As the sons of U.S. Air Force officers stationed in the United Kingdom, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek met in the late 1960's while attending Central High School, described as "a little oasis of America" in Watford, England. After graduating from high school, the trio began playing together in several rock groups, including Daze and Swallow the Buffalo. While the groups were short-lived, they brought the future members of America together for the first time. It was after hearing Gerry Beckley's guitar playing at a meeting Dan Peek had with Warner Brothers London scout, Ian Samwell that the executive requested an interview with the young songwriters. Within a year of their meeting the trio was singed to a contract with Warner Brothers records, and after borrowing the name of a cafeteria jukebox, (the Americana II,) America was born.

The band's first album, America, was released in 1972 to popular acclaim. When the group's first single, "I Need You" failed to catch on with audiences the band and Warner executives added the new song, "A Horse With No Name" to the LP. The song revealed Bunnell's abstract longing for California, as an American living abroad, and struck a chord with listeners. With the help of heavy radio airplay, the album and single rode to the top of both U.K. and U.S. charts by April of 1972. At this time, the underage band was already working on songs for their second album and touring clubs and intimate venues across the United States.

After their first big tour the band's homesickness had reached epic proportions, and with offers coming in from "across the pond" the trio bolted for the States. After an affable settlement with Samwell, America signed with David Geffen in California. The group assembled some of the nation's finest session players to back them, including the banjo accompaniment of quintessential rock photographer and longtime friend, Henry Diltz. The aptly titled Homecoming was released in November of 1973. Within a month of the album's release, the first single "Ventura Highway" was in the Billboard Top Ten. In the same month, America won the coveted Best New Artist Grammy Award, beating out newcomers John Prine, The Eagles, and Loggins and Messina.

The group's third album, their self-professed "self-indulgent" album, saw release in 1973. The sole single from Hat Trick, Willis Ramsey's "Muskrat Love" was the band's first performance of a cover song on record. The follow-up, Holiday, named after a return to the U.K., marked the first time the group worked with legendary producer, George Martin. The singles "Tin Man" and "Lonely People" proved hit singles once again for the group. The songs would remain timeless hits in the band's catalog.

America then returned to the number one slot on Billboard's charts with the release of "Sister Golden Hair" from Hearts in 1975. In the same year, the group's first compilation History/America's Greatest Hits was released. In 1976, Dan Peek left the group to pursue his own career in the contemporary Christian field, while Beckley and Bunnell continued to tour and release albums America. Silent Letter, America's last George Martin produced album was released in 1979.

In 1982, America released View From the Ground. The song, “You Can Do Magic” spent five weeks in the Billboard Top Ten. In Concert, America’s live album would be their last new release for seven years. Then, in 1991 while Rhino Records was producing a career retrospective, Beckley and Bunnell went back into the studio to record new tracks for the compilation. The release of Rhino’s Encore: More Greatest Hits put America solidly in the public consciousness once again, and soon the band saw many of their LP-only releases transferred to CD. Finally, a new generation of music fans could discover and enjoy America’s back catalog.

Since then, America has continued to tour extensively, while finding time to return to the studio. The albums Hourglass and Human Nature were released in 1994 and 1998 respectively, along with America’s first holiday offering, the aptly titled Holiday Harmony in 2002.