1998: Chicago XXV- The Christmas Album
It seems too much of a coincidence that Chicago’s album 25 is also the date of Christmas day, suggesting that the band waited until their twenty-fifth release to churn out their first holiday album: something of a rite of passage for pop and rock groups these days. The album is full of the softer sound of Chicago’s later work, with chilled jazzy arrangements of eleven holiday standards. The album also features one original track, Child’s Prayer, which utilises a children’s choir to create that warm and fuzzy Christmas spirit. Chicago XXV was hugely popular among the band’s fans and went gold across the United States. Five years later, the album was re-released with the title What’s It Gonna Be, Santa? including six additional tracks.