CHICAGO

Another band that was part of my early years listening to the radio. Terry Kath and Robert Lamm provide unmistakable vocals, and Chicago really developed my love of backing horns in rock music.

ESSENTIAL TRACKS/ALBUM
25 or 6 to 4 Chicago II
Make Me Smile  Chicago II
Saturday in the Park  Chicago V

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DOOBIE BROTHERS
I have to admit that I got onto the Doobies late, in the Michael McDonald years, but eventually appreciated the early work better. The two greatest hits albums may be the only ones I had in vinyl, 8-track and cassette, and I wore them all out.

ESSENTIAL TRACKS/ALBUM
Long Train Runnin’   The Captain and Me
Jesus is Just Alright   Toulouse Street
China Grove   The Captain and Me

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ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
It’s only been in the last 10 years or so that I really started listening to ELO, and I can’t say why it took so long. I know there was a VW commercial that used “Mr. Blue Sky” that may have jump-started it, and I realized how many great songs they had.

ESSENTIAL TRACKS/ALBUM
Turn to Stone   Out of the Blue
Mr. Blue Sky    Out of the Blue
Don’t Bring Me Down   Discovery

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PETER GABRIEL
I knew about Gabriel through “Shock the Monkey,” but in 1986 he came out with the stellar album “So.” The video for “Sledgehammer” was amazing, and it led me to listening to his other great work.

ESSENTIAL TRACKS/ALBUM
Solsbury Hill   Peter Gabriel 1
Sledgehammer    So
In Your Eyes    So

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ELTON JOHN
Of course, Elton John got huge radio play in the 70s when I was listening to the radio. There was hit after hit, and they are all well-known, but I really started liking a lot of his lesser-known deeper tracks like “My Father’s Gun” and “Amoreena”.

ESSENTIAL TRACKS/ALBUM
Bennie and the Jets /Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me /Caribou
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds/Single