Reo Speedwagon Tickets

Formation & Early Years

REO Speedwagon was founded in 1967 by students studying at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. Its name was based upon the REO Speed Wagon, a fire engine and truck that was created by the REO Moto Car Company. At first, they played covers of famous songs at the university campus and then began playing at other local venues.

With the arrival of new member, Gary Richrath, they began writing and creating their own material and soon they became popular all over the state. In 1971, they caught the attention of Epic Records, who signed the band and they started work on their first album along with the producer Paul Leka. The band also performed live all over the Midwest and gained massive popularity in this region.

Series of Hit Albums

In 1971, REO Speedwagon released their first self-titled album which contained the hit song, 157 Riverside Avenue. The next year, the band released “R.E.O/T.W.O” and in 1973, released the album “Ridin’ the Storm Out.” The next two albums featured new vocalist Michael Bryan Murphy and were titled as “This Time We Mean It” and “Lost in a Dream.”

In 1977, the band released its first live album titled as “Live: You Get What You Play For” which soon became platinum certified by the RIAA and was followed by the album “You Can Tune a Piano but You Cant Tuna Fish.” This album ranked in the top forty on the charts and was certified double platinum after selling over two million copies. In 1980, they released their greatest album, “Hi Infidelity” in which they experimented with a new sound. It contained four hit singles, including the number one hit Keep on Loving You. The album itself stayed on the charts for sixty-five weeks, out of which thirty-two were in the top ten and fifteen at number one on the Billboard 200 charts.

Hit Making Machine

In figures, REO Speedwagon’s album “Hi Infidelity” sold more than ten million copies, a feat that is rare even today. In 1982, they released “Good Trouble” followed by the “Wheels Are Turnin’” in 1984. Both were commercially successful and contained singles such as Sweet Time, Keep the Fire Burnin’ and The Key. Their 1985 performance at Live Aid in Philadelphia created a record for the largest number of viewers and featured the Beach Boys on stage as backing vocalists.

In 1987, the album “Life as We Know It” was released which contained the hit singles In My Dreams and That Aint Love, both top twenty hits. In 1990, they released the album “The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken” with a newer lineup whose song Love Is a Rock charted on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts in the US. In 1996, they released the album “Building the Bridge” and then a number of revival albums of their songs were released by Epic Records.

A Popular Live Act

Today, REO Speedwagon is a hard rock band regarded as one of the best-selling bands of all time. This is no surprise since they have sold over forty million records over the course of their and several of their albums have been certified platinum, double platinum and multi-platinum by the RIAA. Their greatest album “Hi Infidelity” has had sales of over ten million and this alone makes them a band to watch live through REO Speedwagon tickets.

Their latest album came out in 2010 titled “Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon”. While the fans are still waiting for a new album, the band has kept their followers entertained with live tours. They are currently on “Live and Unzoomed” tour 2022 that also features Styx and Loverboy. REO Speedwagon have hit the reset button on live performances, treating the crowd to their stadium anthems and power rock tracks. Check REO Speedwagon, Styx and Loverboy tour 2022 schedule to see when the rock icons are coming to your town.