Chicago

A band that you'd have to invent if it didn't exist. Until 1977, with the death of guitarist Terry Kath, they produced works that were all, more or less, between decent and excellent. After 1977, you can only pick a few tracks here and there from the various subsequent albums... and it's a shame. The only exception as a full album is the cleverly crafted yet undeniably spot-on "Chicago 17" from 1984. Horns, synthesizers, and AOR commercial melodies blend together with convincing results, achieving monstrous success at the time.