America Formed in London: The Story Behind A Horse With No Name
America, the iconic band, took their name deliberately so no one would think their accents were fake. As the sons of U.S. Air Force employees, the three members met in London and were influenced by folk acts from back home like Crosby, Stills, and Nash. They played the London music scene during the late ’60s, blending their American roots with the UK’s vibrant atmosphere.
Signed to Warner Bros. Records, America released their self-titled debut in 1971. The album spawned two notable singles, A Horse With No Name and I Need You. Of these, A Horse With No Name became their most popular song. Hitting #1 in multiple countries, it was an especially sweet victory for the band back in the U.S., where it sold a million copies.
With only two chords, A Horse With No Name became a staple in beginner guitarists’ repertoires, ensuring its relevance and enduring popularity even today.
The follow-up album arrived in 1973, and for many fans, it featured their best song—Ventura Highway.
From Ventura Highway to Sister Golden Hair: America’s Legacy
Ventura Highway may not have charted as high as A Horse with No Name, but for many, it’s considered America’s signature song. They even named their website after it—though to be fair, America.com was already taken!
By this time, the band had peaked, though they still had a few standout tracks left in them. Their third album, Hat Trick, included the single Muskrat Love, a cover version that didn’t fare well on the charts.
In 1974, Holiday brought Lonely People, a song that wasn’t their best work but still managed to perform reasonably well. However, their last great hit came in 1975 with Sister Golden Hair from the album Hearts, which would go on to become their final major success.
This was followed by a Greatest Hits compilation and two more albums, Hideaway and Harbor (1977). After Harbor, Dan Peek left the band to pursue a Christian-themed solo career.
Since Peek’s departure, America has released 11 more studio albums. Unfortunately, none of these have lived up to the glory days of A Horse With No Name, Ventura Highway, or Sister Golden Hair.
America Tunes | Related Pages
A Horse With No Name | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play A Horse With No Name by America using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Em | D6add9/F# |
On the first part of the journey…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: A Horse With No Name (America) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Ventura Highway | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Ventura Highway by America using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G | G | Dmaj7/F# | Dmaj7/F# |
Chewing on a piece of grass walking down the road…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Ventura Highway (America) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
America on the web
