Color My World With Music

The heading refers to a great hit by the band called Chicago. This is a band that has created quite a stir in their time and hails from Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is an American rock and roll band that was formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1967. They were successful with a string of hits through the 1970s and 1980s and they count among the longest-running and most successful rock groups in history. During the 1970s Billboard referred to them as the leading U.S. singles charting group. Altogether Chicago has 22 gold, 18 platinum, and 8 multi-platinum albums and 21 top-ten singles. In 2016 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2017 Peter Cetera, Robert Lamm, and James Pankow were elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2020 the band received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The original band members of Chicago were Walter Parazaider, Terry Kath, Danny Seraphine, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane, and Robert Lamm. All of them had met at DePaul University except for Lamm who went to Roosevelt University. At this time they referred to themselves as “The Big Thing” and played Top 40 hits. Since their vocals had a bass but no tenor they took local tenor and bassist Peter Cetera into the band. In 1968 they all moved to Los Angeles, California where they changed their name to the Chicago Transit Authority. Lead vocals were shared by Cetera, Kath, and Lamm. When Kath passed on in 1978 he was replaced by several guitarists and in 1981 Bill Champlin joined providing vocals, rhythm guitar, and keyboards.

Chicago came out with their first record in April of 1969 and this double album went on to sell more than a million copies and was given a platinum disc. This album included many pop-rock songs like “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”, “Beginnings”, “Question 67 and 68” and “I’m a Man”. After the popularity of this album the actual Chicago Transit Authority threatened to take legal action against the band for their choice of name and so it was shortened to Chicago.

Their second album was called Chicago which was another double album. Its greatest track was “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon” a 7-part-13-minute suite Pankow composed. Two top ten hits came from the suite “Make Me Smile” and “Colour My World”. Other hits included “25 or 6 to 4” and “Where Do We Go From Here?” Next came a string of albums all leaving some hit songs behind which would be remembered for all time.

They released their first single-disc album Chicago V in 1972 and the album went to number one. It featured one of their biggest hits “Saturday in the Park”.

In 1973 Chicago VI featured band member Cetera as the main lead singer and included Brazilian jazz percussionist Laudir de Oliveira. The album featured two Top Ten Singles “Just You 'n' Me” written by Pankow and “Feelin' Stronger Every Day”, a song written by Pankow and Cetera.

Another double-disc album came out in 1974 Chicago VII. Three singles were released. “(I've Been) Searchin' So Long” was written by Pankow and “Call On Me” was written by Loughnane and both made it into the Top Ten. The third single “Wishing You Were Here” was written by Cetera.

Chicago VIII came out in 1975 and featured the political allegory “Harry Truman” and “Old Days” a nostalgic song written by Pankow.

The albums Chicago VI, VII, and VIII all made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and through the years were certified Gold with Chicago VI being certified 2x multi-Platinum.

Chicago scored another major hit when they released Chicago X in 1976 with the ballad “If You Leave Me Now” written by Cetera. The song quickly made it to the top of the charts and became their first number one single. With this hit, they also won a Grammy Award at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus.

Chicago XI came out in 1977 with another Cetera ballad “Baby, What a Big Surprise” which became the group's last Top Ten hit of the decade.

Their album Chicago 16 was released in 1982. Changing, rearranging, and regrouping Chicago came out with ”Hard to Say I’m Sorry/Get Away” in 1982 and was featured in the soundtrack of the movie “Summer Lovers” starring Daryl Hannah. “Hard to Say I'm Sorry” became their second number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 1984 their album Chicago 17 became their biggest-selling album featuring two Top Ten singles “You’re the Inspiration” and “Hard Habit to Break”. Two other outstanding songs from this album were “Stay the Night” and “Along Came a Woman”.

Besides being the vocalist for Chicago Peter Cetera began a solo career and left the group in 1985. Cetera became successful and topped the charts with “Glory of Love” which became the theme song for the film “The Karate Kid II” and released other hits.

Chicago 18 was released in 1986 with the singles “Will You Still Love Me?” and “If She Would Have Been Faithful...”

1988 Chicago 19 gave Chicago their third and last number one single “Look Away”. Two other singles from this album were “I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love” and “You're Not Alone”.

They came out with Greatest Hits 1982-1989 which gave them another Top Ten Hit with “You’re Not Alone”. During the summer and fall of 1989, Chicago went on a duet tour with the Beach Boys. They received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992. Other popular bands with which they have toured include America in 2007 and Earth, Wind, and Fire in 2009.

In 2014 they released the album Chicago XXXVI: Now with songs such as “Now”, “America” and “Love Lives On”.