Chicago is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1967. Self-described as a "rock and roll band with horns", their songs often also combine elements of classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop music.
Growing out of several bands from the Chicago area in the late 1960s, the original line-up consisted of Peter Cetera on bass, Terry Kath on guitar, Robert Lamm on keyboards, Lee Loughnane on trumpet, James Pankow on trombone, Walter Parazaider on woodwinds, and Danny Seraphine on drums. Cetera, Kath, and Lamm shared lead vocal duties. The group initially called themselves the Big Thing, then changed to the Chicago Transit Authority in 1968, and finally shortened the name to Chicago in 1969.
Laudir de Oliveira joined the band as a percussionist and second drummer in 1974. Kath died in 1978 and was replaced by several guitarists in succession. Bill Champlin joined in 1981, providing vocals, keyboards, and rhythm guitar. Cetera left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Jason Scheff. Seraphine left in 1990 and was replaced by Tris Imboden. Although the band's lineup has been more fluid since 2009, Lamm, Loughnane, and Pankow have remained constant members. Parazaider "officially retired" in 2017. In 2021, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. before permanently retiring from the road in 2026.
In September 2008, Billboard ranked Chicago at number thirteen in a list of the top 100 artists of all time for Hot 100 singles chart success, and ranked them at number fifteen on that same list in October 2015. Billboard also ranked Chicago ninth on the list of the 100 greatest artists of all time in terms of Billboard 200 album chart success in October 2015. Chicago is one of the longest-running and most successful rock groups, and one of the world's best-selling groups of all time, having sold more than 100 million records. In 1971, Chicago was the first rock act to sell out Carnegie Hall for a week. Chicago is also considered a pioneer in rock music marketing, featuring a recognizable logo on album covers, and sequentially naming their albums using Roman numerals.
In terms of chart success, Chicago is one of the most successful American bands in Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Billboard history (second only to the Beach Boys), and are one of the most successful popular music acts of all time. They had five consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard 200, 20 top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and in 1974 the group had seven albums, its entire catalog at the time, on the Billboard 200 simultaneously. The group has received ten Grammy Award nominations, winning one for the song "If You Leave Me Now". In 2017, Cetera, Lamm, and Pankow were elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Chicago received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on October 16, 2020.
History
The Big Thing
The group now known as Chicago began on February 15, 1967, at a meeting involving saxophonist Walter Parazaider, guitarist Terry Kath, drummer Danny Seraphine, trombonist James Pankow, trumpet player Lee Loughnane, and keyboardist/singer Robert Lamm. Kath, Parazaider, and Seraphine had played together previously in two other groups—Jimmy Ford and the Executives, and the Missing Links. was recruited from his group, Bobby Charles and the Wanderers. where they signed with Columbia Records and changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority. subsequently opening for Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Group biographer William James Ruhlmann recorded Walt Parazaider as saying that Jimi Hendrix once told him: Jeez, your horn players are like one set of lungs and your guitar player is better than me. The album included a number of pop-rock songs – "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Beginnings", "Questions 67 and 68", and "I'm a Man" – which were later released as singles. For this inaugural recording effort the group was nominated for a Grammy Award for 1969 Best New Artist of the Year. In 2025, the Library of Congress selected Chicago Transit Authority for inclusion as an album in the National Recording Registry.
According to Cetera, the band was booked to perform at Woodstock in 1969, but promoter Bill Graham, with whom they had a contract, exercised his right to reschedule them to play at the Fillmore West on a date of his choosing, and he scheduled them for the Woodstock dates. Santana, which Graham also managed, took Chicago's place at Woodstock, and that performance is considered to be Santana's "breakthrough" gig. A year later, when he needed to replace headliner Joe Cocker, and then Cocker's intended replacement, Jimi Hendrix, Graham booked Chicago to perform at Tanglewood, which has been called a "pinnacle" performance by Concert Vault.
