Kansas

O

riginally named Saratoga, Kansas formed when the members of that former act merged with fellow local band White Clover to consist of Kerry Livgren (guitar/piano/organ/moog synthesizer/backing vocals), Robby Steinhardt (violin/vocals), Dave Hope (bass/backing vocals), Phil Ehart (drums), Steve Walsh (piano/organ) and Rich Williams (electric and acoustic guitars) and sign a recording contract with 'Kirshner Records' in 1974 to release their self-titled debut album.

After the release of two albums in 1975, Song for America and Masque, the group released Leftoverture in October 1976 to peak at five on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single Carry On Wayward Son, reaching 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, leading the album to sell over five million copies in the United States. The following year, their fifth album, Point of Know Return, was issued and certified four-times platinum and spawned the top 10 single Dust in the Wind. After the release of a live album, the group's sixth studio release, Monolith (1979), spawned two singles. The follow-up album, Audio-Visions (1980), would achieve gold. Their eighth studio album, Vinyl Confessions (1982), offered the single Play the Game Tonight, which became their first top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100 in four years, despite the album itself not selling well. After the release of Drastic Measures (1983), the group disbanded.