Editing Song for America (section)

== Reception ==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r10740/review|first=Mark W.B.|last=Allender}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
|rev2Score = 3/5<ref name=musichound>{{cite book |last1=Graff |first1=Gary |author-link=Gary Graff |url=https://archive.org/details/musichoundrockes0000unse |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|location=Canton, Michigan |publisher=[[Visible Ink Press]] |year=1996 |isbn=978-0787610371 |page=377|accessdate=October 27, 2021 |url-access=registration}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name="Cross">{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=Kansas|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/446 446]}}</ref>
|rev4 = Sea of Tranquility
|rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="SeaofTranquility">{{cite web |first=Steve|last=Pettengill|url=http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=1553 |title=Sea of Tranquility review |accessdate=June 20, 2017}}</ref>
}}

[[AllMusic]], in a retrospective review, praised the "intense energy" of the album's shorter songs, but contended that the longer songs require too much active listening to appreciate. They concluded that the album is "a good (if not adolescent) recording for a group of this genre."<ref name="allmusic"/> Conversely, [[Gary Graff]] described the title track as "one of prog-rock's sonic gems," recommending the album to "Those interested in Kansas at its most bombastic."<ref name=musichound/>

Steve Pettengill, writing for Sea of Tranquility webzine, describes the album as "full tilt symphonic rock with none of the stadium rock numbers that would pop up on later albums. Comprising four lengthy intricate pieces and two very American style romps, Kansas' second album very admirably showcases the band's trademark duality as proggers and rockers."<ref name="SeaofTranquility"/>

Ranking on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' album chart]] with a peak of #57, ''Song for America'' would in the months subsequent to its February 1975 release sell approximately 250,000 units.<ref>''Fort Lauderdale News'' 18 November 1979 "Cosmic Kansas Still Close to the Corn" by Jon Pareles p.15-G</ref>  Like all three of Kansas' first three album releases, ''Song for America'' attracted new commercial interest due to the platinum success of the band's fourth and fifth studio albums: ''[[Leftoverture]]'' (1976) and ''[[Point of Know Return]]'' (1977). Reported as having sold between 300,000 and 400,000 units in January 1978,<ref>''Cashbox'' 14 January 1978  "Success of Kansas Traced to Constant Touring, FM Airplay" by Mark Mehler p.12</ref> ''Song for America'' would be [[RIAA|certified Gold]] for sales of 500,000 units in June 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=KANSAS&ti=SONG+FOR+AMERICA|title=Gold & Platinum|website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]}}</ref>