After the release of their first album, the band's name was shortened to Chicago to avoid legal action being threatened by the actual mass-transit company of the same name. and was sung by Cetera with Kath on guitar; the lengthy war-protest song "It Better End Soon"; and, at the end, Cetera's 1969 Moon landing-inspired "Where Do We Go from Here?" The double-LP album's inner cover includes the playlist, the entire lyrics to "It Better End Soon", and two declarations: "This endeavor should be experienced sequentially", and, "With this album, we dedicate ourselves, our futures and our energies to the people of the revolution. And the revolution in all of its forms." The album was a commercial success, rising to number four on the Billboard 200, The band was nominated for two Grammy Awards as a result of this album, Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus. The album went gold "out of the box" and on to multi-platinum status. Drummer Danny Seraphine attributes the fact that none of Chicago's first four albums were issued on single LPs to the productive creativity of this period and the length of the jazz-rock pieces.
In 1972, the band released its first single-disc release, Chicago V, which reached No. 1 on both the Billboard pop The second single released from the album was the Lamm-composed "Dialogue (Part I & II)", which featured a musical "debate" between a political activist (sung by Kath) and a blasé college student (sung by Cetera). It peaked at No. 24 on the Hot 100 chart. That summer also saw a joint tour across America with the Beach Boys, with the two acts performing separately, then coming together for a finale. Chicago VI, VII, and VIII all made it to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits was released in 1975 and became the band's fifth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. and the UK charts for three weeks. It was the group's first No. 1 single, the 1976 Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus, at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards held on February 19, 1977. The single was certified gold by the RIAA the same year of its release. The song almost did not make the cut for the album. and was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In honor of the group's platinum album achievement, Columbia Records that year awarded the group a 25-pound bar of pure platinum, made by Cartier. (Billboard magazine reported it as a 30-pound bar.) At the 4th Annual American Music Awards, a fan-voted awards show, held January 31, 1977, Chicago won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group, the group's first of two American Music Awards they have received.
The group's 1977 release, Chicago XI, includes Cetera's ballad "Baby, What a Big Surprise", a No. 4 U.S. hit which became the group's last top 10 hit of the decade. Because the arena has a seating capacity of about 20,000, this would require a minimum of five sold-out shows there. Chicago was one of at least eleven other acts that were eligible for the award, Chicago was one of the first acts to receive the award for drawing over 180,000 people to the venue in nine sold-out appearances there over the years. Cashbox reviewer Ken Terry said of the 1977 Madison Square Garden concert, "Chicago ultimately presents itself in the best light with AM-oriented, good-time music. Its fans are not looking for complicated, introverted songs; they want music to drive to, dance to and work to."
Besides recording and touring, during the busy 1970s, Chicago also made time for a movie appearance and several television appearances of note. In 1972, Guercio produced and directed Electra Glide in Blue, a film about an Arizona motorcycle policeman. Released in 1973, the film stars Robert Blake and features Cetera, Kath, Loughnane, and Parazaider in supporting roles. The group also appears prominently on the film's soundtrack. Chicago made its "television variety debut" in February 1973 when they were the only rock musicians invited to appear on a television special honoring Duke Ellington, Duke Ellington... We Love You Madly, which aired on CBS. They performed the Ellington composition, "Jump for Joy".
In July 1973, the group starred in a half-hour television special produced by Dick Clark, Chicago in the Rockies, which aired in prime time on ABC. The show was filmed on location at Caribou Ranch, the 3,000-acre ranch-turned-recording studio located outside of Boulder, Colorado, owned by Chicago's producer, James William Guercio. The only musical guest on the show was Al Green, who was rated the number-one male vocalist of 1972, and whom Rolling Stone magazine named "Rock and Roll Star of the Year". That special was followed by a second hour-long special the next year, Chicago ... Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch, which aired in prime time on ABC in August 1974. Chicago ... Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch was again shot on location at Caribou Ranch and was again produced by Dick Clark. Singer Anne Murray and country music star Charlie Rich were guests on the show. Clark produced a third television special starring Chicago, Chicago's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1975, which aired on ABC on December 31, 1974. Musical guests on the -hour-long show included the Beach Boys, the Doobie Brothers, Olivia Newton-John, and Herbie Hancock. It was the third Rockin' Eve Clark had produced, and it competed with Guy Lombardo's traditional New Year's Eve television show which aired on a different network and was in its 45th consecutive year of broadcast. Clark hoped the Rockin' Eve format would become an "annual TV custom".
