Yes (band)

Yes are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. Comprising 20 full-time musicians over their career, their most notable members include lead singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarists Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin, drummers Bill Bruford and Alan White, and keyboardists Tony Kaye and Rick Wakeman. The band have explored several musical styles and are often regarded as progressive rock pioneers. Since February 2023, the band's line-up consists of Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, bassist Billy Sherwood, singer Jon Davison, and drummer Jay Schellen.

Founded by Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Kaye, and guitarist Peter Banks, Yes began performing a mix of original songs and covers of rock, pop, blues, and jazz songs, as showcased on their first two albums, Yes (1969) and Time and a Word (1970). A change of direction in 1970 after the replacement of Banks with Howe led to a series of successful progressive rock albums, with four consecutive US platinum or multi-platinum sellers: The Yes Album (1971); Fragile (1971), which included the successful single "Roundabout"; Close to the Edge (1972); and the live album Yessongs (1973). Further albums Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), Relayer (1974), Going for the One (1977), and Tormato (1978) were also commercially successful. Yes earned a reputation for their elaborate stage sets, light displays, and album covers designed by Roger Dean. During this time, Kaye and Bruford were replaced by Wakeman and White respectively, while keyboardist Patrick Moraz joined for Relayer and its subsequent tour. In 1980, growing musical differences led to Anderson and Wakeman's departures; Yes recruited Downes and singer Trevor Horn for the album Drama (1980) before disbanding in 1981.

In 1983, Squire, White, Anderson, and Kaye reformed Yes with Rabin joining. Rabin's songwriting moved the band toward a more pop-oriented sound, which resulted in their highest-selling album 90125 (1983) featuring the band's only US number-one single, "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and the successful follow-up album Big Generator (1987). In 1989, the offshoot group Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe formed and released a self-titled album. At the suggestion of the record company, the groups merged into a short-lived eight-piece line-up for Union (1991) and its tour. Yes regularly released studio albums from 1994 to 2001 with varying levels of success, beginning a second hiatus in 2004. After a 2008 world tour was cancelled, Yes enlisted Benoît David as the new lead singer, then Davison in 2012. Squire died in 2015, leaving the band with no original members. White, the longest-tenured member at that point, died in 2022. Former members Anderson, Rabin, and Wakeman toured from 2016 to 2018. Yes's latest album, Mirror to the Sky, was released in 2023.

Yes are one of the most successful, influential, and longest-lasting progressive rock bands. Their discography spans 23 studio albums, with 13.5 million Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified albums sold in the US and more than 30 million worldwide. In 1985, they won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance with "Cinema". They were ranked No. 94 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In April 2017, Yes—represented by Anderson, Bruford, Kaye, Howe, Wakeman, White, and Rabin, with Squire honored posthumously—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In late 1967, bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Peter Banks, both formerly of the Syn, joined the psychedelic rock band Mabel Greer's Toyshop, which had been formed in 1966 by Clive Bayley and Robert Hagger. They played at the Marquee Club in Soho, London where Jack Barrie, owner of the nearby La Chasse club, saw them perform. He later recalled: "the musicianship was very good but it was obvious they weren't going anywhere". Barrie introduced Squire to singer Jon Anderson, a worker at the bar in La Chasse, who found they shared interests in Simon & Garfunkel and harmony singing. That evening they wrote "Sweetness", which was included on the first Yes album, and Anderson joined as lead vocalist. During this time, the band rehearsed in the basement of The Lucky Horseshoe cafe on Shaftesbury Avenue between 10 June and 9 July 1968. In June 1968, Hagger was replaced by Bill Bruford, who had placed an advertisement in Melody Maker, while in July the classically trained organist and pianist Tony Kaye, of Johnny Taylor's Star Combo and the Federals, became the keyboardist. Meanwhile, Banks had left Mabel Greer's Toyshop to join Neat Change, but he was dismissed by this group on 14 July 1968 and was recalled by Squire, replacing Bayley as guitarist.

Having considered the experience of Mabel Greer's Toyshop concluded, the group exchanged ideas for a new name. Sources disagree on the origin of the name, but generally attribute it to Banks. According to the Financial Times, Anderson suggested "Life" and Squire thought of "World"; Banks said simply, "Yes", and that was how the band was named. Welch states that Squire suggested the name over a phone call to Banks, with Banks replying, "But that was my idea!" According to Banks, it was initially used as a temporary name, but "nobody has thought of anything better yet."

After rehearsals between 31 July and 2 August, the first gig as Yes followed at a youth camp in East Mersea, Essex on 3 August. Early sets were formed of cover songs from artists such as the Beatles, The 5th Dimension and Traffic. On 16 September, Yes performed at Blaise's club in London as a substitute for Sly and the Family Stone, who had failed to turn up. They were well received by the audience, including the host Roy Flynn, who became the band's manager that night. That month, Bruford decided to quit performing to study at the University of Leeds. His replacement, Tony O'Reilly of the Koobas, struggled to perform with the rest of the group on stage and former Warriors and future King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace subbed for one gig on 5 November 1968. After Bruford was refused a year's sabbatical leave from Leeds, Anderson and Squire convinced him to return for Yes's supporting slot for Cream's farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 November.

After seeing an early King Crimson gig in 1969, Yes realised that there was suddenly stiff competition on the London gigging circuit, and they needed to be much more technically proficient, starting regular rehearsals. They subsequently signed a deal with Atlantic Records, and, that August, released their debut album Yes. Compiled of mostly original material, the record includes renditions of "Every Little Thing" by the Beatles and "I See You" by The Byrds. Although the album failed to break into the UK album charts, Rolling Stone critic Lester Bangs complimented the album's "sense of style, taste and subtlety". Melody Maker columnist Tony Wilson chose Yes and Led Zeppelin as the two bands "most likely to succeed".