On this day in music history: June 9, 1986 - “Invisible Touch”, the thirteenth studio album by Genesis is released. Produced by Genesis and Hugh Padgham, it is recorded at The Farm in Chiddingfold, Surrey, UK from October 1985 - March 1986. Coming three years after their last studio album, and released on the heels of Phil Collins’ massively successful “No Jacket Required”, it will become the veteran progressive rock bands’ biggest selling album. Much of the album is more pop oriented and radio friendly than their previous efforts, and will spin off five top five singles in the US including “Land Of Confusion” (#4 Pop), “In Too Deep” (#3 Pop), “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight” (#3 Pop), “Throwing It All Away” (#4 Pop), and the chart topping title track. The band will also embark on an extensive ten month long world tour in support of the album running from September 1986 until July 1987. A concert video from the “Invisible Tour” (“Genesis Live At Wembley Stadium”) will be released in 1988 and re-released on DVD in 2003. The music video for “Land Of Confusion” featuring caricatures of Genesis along with other celebrity caricatures designed by the British comedy series “Spitting Image”, will win the band and directors John Lloyd & Jim Yukich a Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video in 1988. In 2007, a 2 disc high resolution SACD and DVD set (super audio compact disc) featuring both stereo and 5.1 surround mixes of the album will be released. “Invisible Touch” will spend 4 weeks at #1 on the UK album chart, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 6x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

On this day in music history: June 1, 1982 - “Three Sides Live” by Genesis is released. Produced by Genesis, it is recorded at The Lyceum Ballroom in London on May 6, 1980, Savoy Theatre in New York on November 28, 1981, Nassau Coliseum in Nassau, L.I., NY on November 29, 1981, and National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK on December 23, 1981. The double LP is recorded live on the UK and US legs of their world tour in support of the “Abacab” album (The UK version includes two tracks dating back to tours in 1976 and 1978). The US and some European pressings of the album include new material recorded in the studio (initially released in the UK as the EP “3 x 3”), including the single “Paperlate” (#10 UK, #32 US Pop). Several shows on the tour will be filmed for released for an accompanying concert video (taken mostly from the Nassau Coliseum shows) will be released on VHS and laserdisc in late 1982 (reissued on DVD in 1991 and 2009). “Three Sides Live” will peak at #2 on the UK album chart,  #10 on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

On this day in music history: March 23, 1978 - “…And Then There Were Three…”, the ninth studio album by Genesis is released in the US (UK release is on April 7th). Produced by David Hentschel and Genesis, it is recorded from September - October 1977 at Relight Studios in Hilvarenbeek, NL. The albums’ title refers to the departure of guitar Steve Hackett who quits prior to the recording sessions, reducing Genesis to a trio of drummer and lead vocalist Phil Collins, guitarist and bassist Mike Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks. The album will also see them bridging the gap between their earlier progressive rock roots, moving toward more tightly structured pop songs. It will be their most successful release to date spinning off two singles including their first US hit “Follow You, Follow Me” (#23 Pop). “…And Then There Were Three” will peak at #3 on the UK album chart and #14 on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

On this day in music history: February 20, 1976 - “A Trick Of The Tail”, the seventh studio album by Genesis is released in the US (UK release is on February 2nd). Produced by David Hentschel and Genesis, it is recorded at Relight Studios and Trident Studios in London, UK in October-November 1975. Issued as the follow up to the classic “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, it is the first album to feature drummer Phil Collins on lead vocals following Peter Gabriel’s departure from the band for a solo career. Initially Collins is hesitant to sing, and the band will audition 400 singers before the drummer finally decides to take the job. “A Trick Of The Tail” will peak at #3 on the UK album chart and #31 on the Billboard Top 200 and is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA in 1990.

On this day in music history: November 18, 1974 - “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”, the sixth album by Genesis is released. Produced by Genesis and John Burns, it is recorded at Island Mobile Studios in Wales, UK from August - October 1974.  The 23 track double LP is a concept album centering around the character Rael and his surreal odyssey while searching for his brother John. The majority of the songs are written by the band with the exception of Peter Gabriel who is largely absent from the writing and rehearsal sessions due to his wife experiencing major complications while having their first child. When Gabriel returns, he’ll insist on writing and in some cases re-writing lyrics to certain songs which will create friction between band members during the recording sessions. It will become their most successful release to date in the US, and is regarded as one of the best progressive rock albums of all time. It will also be the final album to feature original lead vocalist Peter Gabriel, who will leave the band following the subsequent tour in support of the record. “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” will peak at #10 on the UK album chart and #41 on the Billboard Top 200. 

