Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits

Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits
Compilation album by Chicago
Released	November 10, 1975
Recorded	January 1969 – December 1973
Genre	Progressive rock jazz fusion
Length	47:18
Label	Columbia
Producer	James William Guercio
Chicago chronology
Chicago VIII (1975) Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits (1975) Chicago X (1976)
Chicago compilation chronology
Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits (1975) Greatest Hits, Volume II (1981)

Professional ratings

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 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

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, the mono promo single version was used. Most of the intro was cut off, and 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.

2025 expanded version: To mark the 50th anniversary of Chicago’s first greatest hits collection, the 1975 release Chicago IX has been significantly expanded from 11 tracks to 21. The new edition now includes songs from every studio album the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers released between 1969 and 1980. “Questions 67 And 68” “Beginnings” “Make Me Smile” (2017 Steven Wilson Remix/Edit) “25 Or 6 To 4” (2017 Steven Wilson Remix/Edit) “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” “Free” “Colour My World” (2017 Steven Wilson Remix) “Saturday In The Park” “Dialogue (Part I & II)” “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” “Just You ’n’ Me” “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long” “Call On Me” “Wishing You Were Here” “Old Days” “If You Leave Me Now” “Baby, What A Big Surprise” “Alive Again” “No Tell Lover” “Street Player” “Thunder And Lightning”

Personnel

• 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

Weekly charts Chart (1975–1977) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [4] 16 Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [5] 1 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [6] 4 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [7] 7 US Billboard 200 [8] 1 Chart (2025) Peak position Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) [9] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1976) Position Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [10] 13

Certifications

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.

References

1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r3851/review
2. Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top Pop Albums 1955-1985, Record Research Inc., 1985, p. 71.
3. "Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits RIAA certification". RIAA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
4. 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.
5. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4059a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Chicago – IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
7. "Charts.nz – Chicago – IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
8. "Chicago Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
9. "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 33. hét". MAHASZ . Retrieved August 20, 2025.
10. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5175". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
11. "Canadian album certifications – Chicago – Chicago IX Greatest Hits". Music Canada . Retrieved June 21, 2023.
12. "American album certifications – Chicago – Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 21, 2023.