25 or 6 to 4: What Chicago's Song Title Really Means
25 or 6 to 4 is one of the strangest song titles on a 1970 chart.
Many listeners took it for a code or a drug reference.
It is the time on Robert Lamm's watch while he struggled to write a song at night.
This page covers the title, the 1969 recording, the 1970 charts, a Singapore ban and the 1986 remake.
Chicago, in a Columbia Records photo from about 1973.
Image credit: Columbia Records, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Billboard, July 7, 1973).
25 or 6 to 4 Meaning: The Clock Time Behind the Title
Robert Lamm wrote the song, and the title is simply the time on his watch.
Lamm has described it as a song about trying to write a song in the middle of the night.
He looked at the clock and it read 25 or 26 minutes to four.
Wikipedia converts that to roughly 3:34 or 3:35 in the morning.
A 12-String Guitar With Ten Strings
In a 2013 radio interview, Lamm said he wrote it on a 12-string guitar that was missing its two low E strings.
That left him ten strings to work with.
He said he wrote the lyrics in one day.
The band first rehearsed the song at the Whisky a Go Go.
Why Listeners Heard a Code
A title made of numbers invites guessing.
People have read it as drug slang or as a coded reference to a person.
Lamm's own account is the plainest one: a tired songwriter, a late hour and a blank page.
Chicago Transit Authority, from a feature in the January 1970 issue of Hit Parader magazine.
Image credit: Hit Parader magazine, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
How Chicago Recorded 25 or 6 to 4 in 1969
Chicago recorded the song on July 24, 1969.
It appeared on their second album, called Chicago and known to fans as Chicago II.
The album came out in January 1970, and Columbia released the single on June 12, 1970.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Songwriter | Robert Lamm |
| Lead vocal | Peter Cetera |
| Producer | James William Guercio |
| Recorded | July 24, 1969 |
| Single released | June 12, 1970, Columbia Records |
| B-side | Where Do We Go from Here |
| Length | 4:50 album version, 2:52 single version |
| Style | Hard rock and jazz rock |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
Terry Kath and the Wah-Wah Solo
The original has a wah-wah guitar solo by Terry Kath.
Guitar World ranked it number 22 on its list of the greatest wah solos.
Wikipedia describes the track as hard rock and jazz rock.
The lead vocal is built on the Aeolian mode, the natural minor scale, which gives the verses their dark edge.
A Vocal Sung With a Wired Jaw
Wikipedia reports one odd detail about the vocal.
Producer James William Guercio and trumpeter Lee Loughnane both recalled that Peter Cetera sang it while his jaw was still wired shut.
He had been attacked at Dodger Stadium on May 20, 1969.
Hear the 1970 Single of 25 or 6 to 4
Press play and wait for the descending guitar riff that opens the song.
You can also find 25 or 6 to 4 on the Listen Now jukebox.
25 or 6 to 4 on the Charts: Number Four in 1970
The single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was Chicago's first top five hit in the US.
Wikipedia lists a peak of number six on the Cash Box Top 100.
It did even better in Canada, where it reached number two.
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | No. 4 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | No. 2 |
| France (IFOP) | No. 3 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | No. 6 |
| Norway (VG-lista) | No. 6 |
| UK Singles | No. 7 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | No. 8 |
| Australia | No. 12 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | No. 13 |
| Belgium Wallonia | No. 18 |
| Germany (Chartsurfer) | No. 22 |
| Belgium Flanders | No. 25 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, chart performance section, checked October 18, 2026.
Peak Versus Year-End Rank
The weekly peak and the year-end rank answer different questions.
This site's Year-End Hot 100 data ranks 25 or 6 to 4 at number 61 for 1970.
- Peak: the best position the song reached in any single week, number four.
- Year-End rank: where Billboard placed it for the whole chart year, number 61.
- The 1970 year-end list covers songs from January 3 to November 28.
Wikipedia also lists year-end ranks of 29 in Canada, 74 in Australia and 98 in the Netherlands.
To see what else was climbing the charts that summer, the Random 70s Song Generator pulls one at random.
