The Heart Of Chicago 1967-1997

According to Billboard chart statistics, Chicago are second only to The Beach Boys in terms of chart success by an American band. That may seem hard to believe, likely because the Illinois natives didn't really court mainstream celebrity.

A mix of rock, pop, jazz and r & b, Chicago's horn-inflected experimental rock was uniquely different to any bands at the time of their debut release in 1969. They reached a mainstream audience with their second album and the hit "Make Me Smile". "Saturday in the Park" from their fourth full-length release, and first single record, went top five in the US and their smash hit "If You Leave Me Now" from 1975's Chicago X consolidated the band as a group with a global fanbase.

All of the aforementioned songs feature on this compilation and, though it's hard to limit such a prolific recording unit's output to just a single disc, The Heart of Chicago 1967-1007 is a great overview of a band that has been a constant recording and touring outfit since 1967.