After the final note of the closing song has ended and the sound of the applause in the concert hall has faded, what ultimate impression does a singer or artist leave that will make his audience remember his performance as a great act?

For the legendary rock band Chicago, it has established an enduring musical legacy for fans to remember it by, foremost of which is its special ability to charm and inspire audiences of all ages and classes with the beauty of its music, the novelty of its style and the world-class quality of its act.

Because of this, the group has not only earned the attention and acclaim of other top musicians who have obviously been influenced by its music, it has also consistently maintained the loyalty and support of millions throughout its successful career spanning more than 40 years.

With its new-found attention and popularity, Chicago will treat local music enthusiasts to the exciting array of its greatest hits that made it one of the most enduring pop/rock acts of all time during its much-awaited concert on Feb. 16 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

To be mounted by Ovation Productions, “Chicago Live In Manila!” will feature hit ballads like “Questions 67 & 68,” “Beginnings,” “Make Me Smile,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Lowdown,” “Color My World,” “I’m A Man,” “Saturday In The Park,” “Dialogue” and “Free.”

Other songs to be performed are “Feeling Stronger Everyday,” “Just You And Me,” “I’ve Been Searchin’ So Long,” “Call On Me,” “Wishing You Were Here,” “Old Days,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Baby, What A Big Surprise,” “Love Me Tomorrow,” “Hard Habit To Break,” “No Tell Lover,” “Look Away,” and many more.

To be featured as special guest is the local band Midlife Crisis.

The musical extravaganza is a tribute to the brilliant achievements of the band considered as one of the longest-running and most successful US pop/rock and roll acts and whose staying power was described by its trombonist James Pankow as “really remarkable.”

The fresh attention focused on Chicago puts the spotlight on the remarkable career of a group formed in 1967 in the Windy City and which has consistently maintained a reputation for great sounds and live performances.

The band has produced a formidable array of hits in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s that have earned for it a total of 19 gold albums, 13 platinum albums, 12 Top Tens, and five No. One. From its singles, it has scored 21 Top 10 hits, five No. One records and five gold singles. In all, Chicago has sold over 120 million albums worldwide.

Another big factor that has inspired Chicago in its early years was the show of admiration and support by some of the big names in rock who have turned avid fans of the group, including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Wilson, Al Kooper and Carlos Santana.

Starting as a rock band composed of versatile instrumentalists, the group initially played a series of late-night jams at clubs on and off campus in Chicago in 1967, until it turned professional as a cover band called The Big Thing and, later, Chicago Transit Authority (eventually shortened to Chicago).

Its 1969 first record, the eponymous “The Chicago Transit Authority,” was an auspicious debut: A double LP album that included a number of pop/rock gems – “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Beginnings” (both written and sang by Robert Lamm) and “Questions 67 & 68” – whose sales were fueled by heavy airplays on the newly-popular FM radio band.

This was followed by “Chicago II,” (January 1970), another two-record set featuring the band’s first two Top 10 hits, “Make Me Smile” and “25 or 6 to 4;” its third double album, “Chicago III” (January 1971); and its fourth album, a whopping four-disc boxed set live compilation, “Chicago At Carnegie Hall” (October 1971).

Other successful albums and singles were released in each of the following years, such as: “Chicago V” (July 1972), which topped the charts for nine weeks and spawned the gold single, “Saturday In The Park;” “Chicago VI” (June 1973), No. 1 for five weeks and featured the hits “Feelin’ Stronger Everyday” and “Just You ‘N’ Me;” “Chicago VII” (March 1974), another No. 1 LP, which carried the hits “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long,” “Call On Me” and “Wishing You Were Here;” and Chicago VIII” (March 1975) which included the group’s fourth straight chart-topper, the nostalgic ballad, “Old Days.”

But it was “Chicago X” (June 1976) that spawned the band’s biggest hit of the 1970s, the slow, exquisite ballad, “If You Leave Me Now,” which catapulted Chicago to the height of popularity.

The song also won for Chicago the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1977.

Another big success for the group was its 1977 release, “Chicago XI,” which included the hit ballad, “Baby, What A Big Surprise.”

After signing up with a new producer (David Foster) and a new label (Warner Bros. Records/Reprise Records), Chicago released “Chicago XVI” and once again topped the charts with the single, “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”/“Get Away,” followed by “Love Me Tomorrow.”

Its May, 1984 album, “Chicago XVII,” became the biggest selling album in its history, spawning two more Top Ten singles, “You’re The Inspiration” and “Hard Habit To Break,” and two other singles, “Stay The Night” and “Along Comes A Woman,” which charted in the Top 20.

“Chicago XIX” (June 1988) was another huge success, featuring three Top 10 hits, “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love,” the No. 1 “Look Away” and “You’re Not Alone.” A fourth song from the CD, “What Kind Of Man Would I Be?,” became a hit when it was included in the top-selling “Greatest Hits: 1982-1989” (November 1989).

Chicago’s triumphant streak continued through the 1990s. It received one of the highest recognitions from the entertainment industry when it was honored with its own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on July 23, 1992.

Chicago’s next albums included “Night & Day (Big Band)” (May 1995), “The Heart Of Chicago: 1967-1997,” “The Heart Of Chicago: 1967-1998, Volume II,” while its first-ever Christmas album, “Chicago XXV” (November 1998), eventually became another gold record. “Chicago XXVI Live In Concert” was released in October 1999.

The members of Chicago are Robert Lamm, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane, Walter Parazaider, Lou Bardini, Jason Scheff, Tris Imboden and Keith Howland.

“Chicago Live In Manila!” is sponsored by Imarflex, ETC, 2nd Avenue, RJ 100.3 FM, Mercedes-Benz, Edsa Shangri-La Plaza and GMA.

Other supporters include Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, The Philippine Star, BusinessWorld, Jack TV, Magic 89.9, 105.1 Crossover, Monster Radio RX 93.1, 96.3 Easy Rock, 90.7 Love Radio, 97.9 Home Radio, NU 107, 105.9 FM Underground Radio, philstar.com, GetzMo!, Focalcast Network and OptimaSignsolutions.

Tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets at all SM Department Stores.