"Roundabout" is the opening track for the 1971 album Fragile

Fragile (Yes album)

Fragile is the fourth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on Atlantic Records. It is the first to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who replaced Tony Kaye in 1971, and the first to feature cover art by Roger Dean, who would design many of the band's records.Upon its...

by British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band Yes

Yes (band)

Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...

. The song was written by singer Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...

 and bassist Chris Squire

Chris Squire

Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...

. In January 1972, an edited version of the song was released as a single with "Long Distance Runaround

Long Distance Runaround

"Long Distance Runaround" is a song by the progressive rock group Yes first recorded for their 1971 album, Fragile. Written by lead singer Jon Anderson, the song was released as a B-side to "Roundabout" but became a surprise hit in its own right as a staple of album-oriented rock radio...

" on the B-side. "Roundabout" has become one of the best-known songs by Yes. Live versions of the song are found on the albums Yessongs

Yessongs

Yessongs is the first live album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on Atlantic Records. The album is formed of recordings from their supporting world tours for their studio albums, Fragile and Close to the Edge, between February and December 1972...

(1973), Classic Yes

Classic Yes

Classic Yes is the second compilation album by British progressive rock group Yes.Originally released as a single LP with a bonus 7-inch 33 1/3 RPM disc featuring live versions of "Roundabout" and "I've Seen All Good People" from 1978, everything has been compiled onto one CD...

(1981), Keys to Ascension

Keys to Ascension

Keys to Ascension is a double album by the British progressive rock group Yes and was released in 1996. The last time Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White had worked together on officially released studio recordings was 1978's Tormato...

(1996), House of Yes: Live from House of Blues

House of Yes: Live from House of Blues

House of Yes: Live from House of Blues is a double live CD by progressive rock band Yes. The album was recorded on Halloween night in 1999 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada, during touring obligations for the band's studio album, The Ladder....

(2000), and Live at Montreux 2003

Live at Montreux 2003

Live at Montreux 2003 is a 2007 live album from the English progressive rock band Yes. It is a live recording of the group's headlining concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival on 14 July 2003...

(2007). The Yessongs version was released as a single in 1974. An acoustic arrangement of "Roundabout" was recorded for The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection

The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection

The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection is a triple compilation album by progressive rock band Yes, was released in 2003 in the United Kingdom and in early 2004 in the United States, and covers the length and breadth of the band's thirty-five-year career.Released on Warner Music in the UK as...

, released in 2003.

With its #13 peak on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, "Roundabout" ranks as the second highest charting US single for Yes, after their 1983 #1 hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart

Owner of a Lonely Heart

"Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes. It is the opening track of their 1983 album 90125. Written primarily by Trevor Rabin, the song reached number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100 — to date Yes's biggest chart success...

". The single version was edited down to 3:27 for American pop radio airplay, although many stations played the full version of the song. "Roundabout" peaked at #23 on the Dutch Top 40

Dutch Top 40

The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...

.

Anderson has said the lyrics to the song were inspired by a long tour van ride from northern Scotland to north England, which featured many traffic-clogged roundabouts along with mountain and lake scenery.

On the commentary track for the DVD release of School of Rock

School of Rock

School of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...

(2003), actor Jack Black

Jack Black

Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

 states that the solo is his personal favourite keyboard solo. "Roundabout" was also used in the 1999 film Outside Providence

Outside Providence (film)

Outside Providence is a 1999 American film adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name. Like the book, the film is a fictionalized account of Farrelly's own experiences at Kent School, a prep school in Kent, Connecticut.-Plot:...

as it is heard through a sequence of two scenes.

"Roundabout" is a playable track in the music game Rock Band 3

Rock Band 3

Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...

, where it is the hardest song for Keys, Pro Guitar, and Band.