Biography
Yes is an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. Over the course of their career, the band has included more than twenty full-time members, with key figures such as vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarists Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin, drummers Bill Bruford and Alan White, and keyboardists Tony Kaye and Rick Wakeman. The band are widely regarded as pioneers of progressive rock and have incorporated elements of rock, pop, jazz, and classical music into their work. Read more on Last.fm
Yes is an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. Over the course of their career, the band has included more than twenty full-time members, with key figures such as vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarists Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin, drummers Bill Bruford and Alan White, and keyboardists Tony Kaye and Rick Wakeman. The band are widely regarded as pioneers of progressive rock and have incorporated elements of rock, pop, jazz, and classical music into their work. As of 2023, the line-up consists of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, and Jay Schellen.
Yes was founded by Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Kaye, and guitarist Peter Banks. Early performances consisted of a mixture of original material and cover versions of songs by artists such as The Beatles, The 5th Dimension, and Traffic. Their debut album "Yes" (1969) and its follow-up "Time and a Word" (1970) reflected this transitional period. Following the replacement of Banks with Howe in 1970, the band developed a more distinct progressive rock style, resulting in a series of commercially successful albums including "The Yes Album" (1971), "Fragile" (1971), "Close to the Edge" (1972), and the live album "Yessongs" (1973). During this period, they also released "Tales from Topographic Oceans" (1973), "Relayer" (1974), "Going for the One" (1977), and "Tormato" (1978), and became known for elaborate stage productions and artwork, particularly by Roger Dean.
Internal disagreements led to several lineup changes in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After the release of "Drama" (1980), the band initially disbanded in 1981. A new incarnation formed in 1983 with Squire, White, Anderson, Kaye, and Rabin, shifting toward a more radio-friendly sound. This period produced the album "90125" (1983), which included the hit single "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and was followed by "Big Generator" (1987). Anderson later left and formed Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe with former members, while a merger between that project and Yes resulted in the 1991 album "Union".
Through the 1990s, Yes released albums such as "Talk" (1994), "Keys to Ascension" (1996), "Keys to Ascension 2" (1997), "Open Your Eyes" (1997), and "The Ladder" (1999), with frequent personnel changes. In the early 2000s, the band released "Magnification" (2001), which notably featured a full orchestra instead of a permanent keyboardist. A planned anniversary tour in 2008 was cancelled due to Anderson’s illness, leading to a disputed continuation of the band without him.
From 2009 onward, Yes continued with a changing lineup, releasing "Fly from Here" (2011), "Heaven & Earth" (2014), "From a Page" (recorded 2010, released 2019), "The Quest" (2021), and "Mirror to the Sky" (2023). The band experienced significant losses with the deaths of Chris Squire in 2015 and Alan White in 2022. Despite this, touring and recording activities continued with newer members and guest musicians.
Yes are considered one of the most influential progressive rock bands of all time. They have released 23 studio albums and have sold over 30 million records worldwide, including approximately 13.5 million certified sales in the United States. The band won a Grammy Award in 1985 for "Cinema" and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
A new album titled "Aurora" is scheduled for release on 12 June 2026.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_(band)
Studio albums
Yes (1969)
Time and a Word (1970)
The Yes Album (1971)
Fragile (1971)
Close to the Edge (1972)
Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973)
Relayer (1974)
Going for the One (1977)
Tormato (1978)
Drama (1980)
90125 (1983)
Big Generator (1987)
Union (1991)
Talk (1994)
Keys to Ascension (1996)
Keys to Ascension 2 (1997)
Open Your Eyes (1997)
The Ladder (1999)
Magnification (2001)
Fly from Here (2011)
Heaven & Earth (2014)
The Quest (2021)
Mirror to the Sky (2023)
Aurora (2026) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.