Death of Terry Kath and transition
The year 1978 began with a split with Guercio. and had made two television specials at Guercio's Caribou Ranch. In later years, band members cited Guercio's purchase of Caribou Ranch, more particularly their realization that Guercio had enough money to purchase Caribou Ranch, as a contributing factor to their disillusionment with him as a producer. They felt he had taken advantage of them financially. Then on January 23 of that same year, Kath died of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound from a gun he thought was unloaded. Doc Severinsen, who was the bandleader for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson at the time and a friend of the group, visited them after Kath's funeral and encouraged them to continue. According to writer Jim Jerome, the visit "snapped them back" and helped them make the decision to carry on.
After auditioning over 30 potential replacements for Kath, Chicago decided upon guitarist and singer-songwriter Donnie Dacus.
The 1978 album Hot Streets was produced by Phil Ramone. featured prominently on the cover (with the ubiquitous logo downsized).
1980s: changing sound
Chicago XIV (1980), produced by Tom Dowd, relegated the horn section to the background on a number of tracks, and the album's two singles failed to make the Top 40. Chris Pinnick joined the band to play guitar and remained through 1985, Marty Grebb had formerly been with the Buckinghams, and before that had been Cetera's bandmate in a local Chicago area cover band called the Exceptions. The album peaked at No. 71 on the Billboard 200, Percussionist Laudir de Oliveira and Marty Grebb departed from the band. During Foster's stewardship, less of an emphasis was placed on the band's horn-based sound, being replaced by lush power ballads, which became Chicago's style during the 1980s. The new sound brought more singles success to the band.
For the 1982 album Chicago 16, the band worked with composers from outside the group for the first time, and Foster brought in studio musicians for some tracks (including the core members of Toto), Co-written by Cetera and David Foster, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" was the group's second single to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart The album produced two more Top Ten (both No. 3) singles, "You're the Inspiration", written by Cetera and David Foster, and "Hard Habit to Break", written by Steve Kipner and John Lewis Parker. The single, "Hard Habit to Break", brought two more Grammy Award nominations for the band, for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. was brought into the group for the 17 tour to add percussion and high harmony vocals.
By 1985, the band was embracing the newest medium, the music video channel MTV, by releasing music videos for four songs. They featured a track titled "Good for Nothing" on the 1985 global activist album, We Are the World. As contributors to the album, along with all other artists who were on the album, the band received its last nomination for a Grammy Award, for Album of the Year. He soon topped the charts with "Glory of Love" (the theme song of the film The Karate Kid Part II), and with "The Next Time I Fall" (a duet with Amy Grant). Two more songs reached the top ten: a 1988 solo hit called "One Good Woman" (No. 4 U.S.), and a 1989 duet with Cher called "After All" (No. 6 U.S.). In 1992, Cetera released his fourth studio album, World Falling Down, which earned him three hits on the Adult Contemporary charts, including the single "Restless Heart". Cetera's former position was filled by bassist and singer-songwriter Jason Scheff, son of Elvis Presley's bassist Jerry Scheff. Guitarist Chris Pinnick also left the group in 1985, prior to the recording of the band's next album.
For the final Foster-produced album, Chicago 18, the band filled Pinnick's spot with several session guitarists, none of whom became band members. The album was released on September 29, 1986, and included the No. 3 single "Will You Still Love Me?", and top 20 single "If She Would Have Been Faithful...", in addition to an updated version of "25 or 6 to 4" with a video that got airplay on MTV. The video won an award for Best Cinematography for Bobby Byrne at the American Video Awards. formerly of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band. Bailey and Scheff had previously played in bands together, so Scheff introduced Bailey to the band in time for the Chicago 18 tour.
For the 1988 release Chicago 19, the band had replaced producer Foster with co-producers Ron Nevison, who had recently produced two albums for Heart, and Chas Sanford, who had worked with Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks. They topped the charts again with the Diane Warren-composed single "Look Away". It was the third and last Chicago single to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. The album also yielded two more top 10 hits, "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "You're Not Alone", Seraphine was succeeded by Tris Imboden, and former session drummer with Peter Cetera. Imboden made his first appearance on the 1991 album Twenty 1 with a fragment of band's logo, which yielded an eleven-week stretch on the Billboard 200, a peak at No. 66, and the song "Chasin' the Wind" which peaked at No. 39. Twenty 1 would be their last released album of original music for fifteen years.
