Kansas

Formed in Topeka, Kansas, in the early 1970s, Kansas occupies a crossroads of progressive rock, melodic hard rock and symphonic rock, with a sound built around guitars, keyboards, vocal harmonies and a violin that was prominent in the band's early decades. Kansas took shape in 1973 and released a self-titled debut in 1974, before defining its identity on Song for America (1975), Leftoverture (1976) and Point of Know Return (1977). Kerry Livgren's songwriting, Steve Walsh's voice and Robby Steinhardt's contributions largely marked this period, during which the band developed long, progressive pieces as well as more direct formats. Through the 1980s and 1990s Kansas went through several lineup changes and shifted toward a more straightforward rock approach without abandoning its progressive roots. The group subsequently maintained a steady presence on classic rock and prog stages while continuing its discography with releases such as Somewhere to Elsewhere (2000), The Prelude Implicit (2016) and The Absence of Presence (2020). Even today, Kansas remains associated with that highly identifiable blend of progressive breadth, rock potency and melodic sense.