This year, the Grammy-award-winning rock group Chicago is celebrating its 35th anniversary. This summer, they're marking this milestone by releasing their greatest hits: "The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning."
Hit singles like, "If You Leave Me Now," "Hard Habit to Break," and "You're the Inspiration" have kept Chicago returning to the top of the charts and have led to record sales of over 120 million. Over the years, the band has enjoyed 20 Top 10 hits, five No. 1 albums, and five gold singles.
As part of the anniversary celebration, they are reissuing all of their records beginning with the first three. At The Early Show's Plaza, they performed for the crowd, "Saturday In The Park," "25 Or 6 To 4," "Make Me Smile," and "Hard Habit To Break."
Fast Facts About Chicago
The band formed in Chicago in 1967. Throughout their 35 years, they have remained a working band, releasing 26 albums and touring on a continual basis.Original Chicago members touring today are: Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Walt Parazaider. Peter Cetera left the group in 1985 and was replaced by Jason Scheff. Bill Champlin joined the group in 1982.In early 1978, tragedy struck when guitarist Terry Kath was killed in a freak shooting accident. Devastated by the loss of their friend, the band nearly broke up, but eventually resolved to continue.The band's self-penned "Make Me Smile" hit No. 9 on the charts in 1970. It was but the first of 20 Top Ten smashes for the group who would go on to score FIVE consecutive No. 1 albums (Chicago V, Chicago VI, Chicago VII, Chicago VIII and Chicago IX-Chicago's Greatest Hits).The album, Chicago X (June 1976) was the recipient of three Grammy Awards and featured the bands biggest hit of the 1970's: the worldwide Number 1 "If You Leave Me Now." The group has earned Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.Chicago has sold more than 120 million records, enjoyed 20 Top 10 hits, five number one albums and five Gold singles. Chicago's top ten hits include: "Make Me Smile," "25 Or 6 To 4," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is," "Beginnings," "Saturday In The Park," "Just You 'N' Me," "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long," "Call On Me," "Old Days," "If You Leave Me Now," "Baby What A Big Surprise," "Hard To Say I'm Sorry," "Hard Habit To Break," "You're The Inspiration," "Will You Still Love Me," "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," "Look Away," "What Kind Of Man Would I Be?"Chicago will donate a portion of each ticket sold from their world tour to the Parseghian Medical Research Foundation. The foundation, founded by Coach Ara Parseghian, a Notre Dame Football legend, raises funding for a cure to Neimann-Pick Type C disease.