Billboard Top 40 Singles 1971: #34: ‘Free’- Chicago.
- Single: ‘Free’- Chicago
- Record Company- Columbia
- Genre: Jazz Rock
- Written by Robert Lamm
- Time: 2:16
- B-side:’Free Country’
- Album-Chicago III
- Grade: B-
- Peaked at # 20 9 weeks in Billboard Hot 100.
“Free” is one of those Chicago hits that you never hear on the radio. It was from their Chicago 3 album- and was their 4th overall Top 40 hit. During their career 1969-97 they had 50 Hot 100 singles with 35 making the Top 40. They had 3 #1 hits: ‘If You Leave Me Now” 1976, ‘Hard To Say I’m Sorry” 1982 and ‘Look Away” 1988.
slicethelife 
I like Chicago (at least til the 80s) but I don’t think I’ve heard this one before.
I went to the dentist this morning and was chatting with him. I told him about the “Red Army” movie as he’s a big Red Wings fan. He told me about a Russian group, Leonid & Friends, that plays Chicago music. Check it out:
“Free” isn’t one that sounds very familiar but of course it sounds like Chicago.
not one of my Chicago favorites- and I am certain I have never heard this on the radio- but I agree it has the Chicago sound!
I generally dig the early Chicago music and actually like this tune as well, though it’s not as spectacular as ’25 or 6 to 4′
I remember this one, which has to be one of their more progressive rock style songs. it got a fair amount of airplay on the San Francisco stations I listened to in those days.
I wasn’t tuned into the radio in 1971 other than baseball games– not sure if it got a lot of airplay here at the time but it was a #20 hit so I am guessing it was played–just not one that the stations have played much around here since. maybe they should instead of the usual 5 or 6- mix it up a bit.
Growing up in Chicago, we heard this all the time…