The rock band Yes was formed in London, in 1968. The current lineup includes Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood, and Jon Davison. The band is particularly famous for such hits as “Roundabout”, “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, and “Wondrous Stories”. Yes earned several awards, including two Grammies.
In the 1970’s Yes were reaping the benefits of their popularity due to the lack of competition. Back then, they competed with just two groups Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and Genesis. They were enjoying the fame until the wave of punk rock didn’t leave them on the sidelines in 1977. In 1980’s the band went through several lineup changes but managed to restore the popularity and continued to record new songs in the 21st century.
The band’s first two LPs Yes (1969) and Time and a Word (1970) didn’t bring the group any fame. They failed to make it into the charts. After an argument about using the orchestra in the second album, the guitarist was replaced by Steve Howe, who added a special sound to the group’s music.
In 1971, the band released The Yes Album, which was a hit. It reached the 4th spot on UK Albums Chart and 40th spot on Billboard 200. Eventually, the LP went platinum in the USA and silver in the UK. The same year, Yes released a very successful album Fragile, which reached the 7th spot on UK Albums Chart and the 4th spot on Billboard 200. The LP was certified platinum in both UK and the US. The single from that album “Roundabout” topped Billboard Hot 100 but didn’t get to the top-10 in the UK.
In 1973, the band released their first live album Yessongs, which was tremendously successful and topped the British charts. Each year, the band was going through lineup changes. After the release of another successful album Relayer (1974), the group members decided to pursue solo careers. However, none of them managed to become famous.
In 1977, Yes reunited and released another successful album Going for the One. At that moment, the band’s popularity began to wane and led to new lineup changes. In 1981, the group went on hiatus and reunited again in 1983 to create new fairly successful albums. The band went on another hiatus between 2004 and 2008. The constant changes and hiatuses didn’t ruin the group. They continue to record new songs and perform live.
