Chicago 18

Chicago 18 is the fifteenth studio album, eighteenth overall by the American rock band Chicago, released on September 29, 1986. This album is the first without original vocalist Peter Cetera, and the first to feature Jason Scheff on bass and vocals.

Chicago 18 is the first studio album since the band’s inception to not feature an official guitarist. Studio guitarists such as Steve Lukather (Toto), Michael Landau, and Howard "Buzz" Feiten appear as session musicians for the album.

With Cetera having left the band in mid-1985 for a solo career, Chicago eventually hired Scheff to fill Cetera's position as vocalist and bassist in the fall of 1985. With Scheff and Bill Champlin, who had joined the band in 1981, the most prominent voices in Chicago now belonged to its newest recruits.

Chicago again hired producer David Foster to create a followup to Chicago 17. This would be the final album produced by Foster for the band, before the band would bring in other producers to create future albums.

The band recorded an updated, high-tech remake of their classic 25 or 6 to 4 (#48). This was the first single released from the album in August 1986. Originally, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? was destined to be remade for this album instead, ultimately before the band decided that the 1970 hit fit better with what they were planning for this album. Scheff recalled when he asked Foster on the way he should sing the song, the latter responding with: "Just like Cetera."

Alongside the remade 25 or 6 to 4, three other singles were released from 18, Will You Still Love Me? (#3) in October 1986, If She Would Have Been Faithful… (#17) in March 1987, and Niagara Falls (#91) in June 1987.

The album also features a brief instrumental horn riff before Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us Now, called Free Flight, composed by trombonist James Pankow.

Despite the success of its predecessor, Chicago 18 ultimately only went gold, peaking at #35 on the Billboard Top 200 charts in March 1987.