Beginnings (Chicago song)

"Beginnings"
Single by Chicago Transit Authority
from the album Chicago Transit Authority
B-side
Released
  • October 1969
  • June 1971 (re-release)
RecordedJanuary 27/30, 1969
GenrePop soul,[1] Jazz rock
Length
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Robert Lamm
Producer(s)James William Guercio
Chicago Transit Authority singles chronology
"Questions 67 and 68"
(1969) 		"Beginnings"
(1969) 		"Make Me Smile"
(1970)
Lowdown
(1971)
Beginnings/Colour My World
(1971)
Questions 67 and 68/​I'm a Man
(1971)

"Beginnings" is a song written by Robert Lamm for the rock band Chicago Transit Authority and recorded for its debut album Chicago Transit Authority, released in 1969. The song is the band's second single (after "Questions 67 and 68"), but failed to chart on its initial release.[2]

After the band's success with subsequent singles, "Beginnings" was re-released in June 1971, backed with "Colour My World". Both sides became U.S. radio hits, and the combined single climbed to number seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[3] "Beginnings" reached number one on the U.S. Easy Listening chart.[4][5] Writing for Ultimate Classic Rock, Dave Swanson rates "Beginnings" as number two in his list of top ten Chicago songs.[2] It has been covered by many bands.

  1. ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2024. Soul-pop, horns, blissed-out lovey-doveyness that anticipates even clearer skies ahead: Hey, that sounds like Chicago's "Beginnings"...
  2. ^ a b Swanson, Dave (December 17, 2015). "Top 10 Chicago Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference BB100 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Billboard Singles". All Media Guide / Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBAC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).