The band was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 23, 1992.
In 1993, Chicago wrote and recorded their 22nd album Stone of Sisyphus. This album was to have marked their return to their traditional composition of the 1970s, emphasizing major horn accompaniment. However, following a reorganization of the record company, the new executives at Reprise Records (now part of the newly formed Warner Music Group) rejected the completed album. It remained unpublished for fifteen years, aside from bootleg tapes and Internet files. consisting of covers of songs originally recorded by Sarah Vaughan, Glenn Miller, and Duke Ellington. Guitarist Bruce Gaitsch stepped in and joined the band to handle the album's guitar work. The album featured guest appearances by Paul Shaffer of Late Show with David Letterman fame, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, and the Gipsy Kings. Parazaider cited the group's participation in the 1973 television special honoring Duke Ellington, Duke Ellington... We Love You Madly, as key in their decision to record this album. After this big band album, Chicago acquired the rights to their Columbia recordings and reissued them on their own imprint.
In 1998, Chicago released Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album and a live album in 1999, Chicago XXVI on their own imprint. after having recorded it at Columbia Records and Warner Bros. Records. In 2002, Rhino released a two-disc compilation, The Very Best of: Only the Beginning, which spanned the band's career. The compilation made the Top 40 and sold over 2 million copies in the U.S. Rhino also began releasing remastered versions of all of the band's Columbia-era albums. The following year, the band released their most comprehensive compilation to date in the form of a box set, simply titled The Box. In October 2003, Rhino reissued Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album, along with six new recordings, as What's It Gonna Be, Santa?.
The American cable music channel VH1 featured the band in an episode of its Behind the Music series, "Chicago: Behind the Music", season 1, episode 133. The episode first aired on October 15, 2000.
In 2004, 2005, and 2009, Chicago toured with Earth, Wind & Fire.
On March 21, 2006, their first all-new studio album since Twenty 1 arrived with Chicago XXX. It was produced by Jay DeMarcus, bassist/vocalist with the country trio Rascal Flatts, who was a long-time fan of Chicago and had cited the group as an influence on him as a musician in a previous fan letter to Jason Scheff. It also marked the first time the band's music was available as a digital download. The album peaked at No. 41 in the U.S., In July 2006, the band made a series of U.S. appearances with Huey Lewis and the News.
On October 2, 2007, Rhino Records released the two-disc The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition (Chicago XXXI), a new greatest hits compilation spanning their entire forty years, similar to The Very Best of: Only the Beginning, released five years earlier.
In 2008, Stone of Sisyphus – once known as the aborted Chicago XXII, now listed officially as Chicago XXXII – was released with an expanded format. and continued with the band as a percussionist upon Imboden's return later in the year. In August 2009, Champlin was fired from the band. He was replaced by Grammy-nominated keyboardist Lou Pardini, who had worked with Stevie Wonder and Santana.
2010s
In 2010 (just as they had already done in 1999 and 2008), Chicago toured with the Doobie Brothers (and would do so again in 2017). A 2011 performance in Chicago became a video for the HDNet cable channel that featured the Doobie Brothers joining Chicago for three encore tunes. The band also appeared on the season nine finale of American Idol. On July 24, 2011, the band performed at Red Rocks in Colorado, accompanied by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
With Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three, the band re-teamed with producer Ramone (he had previously released the new tracks for the expanded Christmas re-release What's It Gonna Be, Santa?) to record a new Christmas album. Dolly Parton was a guest artist on the album, That same year, Hester left the group shortly before the tour, then by Daniel's brother and former long-term Santana member, Walfredo Reyes Jr.
In 2013, Lamm, Loughnane, Pankow, and Parazaider appeared in the HBO film Clear History as the band Chicago. In late 2013, the band began releasing singles for a new album, starting with "Somethin' Comin', I Know" in August, "America" in September, "Crazy Happy" in December 2013, and "Naked in the Garden of Allah" in January 2014. The album, titled Chicago XXXVI: Now, was released on July 4, 2014.
