Yes

Yes emerged from London in 1968 and became one of progressive rock’s defining long-running groups, with a history that has involved 20 full-time musicians. Founded by singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Bill Bruford, keyboardist Tony Kaye and guitarist Peter Banks, the band initially played a mixture of original material and covers drawing on rock, pop, blues and jazz. Those early years produced the albums Yes in 1969 and Time and a Word in 1970.

Peter Banks’s replacement by Steve Howe in 1970 marked a decisive shift toward the extended compositions, intricate arrangements and high vocal harmonies associated with the group. The run that followed included four consecutive US platinum or multi-platinum releases: The Yes Album (1971), Fragile (1971), Close to the Edge (1972) and the live set Yessongs (1973). Fragile included “Roundabout,” one of the band’s best-known singles. Albums including Tales from Topographic Oceans, Relayer, Going for the One and Tormato were also commercially successful. Yes’s concerts became known for elaborate staging and lighting, while Roger Dean’s artwork gave the albums a distinctive visual identity. Rick Wakeman replaced Kaye on keyboards, Alan White succeeded Bruford on drums, and Patrick Moraz joined for Relayer and its following tour.

Musical differences brought Anderson and Wakeman’s departures in 1980. Yes recruited Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn, both of the Buggles, for Drama before disbanding in 1981. The group re-formed in 1983 with Squire, White, Anderson, Kaye and guitarist Trevor Rabin. Rabin’s songwriting helped steer the band toward a more pop-oriented approach on 90125, their highest-selling album. Its single “Owner of a Lonely Heart” became Yes’s only US number-one single, while “Cinema” won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. The follow-up, Big Generator, was also successful.

In 1989, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe formed an offshoot group and released a self-titled album. The project and Yes merged for the eight-member line-up heard on Union in 1991 and its accompanying tour. Yes then continued touring and issuing studio albums from 1994 to 2004, before a hiatus. After a 2008 world tour was cancelled because of Anderson’s health, Benoît David took over lead vocals; Jon Davison replaced him in 2012. Squire died in 2015, leaving no original members in the band. Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman toured separately as Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman from 2016 to 2018. Yes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, represented by Anderson, Squire, Howe, Rabin, Bruford, White, Kaye and Wakeman. White died in 2022. Since February 2023, the group has consisted of Howe, Downes, Davison, bassist Billy Sherwood and drummer Jay Schellen; its latest studio album, Aurora, arrived in June 2026.