An American Songwriter piece recounts how Kansas nearly didn't record "Carry On Wayward Son", the 1976 song that became the band's first Top 5 hit. Written by band member Kerry Livgren, the track was brought to the group only two days before recording sessions for their fourth album, Leftoverture, were due to begin, at a point when they believed the album's track list was already complete. It matters because the song went on to become one of Kansas's signature hits and a staple of classic rock radio, despite almost being left off the record entirely.

Livgren wrote the song after fellow member Steve Walsh, who usually contributed material, suffered from writer's block, prompting Livgren to offer the band "one more song" they might want to hear. The rest of the group liked it enough to include it, and it became Kansas's fifth single but first to reach the Top 5. Livgren has described the lyrics as autobiographical, reflecting his personal spiritual search at the time, with lines such as "surely heaven waits for you" later proving prophetic for him. It would take Kansas three more years to score another hit with "Dust in the Wind", while "Carry On Wayward Son" was later covered by metal band Anthrax in 2016.