Founded in 1971, Kansas inspired contemporary progressive rock/metal bands with tracks such as "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry on Wayward Son," two of their well-known hits. Formed in Topeka, Kansas in 1970, the founding members of the group -- guitarist Kerry Livgren, bassist Dave Hope, and drummer Phil Ehart -- first played together while in high school; with the 1971 addition of classically trained violinist Robbie Steinhardt, they changed their name to White Clover, reverting back to the Kansas moniker for good upon the 1972 arrivals of vocalist/keyboardist Steve Walsh and guitarist Richard Williams. The group spent the early part of the decade touring relentlessly and struggling for recognition; initially, their mix of boogie and prog rock baffled club patrons, but in due time they established a strong enough following to win a record deal with the Kirshner label. Kansas' self-titled debut LP appeared in 1974; while only mildly successful, the group toured behind it tirelessly, and their fan base grew to the point that their third effort, 1975's Masque, sold a quarter of a million copies. In 1976, Leftoverture truly catapulted Kansas to stardom. On the strength of the smash hit "Carry On Wayward Son," the album reached the Top Five and sold over three million copies. 1977's Point of Know Return was even more successful, spawning the monster hit "Dust in the Wind." While the 1978 live LP Two for the Show struggled to break the Top 40, its studio follow-up, Monolith, the band's first self-produced effort, reached the Top Ten. That same year, Walsh issued a solo record, Schemer-Dreamer. In the wake of 1980's Audio-Visions, Kansas began to splinter; both Hope and Livgren became born-again Christians, the latter issuing the solo venture Seeds of Change, and their newfound spirituality caused divisions within the band's ranks. Walsh soon quit to form a
| 1 | A Glimpse of Home | The Ultimate Kansas |
| 2 | Song For America | The Ultimate Kansas |
| 3 | People Of The South Wind | The Ultimate Kansas |
| 4 | Portrait (He Knew) | The Ultimate Kansas |
| 5 | People Of The South Wind | Kansas Boxed Set (Disc 2) |
| 6 | Introduction | Live at the Whisky |
| 7 | Secret Service | Power |
| 8 | Dust In The Wind | The Best of Kansas |
| 9 | Song For America | Kansas Boxed Set (Disc1) |
| 10 | The Pinnacle | Kansas Boxed Set (Disc1) |
| 11 | The Wall | Kansas Boxed Set (Disc 2) |
| 12 | Point Of Know Return | The Ultimate Kansas |
| 13 | Fight Fire With Fire | The Ultimate Kansas |
| 14 | Loner | Kansas Boxed Set (Disc 2) |
| 15 | "Howlin at the moon" from Magnum Opus | Live at the Whisky |
| 16 | Paradox | Live at the Whisky |
| 17 | Magnum Opus | King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents |
| 18 | Wheels | Kansas Boxed Set (Disc 2) |
| 19 | Sparks Of The Tempest | The Ultimate Kansas |
| 20 | Song Of America | The Best of Kansas |