Chicago Transit Authority
by Chicago Transit Authority

Album
Chicago Transit Authority by Chicago Transit Authority
Year: 1969
Release date: 1969-04-00
Overall rank: 1,027th   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
80/100 (from 274 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1969 (31st)
Award Top albums of of the 1960s (112th)
Award Best albums of all time (1,027th)

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Chicago Transit Authority bestography

The best album by Chicago is Chicago Transit Authority which is ranked number 1027 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 1,694.

Chicago Transit Authority album bestography « Higher ranked
- This album (1,027th)
Chicago Transit Authority Lower ranked (2,343rd) »
Chicago

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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Chicago Transit Authority track list

  Track ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 79 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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#
Track
Rating/Comments
1.
Introduction
Average Rating: 81 (64 votes)Comments: View 0
2.
Track pick (860 - 76 votes)
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Average Rating: 86 (76 votes)Comments: View 0
3.
Track pick (860 - 72 votes)
Beginnings
Average Rating: 86 (72 votes)Comments: View 3
4.
Track pick (850 - 71 votes)
Questions 67 And 68
Average Rating: 85 (71 votes)Comments: View 0
5.
Listen
Average Rating: 81 (61 votes)Comments: View 0
6.
Poem 58
Average Rating: 81 (59 votes)Comments: View 0
7.
Free Form Guitar
Average Rating: 65 (58 votes)Comments: View 1
8.
South California Purples
Average Rating: 79 (58 votes)Comments: View 1
9.
I'm A Man
Average Rating: 84 (69 votes)Comments: View 1
10.
Prologue, August 29, 1968
Average Rating: 67 (50 votes)Comments: View 0
11.
Someday (August 29, 1968)
Average Rating: 75 (56 votes)Comments: View 1
12.
Liberation
Average Rating: 79 (55 votes)Comments: View 0

Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Chicago Transit Authority rankings

Chicago Transit Authority rankings summary
Overall rank: 1,027th | 1960s rank: 112th | 1969 rank: 31st  Overall chart history
Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings).Help Click to see how the rankings are calculated (Last updated: 2 hours ago)

Chicago Transit Authority collection

Chicago Transit Authority ratings

Average Rating: 
80/100 (from 274 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 3 ratings for this album.  | Show all 274 ratings for this album.

Sort Sort by
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
70/100
 !		06/22/2026 10:37 duelek  Ratings distribution  2,13575/100
 
100/100
 !		05/19/2026 23:38 Devilwoac  Ratings distribution  1,46797/100
 
100/100
 !		04/25/2026 23:02 Robert Anton Wil  Ratings distribution  1,14984/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)
This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 80.0/100, a mean average of 79.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 80.3/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.9.


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Chicago Transit Authority favourites

Showing latest 10 members who have added this album as a favourite  | Show all 42 members

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Forum mentions

This album has been referenced 31 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From BestEverAlbums 08/20/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5410): By Deckiller
“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Deckiller () 1. by by (2015) 3. by (2002) 4. by (1969) 5. by (1969) 6. by by (1992) 8. by by by (1970) 11. by by (1986) 13. by (1981) 15. (1977) 17. by (1986) 18. by (2013) 20. (1969) 21. by (1972) 22. by (1973) 23. by (1971) 24. by by…”
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From Johnnyo 07/04/2025 08:22 in What album are you listening to? (cont.)
“I was only chatting about this album the other day. Agreed that it's a classic. great debut album”
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From albummaster 07/04/2025 07:35 in What album are you listening to? (cont.)
“What album are you listening to? (cont.)”
View forum post →

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Chicago Transit Authority comments

Showing latest 5 comments | Show all 16 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
Rating:  
90/100
From 01/13/2026 17:53 | #312600
As many others have said, the album is too long. Yes, there is filler but it is very good filler. This is basically a singles album combined with a live (in-studio) album. It would be better if it were released as two albums. 9/10! (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Reply
Rating:  
95/100
From 02/03/2022 12:59 | #280530
Great band: probably i prefer Chicago II, but once i want to sponsorize USA talents i think about Chicago, Steely Dan, Blood Sweat & Tears.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Rating:  
70/100
From 04/13/2021 02:22 | #268489 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
This could have been Chicago's definitive LP if concentrated onto one record. The musicianship is top notch, the hits are mostly all there, and the CTA's signature sonic complexities are unrivaled.

Alas, they overextend...Time and again, Chicago overindulge, hindering the long-play experience for all but the most hearty listeners.

If you're a bear for punishment and like cherry-picking tracks across two records; or, you revel in the madness that accompanies the magic, this might be your jam! (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Reply
From 03/25/2021 01:08 | #267724
Jimi Hendrix said he was the best guitarist!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Rating:  
60/100
From 03/18/2021 15:48 | #267458
a lot of good. a lot of bad (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of  1969
1. Abbey Road by The Beatles
2. In The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson
3. Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
4. Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
5. Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
6. The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground
7. Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake
8. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
9. In A Silent Way by Miles Davis
10. Hot Rats by Frank Zappa