Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits
| Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | November 10, 1975 | |||
| Recorded | January 1969 – December 1973 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 47:18 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James William Guercio | |||
| Chicago chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
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 (referred to as Chicago I in the original LP liner notes), 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 III's 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 (the fifth and final consecutive Chicago album to do so) and remained on the Billboard 200 for a total of 72 weeks.[2] It has since been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, signifying sales of over five million copies.[3] Chicago IX was reissued by Rhino Records, Chicago's current distributor. The album did not chart in the UK.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "25 or 6 to 4" | Robert Lamm | Chicago (1970) | 4:51 |
| 2. | "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" | Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority (1969) | 2:53[a] |
| 3. | "Colour My World" | James Pankow | Chicago | 2:59 |
| 4. | "Just You 'n' Me" | Pankow | Chicago VI (1973) | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Saturday in the Park" | Lamm | Chicago V (1972) | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" |
| Chicago VI | 4:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Make Me Smile[b]" | Pankow | Chicago | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Wishing You Were Here" | Cetera | Chicago VII (1974) | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Call on Me" | Lee Loughnane | Chicago VII | 4:02 |
| 4. | "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" | Pankow | Chicago VII | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Beginnings" | Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority | 6:28[c] |
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.
2025 expanded version
[edit]To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original album's release, an expanded version of the album featuring 10 additional tracks was released in 2025. The new edition includes songs from every studio album they released between 1969 and 1980.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Questions 67 and 68" | Robert Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority (1969) | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Beginnings" | Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Make Me Smile" (2017 Steven Wilson Remix/Edit) | James Pankow | Chicago (1970) | 2:58 |
| 4. | "25 or 6 to 4" (2017 Steven Wilson Remix/Edit) | Lamm | Chicago | 2:55 |
| 5. | "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" | Lamm | Chicago Transit Authority | 2:45 |
| 6. | "Free" | Lamm | Chicago III (1971) | 2:19 |
| 7. | "Colour My World" (2017 Steven Wilson Remix) | Pankow | Chicago | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Saturday in the Park" | Lamm | Chicago V (1972) | 3:56 |
| 9. | "Dialogue (Part I & II)" | Lamm | Chicago V | 5:04 |
| 10. | "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" |
| Chicago VI (1973) | 4:16 |
| 11. | "Just You 'n' Me" | Pankow | Chicago VI | 3:45 |
| 12. | "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" | Pankow | Chicago VII (1974) | 4:20 |
| 13. | "Call on Me" | Lee Loughnane | Chicago VII | 4:04 |
| 14. | "Wishing You Were Here" | Cetera | Chicago VII | 3:00 |
| 15. | "Old Days" | Pankow | Chicago VIII (1975) | 3:32 |
| 16. | "If You Leave Me Now" | Cetera | Chicago X (1976) | 3:58 |
| 17. | "Baby, What a Big Surprise" | Cetera | Chicago XI (1977) | 3:08 |
| 18. | "Alive Again" | Pankow | Hot Streets (1978) | 3:31 |
| 19. | "No Tell Lover" |
| Hot Streets | 3:50 |
| 20. | "Street Player" |
| Chicago 13 (1979) | 4:22 |
| 21. | "Thunder and Lightning" |
| Chicago XIV (1980) | 3:32 |
Personnel
[edit]- Peter Cetera – bass, guitar, lead & background vocals
- Terry Kath – guitars, lead & background vocals
- Robert Lamm – keyboards, lead & background vocals
- Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion, background vocals
- James Pankow – trombone, percussion, background vocals
- Walter Parazaider – woodwinds, percussion, background vocals
- Danny Seraphine – drums, percussion
- Laudir de Oliveira – percussion
- James William Guercio – producer
- John Berg – design
- Nick Fasciano – logo
- Reid Miles – photography
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[11] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[12] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes
[edit]- ↑ The original LP and cassette versions of the album use the mono promo single, cutting off most of the intro and omitting the spoken part over the last verse. The song is 3:20 on CD versions of the album.
- ↑ Single edit that includes parts of "Now More Than Ever".
- ↑ The original LP and cassette versions fade out about 1:20 early. The song is 7:51 on CD versions of the album.
References
[edit]- ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r3851/review
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top Pop Albums 1955-1985, Record Research Inc., 1985, p. 71.
- ↑ "Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits RIAA certification". RIAA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 62. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Image 4059a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2024. [dead link]
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chicago – IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Chicago – IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ↑ "Chicago Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 33. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Image 5175". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2024. [dead link]
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Chicago – Chicago IX Greatest Hits". Music Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Chicago – Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