The group's debut album, Chicago Transit Authority, released in 1969, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. In February 2015, Chicago released a two-disc live album, Chicago at Symphony Hall, of their performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In 2015, Chicago was listed among the nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The original lineup – Cetera, Kath, Lamm, Loughnane, Pankow, Parazaider, and Seraphine – was inducted at the 31st annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 8, 2016, along with N.W.A., Deep Purple, Steve Miller, and Cheap Trick. In February 2016, it was announced that original drummer Danny Seraphine would join the current lineup of Chicago for the first time in over 25 years for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Peter Cetera chose not to attend. Terry Kath's daughter Michelle accepted her father's award. In July 2016, Chicago performed on ABC's Greatest Hits.
On September 23, 2016, a documentary called The Terry Kath Experience was released. The documentary featured most of the members of Chicago talking about Kath's life (most notably Kath's second wife Camelia Kath and original Chicago bassist Peter Cetera). It was directed by Kath's daughter, Michelle Kath Sinclair. it was announced on October 25, 2016, that Jason Scheff had left Chicago after 31 years. Bassist/vocalist Jeff Coffey, who had been filling in for Scheff during his absence, was promoted to a full-time member. Saxophonist Ray Herrmann, who had previously filled in for Parazaider on various tour dates since 2005, also became an official member at this time after Parazaider retired permanently from the road. Although Parazaider retired from regular touring, he remained a band member. The film was directed and edited by Peter Pardini, nephew of band member Lou Pardini, and produced by the band. The film's premiere was the highest-rated program in the 25–54 demographic. The film won the 2016 "Best of the Fest" Audience Choice Award at the Sedona International Film Festival. At the 10th Annual Fort Myers Beach Film Festival in 2016, it won the "People's Choice" award and Peter Pardini won the "Rising Star Award" as director and filmmaker.
On February 22, 2017, it was announced that Cetera, Lamm, and Pankow were among the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees for their songwriting efforts as members of Chicago.
On September 17, 2017, former percussionist Laudir de Oliveira died of a heart attack while performing onstage in his native Rio de Janeiro.
Chicago began their 2018 touring schedule on Saturday, January 13 by performing the grand opening concert at the new Xcite Center at Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.
On Wednesday, January 17, 2018, drummer Tris Imboden announced he was leaving the band after 27 years to spend more time with his family. On Friday, January 19, 2018, bassist and vocalist Jeff Coffey announced on his Facebook page that he was also departing from the band due to its heavy touring schedule. Vocalist Neil Donell, of Chicago tribute band Brass Transit, was chosen as the band's new lead singer and session musician Brett Simons also joined the band as their new bassist. Daniel de los Reyes' return to the percussion position was announced, filling the vacancy left by his brother's move to the drumset.
On April 6, 2018, Chicago released Chicago: VI Decades Live (This is What We Do), a box set chronicling the band's live performances throughout their history.
In May 2018, percussionist Daniel de los Reyes departed Chicago to return to his other group, the Zac Brown Band. On Thursday, May 17, 2018, Chicago announced on their official Facebook page and on their Twitter account that "Ray" Ramon Yslas had joined the band on percussion.
On June 29, 2018, Chicago released the album Chicago II: Live on Soundstage, a live performance from November 2017 of the then current band lineup performing the entire second album.
In July 2018 the band updated its official web site, and no longer listed Parazaider as a member of the band. Instead he is included on the band's "Tribute to Founding Members".
On October 26, 2018, Chicago released the album Chicago: Greatest Hits Live, a live performance from 2017 for the PBS series Soundstage.
On August 16, 2019, the band announced on their website that they would be releasing their fourth Christmas album, titled Chicago XXXVII: Chicago Christmas, on October 4, 2019. The album has a greater emphasis on original Christmas songs written by the group than their previous holiday albums.
During their 2021 summer tour, Lou Pardini was out for part of August and most of September, with Who keyboardist Loren Gold filling in until Pardini was able to return. On November 15, 2021, Howland broke his arm in an accident and took a leave of absence from the band, with guitarist Tony Obrohta filling in for him at shows. On December 1, 2021, Howland announced he was leaving Chicago after over 26 years, citing the recent accident and lengthy recovery period as bringing about the next phase of his life.
