Kansas had struggled to break into the mainstream after three albums, despite being respected within progressive rock circles. A last-minute burst of inspiration from Kerry Livgren produced ‘Carry On Wayward Son’, whose combination of progressive elements and an immediate, memorable chorus gave the band the breakthrough they needed.

Livgren wrote the song at home the night before the band’s final rehearsal, describing it as arriving almost magically. Kansas added and refined it under tight studio deadlines for their fourth album, Leftoverture, and the track went on to sell more than four million copies, becoming the band’s biggest hit and a defining song in American progressive rock.