In 1967, they were known as The Big Thing. They changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority in 1968. After the release of their first album in 1969, the band’s name was shortened to Chicago to avoid being sued by the actual mass-transit company of the same name. But it worked since the band was formed in the Windy City.
Starting with their third album, Chicago began the longstanding tradition of numbering their releases. And they’ve had a lot of them since 1969. Chicago XXXVIII came out in 2022.
Chicago has also gone through a lot of personnel through the years. Peter Cetera was one of their primary lead vocalists in the 1970s and ’80s. After launching his solo career in 1985, Cetera asked the band if they could take hiatuses after tours to let him focus on solo work. The band declined and Cetera left in the summer of 1985.
Following Peter Cetera’s departure, Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff shared most of Chicago’s singing duties well into the 21st Century. The three videos below span that transition.
