Known for their timeless magic and powerful performances, the Grammy winners and perennial classic rock favorites will draw on their deep catalog of hits, including signature song “A Horse With No Name,” a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1972.
On their way to becoming a global household name, America’s journey found them exploring a wide variety of musical terrain. Their best-known tunes, which also include “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Don’t Cross The River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” and “Sister Golden Hair,” were cornerstones of ’70s Top 40 and FM rock radio. Beyond their impressive catalog of hits, listeners discovered there was always much more to America than surface perceptions. The combination of melodic pop rock with folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin influenced rhythms, and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with other, more traditional country rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.
America enjoyed massive success early in their career and earned their stripes as musical soldiers on the battlefield amidst the excess, craziness, and chaos of the ’70s. The trio won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1972 and began working with George Martin and Geoff Emerick in 1974. This successful team went on to record seven albums and several Top Ten hits, including “Tin Man,” “Sister Golden Hair” and “Lonely People.”
Their growth as singers, songwriters and musicians has continued into the present day, as illustrated by landmark releases such as 2000’s “Highway” 3-disc box set, 2002’s “Holiday Harmony,” an album comprised of seasonal classics and live showcases, 2007’s “Here & Now,” 2009’s “Live In Concert: Wildwood Springs,” 2011’s “Back Pages,” and 2015’s two releases in “Lost And Found” and “America: Archives Vol. 1.”
In 2020, the band released their ultimate 8-disc anniversary box set, “Half Century” (America Records), and streamed their concert special, “America—Live at the London Palladium,” for the very first time (it is commercially available as a DVD and CD). 2020 also saw the release of the book “America, the Band, An Authorized Biography” by journalist Jude Warne. She weaves original interviews with the band and many others into a dynamic cultural history of America the band alongside America the nation. Billy Bob Thornton wrote the foreword.
From their formative years, America has been a band capable of transcending borders with its uplifting music and positive message. Embracing a rainbow of divergent cultures, America’s audiences continue to grow, comprising a loyal legion of first, second and third generation fans all bearing testament to the group’s enduring appeal.
