Yes

It was Peter Banks, the band's legendary guitarist, who christened it Yes. Surrounded by Jon Anderson on vocals, Chris Squire on bass, Tony Kaye on keyboards and Bill Bruford on drums, the first concerts featured covers of The Beatles and Traffic, while the five honed their skills in the studio. The following year, their eponymous debut album was released, and although it wasn't an immediate success, Rolling Stone complimented their "sense of style, taste and subtlety", and they were already playing at the Royal Albert Hall, opening for Cream.

Five years on, the line-up has changed. Rick Wakeman has taken over the keyboards, Alan White has appeared behind the drums and Steve Howe is now on six strings. These changes have also enabled the band to refine its identity, increase its virtuosity and start releasing little nuggets of progressive rock. After the success of The Yes Album and Fragile, they exploded onto the charts with Close to the Edge, which purists readily describe as the band's most ambitious work, reaching third place in the U.S. charts and fourth in England. Yes, with its lengthy songs and convoluted universes, became a commercial success!

Longevity like that of Yes cannot exist without a hitch. In 1989, the band split up and two Yes groups were re-formed. One was Yes West, which had moved to the USA, the other Yes East, which remained in London. Naturally, both groups wanted to use their original names. A legal battle ensues, at the end of which everyone is reconciled. A surprisingly happy ending, resulting in the Grammy-nominated Union. Later, the whole band declares its dislike for this album, which at least had the merit of reconciling them.

In 2014, Yes won a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement. Over the years, the band has become one of those mythical names of the 70s, but they're not giving up. Progressive music is in their veins, and they demonstrate this once again with the release of Mirror to the Sky. Despite the loss of friends along the way, the band's spirit and appetite for the stage remain, with a European tour to follow.