In November 2021, Chicago and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys announced they would co-headline a 25 date tour in the summer of 2022.
On January 21, 2022, Lou Pardini announced he was departing the band. Loren Gold (vocals, keyboards) appeared with the group on tour filling the role vacated by Pardini starting in January 2022, and on March 2, 2022, Chicago updated their website to list Gold as a band member. The group also announced plans to release a new album in the summer of 2022. On July 15, 2022, Chicago released Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment. Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire toured together on the 2024 Heart and Soul joint tour.
On March 2, 2025, Carlos Murguia joined Chicago on keyboards and vocals. Starting in the summer of 2025, Lamm and Pankow both stopped touring with the band due to health concerns, leaving Loughnane as the only original member performing on stage. Gold was subsequently removed from the list of members on the band's website, effectively confirming his departure. Justin Avery is listed as a keyboardist and vocalist in his place. On May 31, 2026. Chicago also announced on their website that Canadian tenor vocalist Neil Donell was also departing the band.
Approaches to music
Style
left|thumb|Chicago's horn section, 2024 (left to right: James Pankow, Ray Herrmann, Lee Loughnane)
During his discussion of the formation of the band, original drummer Danny Seraphine says he wanted to form a group of talented, skilled musicians, with a horn section, "that could play an inventive mix of rock and jazz." According to James Pankow, Chicago set out to be "basically" a rock and roll band with a horn section. Peter Robb wrote, "The guys had all been influenced by show bands that would come into Chicago playing a variety of music. Those bands always had tenor sax, trumpet and trombone, Loughnane said."
On the occasion of the band's 50th anniversary, Bobby Olivier, writing for Billboard, described its style as "chameleonic... shifting from esoteric jazz-rock, funk and soul to ... adult contemporary...". In a piece for Ultimate Classic Rock, writer Jeff Giles details the band's journey from being a "progressive-leaning rock band with horns" in its earlier years to "an adult contemporary act" by the end of the 1980s "in order to stay commercially relevant."
In a 2021 interview published in Prog, Robert Lamm asserts that Chicago is and always has been a progressive rock band and that they were particularly influenced by Yes and King Crimson to write and record their lengthier tracks. In his view, the hit songs on their albums satisfied the record companies and allowed the band more freedom on the rest of the recorded material. As musicians, the group has always "felt blessed enough to try anything at any time."
Chicago was deeply influenced by jazz, which culminated on their seventh album. When asked why the band didn't continue in its "jazzy improv" direction, Loughnane voiced his opinion that how the songwriters wrote was "materially affected" by changes in payment of royalties by the record companies and by the relatively short airplay time allowed for a song on the radio.
Songwriting
James Pankow has described the group's songwriting process as "organic", where one person comes up with a song and the other members come up with ideas for their parts. Pankow, one of the songwriters for the group, also has typically been arranger for the horn section. Robert Lamm, another of the group's songwriters, sees the group members' contributions to individual songs more as arranging than co-writing, and says his songs were "enhanced" in the process.
Horn section
According to the Daily Press, Chicago's horn section was "the foundation of the sound that launched the band to stardom in the 1970s." Horns arranger James Pankow, speaking in 2017, said that when the band was being formed, they discussed how to make the horns a "main character in a song". He said the horns are a big part of the band's "signature" and that he "took a melodic lead-voice approach to our horns, where the horn section becomes another lead vocal and interweaves in and around the actual vocals and becomes a part of the story of the song." Beginning with 1972's Chicago V, the band began to move away from their politically-oriented music and toward the mainstream.
On their debut album, the song "Prologue, August 29, 1968" in particular, features audio recordings of protests from the 1968 Democratic National Convention — including the crowd chanting "The whole world is watching". The song "Someday (August 29, 1968)" lyrically reflects the perspective of protesters involved in clashes with police. The second album features "It Better End Soon" a four-part suite that is a direct, scathing critique of the Vietnam War. The song "Dialogue (Part I & II)" is a structured exchange between two opposing viewpoints — one politically neutral and the other more socially oriented — before concluding with an affirmative refrain calling for collective action. The song "Harry Truman" was written after the resignation of US President Richard Nixon; the lyrics are a tribute to the former president, whom Lamm believed Americans could trust.
