Chicago

Chicago is a rock band from the United States that was founded in 1967. The band enjoyed its heyday from the 1970s through the mid-1980s. In 1969, the band released its debut album, *Chicago Transit Authority *. With it, Chicago reached No. 17 on the U.S. charts and No. 9 in the UK. The single “I’m a Man” became a minor hit. With their second album, Chicago II, in 1970, the rockers achieved an immediate international breakthrough. It made it into the Top 10 in the U.S. (No. 4) and the U.K. (No. 6). In Germany, the album peaked at No. 20. Chicago scored another hit with the song “25 or 6 to 4.” In 1972, the band achieved its first No. 1 on the U.S. album charts with *Chicago V *. The band continued this streak with every subsequent album through 1975. Songs like “Saturday In the Park” (1972), “Just You ’n’ Me” (1973), “Call on Me” (1974), and “Old Days” (1975) became hits. With the album Chicago X (1976), the rockers changed their musical style. The band, led by singer Peter Cetera, moved more toward ballads. The best example: the hit single “If You Leave Me Now, ” which stormed into the Top 10 worldwide in 1976 and became a No. 1 hit in the U.S. and the U.K. For the song, Chicago won a Grammy in the category Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus. In 1977, they scored another international hit with “Baby, What a Big Surprise.” After releasing additional albums, Chicago achieved worldwide success in 1982 with the power ballad “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” which also marked the peak of the band’s history. In 1984, Chicago 17 was released, the final album featuring singer Peter Cetera.The album was a huge success, and the song “You’re the Inspiration” became another hit. Chicago continues to release albums to this day, as evidenced by Chicago: VI Decades Live (This Is What We Do) from 2018 and Live at 55 from 2024. On June 17, 2026, saxophonist Walter Paradaizer, a founding member, died of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 81.