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Kansas
American rock band
Kansas is an American rock band formed in Topeka, Kansas in 1973. They became popular during the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind".
The band has produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums, one other platinum studio album (Monolith), one platinum live double album, and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the US Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan.
"Carry On Wayward Son" was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997. Jason Ankeny of AllMusic referred to Kansas as "staples" of classic rock radio.
members: Steve Walsh, Rich Williams, Billy Greer, David Ragsdale, Tom Brislin, Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Robby Steinhardt
formed in: Topeka
labels: Epic Records, Kirshner, MCA Records
genres: progressive rock, album-oriented rock, hard rock, art rock
awards: Kansas Music Hall of Fame
Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.
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1970–1973: early years
In 1969, Don Montre and Kerry Livgren (guitars, keyboards, synthesizers) were performing in a band called the Reasons Why in their hometown of Topeka. After leaving to form the band Saratoga with Lynn Meredith and Dan Wright, they started playing Livgren's original material, with Scott Kessler playing bass and Zeke Lowe on drums.
In July 1985 the band came back together with Ehart, Williams and Walsh (who had briefly played keyboards on the road for Cheap Trick in the spring and summer of 1985 after the break up of Streets), but without Livgren, Hope or Steinhardt. The new lineup included Streets bassist Billy Greer and guitarist Steve Morse (formerly of the Dixie Dregs). The first performances of the new lineup with Morse and Greer took place during a third USO 1st Airborne Rock and Roll Division tour that toured US military bases in the US, Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, Singapore, Iceland and most of Europe during the late summer through early October 1986.
Kansas's musical style, a fusion of hard rock, southern rock, and progressive rock, was influenced by several bands. The music of Yes and Genesis was inspirational to Kansas, especially demonstrated in the lyrics of Walsh. Livgren cited the 1960s band Touch as foundational to his development. Livgren's evolving spirituality is reflected in the band's songs, with early works showing an interest in the mysticism of Eastern religions, works in the late 1970s influenced by the American spiritual philosophy of The Urantia Book, followed in the early 1980s by works embracing born-again Christianity. The re-formed band produced a harder pop metal album in the late 1980s. In addition to British progressive rock, Jason Ankeny of AllMusic noted the...
American progressive / hard rock / AOR band from Topeka, Kansas. Formed in 1973. As of 2025, the band is composed of Phil Ehart (drums), Rich Williams (guitar), Ronnie Platt (vocals, keyboards), Zak Rizvi (guitar), Tom Brislin (keyboards), Joe Deninzon (violin) and Dan McGowan (bass).
Also known as: K A N S A S, Kansas SM, Kansas ®, Kanzas, Канзас
From Discogs (free to use). Their entry
Liner notes
Kansas, the records, oldest first
Kansas
1974 album
Masque
1975 album
Song for America
1975 album
Leftoverture
1976 album
wanted
Point of Know Return
1977 album
Monolith
1979 album
Audio‐Visions
1980 album
Vinyl Confessions Demos
1981 album
Vinyl Confessions
1982 album
Drastic Measures
1983 album
Power
1986 album
Power Demos and Outtakes
1986 album
Power Demos
1986 album
In the Spirit of Things
1988 album
Freaks of Nature
1995 album
Always Never the Same
1998 album
Somewhere to Elsewhere
2000 album
The Prelude Implicit
2016 album
The Absence of Presence
2020 album
Records from MusicBrainz; covers from the Cover Art Archive.
"Carry On Wayward Son" is a song by American rock band Kansas, released on their 1976 studio album, Leftoverture. Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, the song became the band's first top 40 hit, reaching No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977.
Background
While Kansas' previous three albums had split songwriting duties between lead vocalist Steve Walsh and band member Kerry Livgren, the latter essentially provided all the material for the band's fourth album release, Leftoverture. According to Livgren, "On the very first day of rehearsals, Steve...said that he had nothing – not a single song. I don't relish that kind of pressure, but with hindsight it really brought out the best in me." Although based in Atlanta, Georgia, Kansas had returned to its Topeka, Kansas, hometown to work up material for what would be the Leftoverture album, the band rehearsing in a vacant store in a strip mall the material Livgren was working up on a Lowrey organ at his parents' home where he was staying. "Carry...
Release and impact
Subsequent to the October 21, 1976, release of the Leftoverture album, the track "Carry On Wayward Son" became an FM radio favorite, causing the November 23 single release of a 3:26 edit of the 5:26 album track (itself trimmed from 7:30 minutes). Many Top 40 stations aired — and today’s Classic Rock stations continue to air — the full album cut rather than the single edit.
Cover versions
In 2016, American heavy metal band Anthrax released a cover version of the song on their Limited Edition Box Set of the album For All Kings, and in 2017 as a 12-inch maxi-single with "Black Math" on the B-side.
