The Kansas band discography runs to sixteen studio albums, from the 1974 debut to The Absence of Presence in 2020. Kansas formed in Topeka in 1973, with roots in a local group going back to 1969, and signed to Don Kirshner’s label. The line-up included a violinist, Robby Steinhardt, who also played viola and cello and sang. This guide goes through every Kansas studio album in order, era by era, with a few pointers on where to begin.

The Kirshner years (1974–1980)

The first run of albums is the one this site covers album by album: Kansas (1974), Song for America (1975), Masque (1975), Leftoverture (1976), Point of Know Return (1977), Monolith (1979) and Audio-Visions (1980). Leftoverture carried the hit single “Carry On Wayward Son”, and Point of Know Return carried “Dust in the Wind”.

The Elefante years (1982–1983)

Steve Walsh left in October 1981 and John Elefante replaced him early in 1982. This line-up made Vinyl Confessions (1982) and Drastic Measures (1983). My piece Kansas: Walsh vs Elefante sets the two eras side by side.

I tell the American side of this story in my book Beyond the Atlantic →

The Steve Morse years (1986–1988)

Guitarist Steve Morse joined in July 1985 and played on Power (1986) and In the Spirit of Things (1988).

Reunions and new voices (1995–2020)

Freaks of Nature (1995) and Always Never the Same (1998) were followed by Somewhere to Elsewhere (2000), a reunion album with all the original members plus Billy Greer, and every song written by Kerry Livgren. Ronnie Platt was announced as lead singer and keyboard player in July 2014, and the band went on to release The Prelude Implicit (2016) and The Absence of Presence (2020).

Where to start

My first suggestion is Leftoverture (1976), followed by Point of Know Return (1977); then go back to Song for America (1975) and Masque (1975) to hear how they got there. For a ranking rather than a timeline, see the best Kansas albums and the Kansas albums ranked, and for comparisons with their neighbours, Rush vs Kansas and Kansas vs Styx.

Go deeper

The Kansas band page has a guide to each album of the first era. Once you know them, prog albums for Kansas listeners suggests where to go next, and if you are new to the genre, start with my progressive rock for beginners guide.

Find your next read on my bookshelf below →