Chicago is (barely) your kind of band, Chicago is

So, the official results of the Best Band Named after a Geographical Location poll are in, and let me just take this opportunity to thank everyone out there for participating and chiming in. In all, 41 folks voted, giving us the following scores:

1st Place: Chicago, with 12 votes

2nd Place: Berlin, with an achingly close 11 votes, after leading for almost the entire run of the poll.

3rd Place: a tie between Boston and America, with 6 votes a piece (America making a big jump from earlier in the contest.)

4th Place: Kansas, with 5 votes, and

5th Place: Asia, with one sad little vote.

Many discussants had lots of opinions about the showdown between Chicago and Berlin. Some think that Chicago is simply too commercial and schmaltzy to be the best representative of the Geo-Bands. Others argue that Berlin, while sophisticated and aesthetically hip, are musically inferior to the more diverse jazz-rock symphonics of Chicago. The controversy over this vote is expressed quite well by reader Michael D. of San Francisco, California. He states in a personal (but rather public) forum that:

Berlin may be style over skill, but oh what style! [On Chicago] Well-executed banality is still...banality.

I will agree with that sentiment to a certain point, as Berlin also suits my own aesthetic more than Chicago or any of the other bands in the poll (in fact, I almost didn't include Berlin because they were so very "one of these things is not like the others"). Nevertheless, it is hard to argue with the legacy of Chicago's discography. At 21 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records, the band has very nearly as many RIAA-awarded albums as all the other bands in the poll combined. (Added up, Kansas, America, Boston, and Asia have 22 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records. Guess how many Berlin has...that's right, zero.) We know that popular is not always best, but I think our readership made a sound choice with Chicago.

Anyway, enough of the rambles. Here are some of the choicest Chicago tunes just in case you need convincing (and yes, they've been in my head all day):

Arguably Chicago's very best song, certainly the most epic and addictive of their jazz rock catalog. Song: 25 or 6 to 4 Year: 1970 Rating: Hot! Oh, it's 1976, and Peter Cetera's hair shows it! This song oozes with pure '70s pop schmaltz, and that's why I love it so. Song: If You Leave Me Now Year: 1976 Rating: Luke Hot
A good song representative of their '80s oeuvre.

Song: Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away
Year: 1982
Rating: Warm