Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits explained

Chicago IX:
Chicago's Greatest Hits
Type:compilation
Artist:Chicago
Cover:ChicagoIX.jpg
Released:November 10, 1975
Recorded:January 1969 – December 1973
Genre:
Length:47:18
Label:Columbia
Producer:James William Guercio
Prev Title:Chicago VIII
Prev Year:1975
Next Title:Chicago X
Next Year:1976

Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album, and ninth album overall, by the American band Chicago and was released in 1975 by Columbia Records in both stereo (PC 33900) and SQ quadraphonic (PCQ 33900) versions.

Including all of Chicago's biggest hits to date, this set stretches from their 1969 debut, Chicago Transit Authority, to 1974's Chicago VII. Chicago VIII and its hits, having only come out just months earlier, were considered too recent to anthologize, while Chicago IIIs material was overlooked for inclusion due to its lack of top-selling singles.

Chicago IX proved to be an enormous success upon its release. It reached No. 1 in the US and remained on the Billboard 200 for a total of 72 weeks.[1] It has since been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, signifying sales of over five million copies.[2] Chicago IX was reissued by Rhino Records, Chicago's current distributor. The album did not chart in the UK.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "25 or 6 to 4" (Robert Lamm) – 4:51
  2. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Lamm) – 3:20 CD 2:53 LP/Cassette
    • On the original LP (and cassette) version of Chicago IX, most of the intro was cut off. The spoken part over the last verse was also omitted.
  3. "Colour My World" (James Pankow) – 2:59
  4. "Just You 'n' Me" (Pankow) – 3:42
  5. "Saturday in the Park" (Lamm) – 3:54
  6. "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (Peter Cetera/Pankow) – 4:14

Side two

  1. "Make Me Smile" (Pankow) – 2:59
    • This is the single edit that also includes parts of "Now More Than Ever".
  2. "Wishing You Were Here" (Cetera) – 4:34
  3. "Call on Me" (Lee Loughnane) – 4:02
  4. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (Pankow) – 4:29
  5. "Beginnings" (Lamm) – 7:51 CD 6:28 LP/Cassette
    • On the original LP version, this song fades out about 1:20 early.

The UK version contains the additions of "Never Been in Love Before" and a shortened 3:27 version of "I'm a Man". The Brazilian version has the addition of "Happy Man" and moves "25 or 6 to 4" to the end of Side 1. "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" and "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" are omitted.

Personnel

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top Pop Albums 1955-1985, Record Research Inc., 1985, p. 71.
  2. Web site: Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits RIAA certification. RIAA. 10 February 2017. 10 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211010042943/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=CHICAGO&ti=CHICAGO+IX+-+CHICAGO%27S+GREATEST+HITS. live.
  3. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 62.