5	Chicago V	Released: July 10, 1972 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Carved Wood	1	24	US: 2× Platinum
6	Chicago VI	Released: June 25, 1973 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Engraved Bill	1	—	US: 2× Platinum
7	Chicago VII	Released: March 11, 1974 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Embosed Leather	1	—	US: Platinum
8	Chicago VIII	Released: March 24, 1975 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Embroidered Textile	1	—	US: Platinum
9	Chicago IX – Chicago's Greatest Hits	Released: November 10, 1975 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Painted Billboard	1	—	US: 5× Platinum
10	Chicago X	Released: June 14, 1976 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Chocolate Bar	3	21	US: 2× Platinum
11	Chicago XI	Released: September 12, 1977 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: City Map	6	—	US: Platinum
12	Hot Streets	Released: October 2, 1978 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Photo of Band	12	—	US: Platinum
13	Chicago 13	Released: August 13, 1979 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: High-Rise Building	21	—	US: Gold
14	Chicago XIV	Released: July 21, 1980 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Fingerprint	71	—
15	Greatest Hits, Volume II	Released: November 23, 1981 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Series of Signs	171	—
16	Chicago 16	Released: June 7, 1982 Label: Full Moon Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Computer Chip	9	44	US: 3× Platinum
17	Chicago 17	Released: May 14, 1984 Label: Full Moon Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Brown Paper Package	4	24	US: 7× Platinum
18	Chicago 18	Released: September 29, 1986 Label: Full Moon Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Mosiac Tiles	35	—	US: Platinum
19	Chicago 19	Released: June 20, 1988 Label: Full Moon Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Modern Painting	37	—	US: Platinum
20	Greatest Hits 1982–1989	Released: November 21, 1989 Label: Full Moon Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Masonry	37	6	US: 5× Platinum
21	Twenty 1	Released: January 29, 1991 Label: Full Moon Formats: LP, cassette, CD Cover Design: Painted Number "1"	66	—
22	Night & Day Big Band	Released: May 23, 1995 Label: Giant Formats: cassette, CD Cover Design: Musical Instruments	90	—
23	The Heart of Chicago 1967–1997	Released: April 22, 1997 Label: Reprise Formats: cassette, CD Cover Design: Red Satin	55	21	US: Gold
24	The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II	Released: May 12, 1998 Label: Reprise Formats: cassette, CD Cover Design: Blue Satin	154	—
25	Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album Reissued as: What's It Gonna Be, Santa? (2003).	Released: August 25, 1998 Label: Chicago Formats: cassette, CD Cover Design: Christmas Wreath	154	—	US: Gold
26	Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert	Released: October 12, 1999 Label: Chicago Formats: CD Cover Design: Billboard on Highway	—	—
27	The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning	Released: July 2, 2002 Label: Rhino Formats: CD Cover Design: Green Grass logo	38	11	US: 2× Platinum
28	The Box	Released: July 22, 2003 Label: Rhino Formats: CD Cover Design: Pushed Out Pins	—	—
29	Love Songs	Released: January 25, 2005 Label: Rhino Formats: CD, digital download Cover Design: Rose Petals with box of chocolates & stemed roses	57	—
30	Chicago XXX	Released: March 21, 2006 Label: Rhino Formats: CD, digital download Cover Design: Granite inlay on concrete with jackhammered XXX cutouts	41	—
31	The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition	Released: October 2, 2007 Label: Rhino Formats: CD, digital download Cover Design: Red Wax Seal	100	—	US: Gold
32	Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus	Released: June 17, 2008 Label: Rhino Formats: CD, digital download Cover Design: Chiseled out of stone boulder	122	—
33	Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three	Released: October 4, 2011 Label: Chicago Records II Formats: CD, digital download Cover Design: Candy Cane	—	—
34	Chicago XXXIV: Live in '75	Released: 2011 Label: Rhino Formats: CD, digital download Cover Design: Sun & Clouds special logo	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Notes:

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Box sets

Other albums

Live albums

• 1975 | Live in Japan

Compilation albums

• 1983 | If You Leave Me Now
• 1984 | The Ultimate Collection
• 1985 | Take Me Back to Chicago
• 1991 | Group Portrait
• 1995 | Overtime
• 1995 | 25 Years of Gold
• 1997 | The Very Best of Chicago
• 1997 | The Heart of Chicago - 30th Anniversary 1967-1981
• 1997 | The Heart of Chicago - 30th Anniversary 1967-1981, Volume II
• 1998 | The Heart of Chicago - 30th Anniversary 1982-1997
• 1998 | The Heart of Chicago - 30th Anniversary 1982-1997, Volume II