25 or 6 to 4 After 1970: A Ban, a 1986 Remake and Marching Bands
Banned in Singapore, Then Unbanned
Singapore banned the song in 1970 over alleged references to drugs.
The ban reached later Chicago albums too, including Chicago 18.
It was lifted in 1993, along with bans on songs by The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The 1986 Re-recording
Chicago recorded the song again for Chicago 18.
James Pankow is credited as a co-writer on that version, and Jason Scheff sings lead.
David Foster produced it, and it has two verses instead of three.
It came out in August 1986 and peaked at number 48 on the Hot 100.
The music video won a 1987 American Video Award for Best Cinematography.
| Version | Lead vocal | US Hot 100 peak |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 original | Peter Cetera | No. 4 |
| 1986 re-recording | Jason Scheff | No. 48 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
The Riff and Its Cousins
Critics have heard the opening riff echoed elsewhere.
Melissa Locker of Time said the riff of Green Day's Brain Stew closely resembles it.
Andy Hermann of LA Weekly called it a descending five-chord pattern and linked it to Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm Gonna Leave You and George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
Jason Newsted, formerly of Metallica, said it was the first rock or metal riff he learned.
Guitarist Paul Gilbert said a primitive version was one of the first songs he taught himself, on one string.
Covers and Screen Moments for 25 or 6 to 4
The song has outlived its chart run by decades.
Billboard ranked it number one on its 2019 list of the 50 best Chicago songs.
Ultimate Classic Rock put it first on its 2015 list of the top 10 Chicago songs.
Where You May Have Heard It
- The video game Rock Band 3, as an on-disc track.
- The King of the Hill episode Luanne Gets Lucky, in season 11.
- The 2017 film I, Tonya.
- The 2023 film The Flash, when Michael Keaton's older Bruce Wayne is introduced.
Covers
Wikipedia lists a long line of cover versions.
Among the artists are Earth, Wind & Fire, Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe, Paul Gilbert, Local H, Umphrey's McGee and Dave Koz.
Constantine Maroulis released his version as a single in 2011.
A Marching Band Standard
The Omaha World-Herald named it the top marching band song of all time in 2018.
Chicago played it with the Notre Dame Marching Band at halftime on October 21, 2017.
For the rest of the band's hits, play through the full list of Chicago band songs.
For a wider look at the decade this one came from, start at Music of the 70s.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 25 or 6 to 4 mean?
The title of 25 or 6 to 4 is a clock time, 25 or 26 minutes before 4 a.m.
Robert Lamm has said the song is about trying to write a song in the middle of the night.
Wikipedia converts the time to roughly 3:34 or 3:35 a.m.
Who wrote 25 or 6 to 4?
Robert Lamm, a founding member of Chicago, wrote 25 or 6 to 4.
Peter Cetera sang the lead vocal, and James William Guercio produced the recording.
The band recorded it on July 24, 1969, for their second album, Chicago, which came out in January 1970.
How high did 25 or 6 to 4 chart?
25 or 6 to 4 peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970, according to Wikipedia.
It reached number 2 in Canada and number 7 in the UK.
It ranks number 61 on the 1970 Billboard Year-End Hot 100, which is a different measure from the weekly peak.
Is 25 or 6 to 4 about drugs?
Lamm has described 25 or 6 to 4 as a song about writing a song late at night, not about drugs.
The unusual title still led listeners to read drug slang into it.
Singapore banned the song in 1970 over alleged drug references and lifted the ban in 1993, per Wikipedia.
Who played the guitar solo on 25 or 6 to 4?
Terry Kath played the wah-wah guitar solo on the original 1969 recording.
Guitar World ranked it number 22 on its list of the greatest wah solos.
Chicago re-recorded the song in 1986 with Jason Scheff on lead vocals, and that version peaked at number 48.
Sources
- 25 or 6 to 4, Wikipedia, for the writing, the recording, chart peaks, the 1986 version, the Singapore ban, rankings, covers and screen appearances.
- Chicago (album), Wikipedia, for the album the song appears on.
- Chicago (band), Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- The 1970 Year-End rank of number 61 comes from this site's own Billboard Year-End Hot 100 data.
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