Livgren was a member of numerous bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Livgren joined White Clover in 1974, a band that also included vocalist Steve Walsh and violinist Robbie Steinhardt. Shortly after Livgren joined, the group changed their name to Kansas. Livgren penned Kansas' hit "Carry On Wayward Son", as well as "Dust In The Wind" and other songs.
It was around this time that Livgren became involved in Urantia, a spiritualist pantheistic faith, which was obvious in the music of Kansas' Monolith project. While on tour with the band supporting that album, Livgren converted to Christianity. Dissatisfied with the musical direction the group was taking (partly due to his new found faith), Livgren, Dave Hope, Warren Ham, Michael Gleason and drummer Dennis Holt formed a new band called AD.
AD released three albums, Time Line, Art Of the State, Reconstructions. In 1998, Prime Mover was released which was a collection of previously unrecorded AD songs recorded by Livgren and Ham.
Livgren continues to record and perform from time to time. In 2000, the original members of Kansas reunited at Livgren's studio to record Somewhere to Elsewhere, an album written entirely by Livgren.