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. (Also appearing at the Festival were Alice Cooper, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry - who's performances of the event were also issued on albums.) Since 1978, there have been innumerable unauthorized LP, Cassette 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 first track "Introduction." (All of these releases give at least a couple of incorrect song titles, such as "Purple Song" [for "South California Purples"] or "Questions 57 and 58" [for "Questions 67 & 68"].) "Liberation," the one song in the set not to appear on any official live album, is frequently edited or faded early (correct full time is around 16:05). (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 souvenir...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	Title	US Hot 100	US AC	UK	Lead singer	Album	B-side	Label and cat#
July 1969	"Questions 67 and 68"	71	—	—	Cetera/Lamm	The Chicago Transit Authority	"Listen"	Columbia 44909
Oct. 1969	"Beginnings"	—	—	—	Lamm		"Poem 58"	Columbia 45011
March 1970	"Make Me Smile"	9	—	—	Kath	Chicago II	"Colour My World"	Columbia 45127
June 1970	"25 or 6 to 4"	4	—	7	Cetera		"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	"Listen"	Columbia 45264
Feb. 1971	"Free"	20	—	—	Kath	Chicago III	"Free Country"	Columbia 45331
April 1971	"Lowdown"	35	—	—	Cetera		"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			Columbia 45467
July 1972	"Saturday in the Park"	3	—	—	Lamm/Cetera	Chicago V	"Alma Mater"	Columbia 45657
Oct. 1972	"Dialogue (Part I & II)"	24	—	—	Cetera/Kath		"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		"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		"Prelude to Aire"	Columbia 46062
Oct. 1974	"Wishing You Were Here"	11	1	—	Kath/Cetera		"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		"Hideaway"	Columbia 10131
Aug. 1975	"Brand New Love Affair (Part I & II)"	61	—	—	Kath/Cetera		"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		"Together Again"	Columbia 10390
March 1977	"You Are on My Mind"	49	—	—	Pankow		"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		"Till The End of Time"	Columbia 10683
May 1978	"Take Me Back to Chicago"	63	—	—	Lamm		"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		"Take a Chance"	Columbia 10879
March 1979	"Gone Long Gone"	73	—	—	Cetera		"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		"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		"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		"Bad Advice"	Full Moon/Warner 29911
Jan. 1983	"What You're Missing"	81	—	—	Cetera		"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		"Remember the Feeling"	Full Moon/Warner 29214
Nov. 1984	"You're the Inspiration"	3	1	14	Cetera		"Once in a Lifetime"	Full Moon/Warner 29126
Feb. 1985	"Along Comes a Woman"**	14	25	96	Cetera		"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		"25 or 6 to 4"	Full Moon/Warner 28512
March 1987	"If She Would Have Been Faithful..."	17	9	—	Scheff/Champlin		"Forever"	Full Moon/Warner 28424
June 1987	"Niagara Falls"	91	—	—	Scheff		"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		"Come in from the Night"	Full Moon/ Reprise 27766
Jan. 1989	"You're Not Alone"	10	9	—	Champlin		"It’s Alright"	Full Moon/ Reprise 27757
April 1989	"We Can Last Forever"	55	12	—	Scheff		"One More Day"	Full Moon/ Reprise 22985
Nov. 1989	"What Kind Of Man Would I Be?"	5	2	—	Scheff	Chicago 19 / 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		"God Save The Queen"	Reprise 19449
Aug. 1991	"You Come to My Senses"	—	11	—	Scheff		"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"	—	1	—	Champlin/Scheff	The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997		Reprise
Oct. 1997	"The Only One"	—	17	—	Lamm/Champlin/Scheff			Reprise
June 1998	"All Roads Lead to You"	—	14	—	Champlin/Lamm/Scheff	The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II		Reprise
Oct. 1998	"Show Me a Sign"	—	28	—	Scheff/Champlin			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			Rhino
June 2008	"Let's Take a Lifetime"	—	—	—	Scheff	Chicago XXXII Stone of Sisyphus		Rhino

References

1. ^ Review of Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 69; www.allmusic.com.
2. ^ Bob Koch, Vinyl Cave: Toronto Rock 'n Roll Revival 1969, Volume I by Chicago Transit Authority; www.thedailypage.com, November 10, 2008.