On this day in music history: October 3, 1983 - The self-titled twelfth album by Genesis is released. Produced by Genesis and Hugh Padgham, it is recorded at The Farm in Chiddingfold, Surrey, UK from May - August 1983. Following the successful tour and subsequent live album “Three Sides Live”, the band will return to the studio for the first time in two years to record the follow up to “Abacab”. For the first time, all three members will co-write every song together. It will beccome their most successful album to date, spinning off four singles including their first US Top 10 hit “That’s All” (#6 US Pop, #16 UK), and “Mama” (#4 UK, #73 US Pop). “Genesis” will hit #1 on the UK album chart and #9 on the Billboard Top 20, and has been certified 4x Platinum in the US by the RIAA. 

On this day in music history: September 14, 1981 - “Abacab”, the 11th studio album by Genesis is released. Produced by Genesis, it is recorded at The Farm in Chiddingfold, Surrey, UK from May - June 1981. The album will continue the bands’ move away from their original progressive rock sound towards a more radio friendly sound (as on their previous album “Duke”). They will actually discard a full albums’ worth of material when they feel it too closely resembles what they’ve done before. Intially, it will not be a welcome change to some of the bands’ longtime fans, but it will widen their fanbase, especially in the US. Three songs from the recording sessions “Paperlate”, “Me And Virgil”, and “You Might Recall” will be left off the album and later released in the UK as the EP “3 x 3”, and in the US and other territories on the album “Three Sides Live”. “Abacab” will be even more successful than its predecessor, spinning off four singles including “No Reply At All” (#29 Pop), “Man On The Corner” (#40 Pop), and the title track (#26 Pop). The albums’ cover art designed by artist Bill Smith will come in four color variations with the artwork and title graphics embossed on the initial pressings. “Abacab” will peak at #7 on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.

On this day in music history: June 9, 1986 - “Invisible Touch”, the 13th studio album by Genesis is released. Produced by Genesis and Hugh Padgham, it is recorded at The Farm in Surrey, UK from October 1985 - March 1986. Coming three years after their last studio album and released on the heels of Phil Collins’ massively successful “No Jacket Required”, it will become the veteran progressive rock bands’ biggest selling album. Much of the album is more pop oriented and radio friendly than their previous efforts, and will spin off five top five singles in the US including “Land Of Confusion” (#4 Pop), “In Too Deep” (#3 Pop), “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight” (#3 Pop), “Throwing It All Away” (#4 Pop), and the chart topping title track. “Invisible Touch” will spend 4 weeks at #1 on the UK album chart, and peaking at #3 on the Billboard Top 200. “Invisible Touch” will be certified 6x Platinum in the RIAA.

On this day in music history: June 1, 1982 - “Three Sides Live” by Genesis is released. Produced by Genesis, it is recorded at The Lyceum Ballroom in London on May 6, 1980, Savoy Theatre in New York on November 28, 1981, Nassau Coliseum in Nassau, L.I., NY on November 29, 1981, and National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK on December 23, 1981. The double LP is recorded live on the UK and US legs of their world tour in support of the “Abacab” album (The UK version includes two tracks dating back to tours in 1976 and 1978). The US and some European pressings of the album include new material recorded in the studio, including the single “Paperlate”. Several shows on the tour will be filmed for released for an accompanying concert video (taken mostly from the Nassau Coliseum shows) will be released on VHS and laserdisc in late 1982 (reissued on DVD in 1991 and 2009). “Three Sides Live” will peak at #2 on the UK album chart and #10 on the Billboard Top 200.

On this day in music history: March 23, 1978 - “…And Then There Were Three…”, the ninth studio album by Genesis is released in the US (UK release is on April 7th). Produced by David Hentschel and Genesis, it is recorded between September - October 1977 at Relight Studios in Hilvarenbeek, NL. The albums’ title refers to the departure of guitar Steve Hackett who quits prior to the recording sessions, reducing Genesis to a trio. It will be their most successful album to date spinning off two singles including their first US hit “Follow You, Follow Me” (#23 Pop). “Three” will peak at #3 on the UK album chart and #14 on the Billboard Top 200.