The Chicago III album included a poster showing the band members in American war uniforms standing in front of a field of crosses symbolizing those killed in the ongoing Vietnam War, along with the number of casualties from each war up to the time of the album's release. The packaging for the Chicago at Carnegie Hall concert album contained strong political messages, including voter registration information. by the art director of Columbia/CBS Records, John Berg, with each album's graphic art work being done by Nick Fasciano. Berg said, "The Chicago logo...was fashioned for me by Nick Fasciano from my sketch."
The book titled Type and Image: The Language of Graphic Design described the logo as "a warm vernacular form, executed in thick script letters with Victorian swashes in the tradition of sports teams and orange crate labels". The book mentions the cultural and material background of the city of Chicago as inspiration for the logo; for example, describing the leather embossing of Chicago VII as representative of the great fire and the stockades. The author connects the album art to the atmosphere of the band's namesake city, quoting the band's original manager, James William Guercio: "The printed word can never aspire to document a truly musical experience, so if you must call them something, speak of the city where all save one were born; where all of them were schooled and bred, and where all of this incredible music went down barely noticed; call them CHICAGO."
The group gave a benefit performance for Musicians on Call, on Sunday April 23, 2023, held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square in New York City. Musicians on Call is a nonprofit organization that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients, families and caregivers in healthcare settings. The group donated an autographed guitar to the event's live auction and the $6,000 winning bid was made by singer Dionne Warwick. Chicago also did benefit performances for Musicians on Call in 2011, 2012, and 2022.
Legacy
Chicago's music has been used in the soundtracks of movies, television programs and commercials. Cetera's composition from the 1976 album Chicago X, "If You Leave Me Now", has appeared in the movies, Three Kings (1999), Shaun of the Dead (2004), A Lot like Love (2005), Happy Feet (2006), and Daddy's Home 2 (2017); the television series Sex and the City and South Park; the first episode of the HBO miniseries, The Regime, in 2024; and a television commercial that aired during the 2000 Super Bowl. Robert Lamm's song from the 1970 album Chicago II, "25 or 6 to 4", was used in the 2017 film I, Tonya, and on the animated TV series King of the Hill. "You're the Inspiration" was used for the soundtracks of the movies, A Hologram for the King (2016), and Deadpool (2016); a 2017 Super Bowl commercial; and the television series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Criminal Minds. The song "Hearts In Trouble" was on the soundtrack to the 1990 film Days of Thunder.
Other recording artists have covered Chicago's music. According to the website SecondHandSongs, "If You Leave Me Now" has been covered by over 90 recording artists from around the world, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by over 30, "Colour My World" by over 24, and "You're the Inspiration" by over 18. In 2019, a reimagined hip-hop version of "25 or 6 to 4" by indie rapper realnamejames was featured in recruitment for the U.S. Army's "What's Your Warrior" marketing campaign.
Chicago's music has long been a staple of marching bands in the U.S. "25 or 6 to 4" was named as the number one marching band song by Kevin Coffey of the Omaha World-Herald, and as performed by the Jackson State University marching band, ranked number seven of the "Top 20 Cover Songs of 2018 by HBCU Bands". The band performed "Saturday in the Park" and "25 or 6 to 4" with the Notre Dame Marching Band on the football field during halftime on October 21, 2017. They performed again at a game against Bowling Green State University on October 5, 2019.
Personnel
As of 2018, the three remaining original members of Chicago were Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, and James Pankow. with Robert Lamm and James Pankow not touring due to health problems. In April 2026, Lamm and Pankow were confirmed to have retired from touring permanently.
Status of Walter Parazaider
For several years, the exact status of Walter Parazaider as a current member or former member was unclear. A 2017 article said Parazaider retired due to a heart condition, but was still "technically" part of the group. By August 10, 2018, Ray Herrmann was shown as a member of the band, and Parazaider was not, on the group's official website. he did not appear on either of the studio albums released since his retirement, 2019's Chicago Christmas, and 2022's Born for This Moment. In 2021, Parazaider revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
- Robert Lamm – keyboards, lead and backing vocals