Boston's Best Song On Each Of Their Studio Albums

Feature Photo: Premier Talent Associates (management company), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

If you were a teenager in the 1970s, I am sure you remember the first time you heard Boston on the radio. As teenagers growing up during the decade of the seventies, we were pretty lucky to be the first ones to hear these soon-to-be classic rock bands as they appeared on the scene every single year. It seemed like multiple times a year our heads were blown up by the sound of a new band that sounded like nothing else before. Boston was one of those groups. Nobody had ever sounded like Boston. Tom Scholz’s guitar sound was so original because he developed custom equipment and recording techniques that helped create it. Brad Delp’s vocals were just out of this world. In the end, none of that would matter if the songs weren’t good.

The songs on Boston’s first album weren’t just good. They were stunning. Nothing they ever released after that debut album came close. The second wasn’t bad, but how could a group who released what is considered to be the greatest debut album of all time follow that up? It’s tough to put a top 10 Boston songs list together because most of the songs will be from that first album. We’ve already done it. So, in many ways, this type of article is very helpful for showcasing a band’s entire catalog because we have to pick one song from each album.

Boston (1976) – “More Than a Feeling”

This was a tough one to pick the greatest song on the album. Of course, the chalk was “More Than a Feeling” because that was the first single and the song that broke the band worldwide. The cool pick would have been “Foreplay/Long Time” or even “Peace of Mind,” which almost got the pick. What an opening side for an album. In the end, I had to go with “More Than a Feeling” because I will never forget how many of us fell in love with that song when it first came out. Sure, it’s been way overplayed over the years, but if you get past that, this is pretty much a no-brainer.

Don’t Look Back (1978) – “Don’t Look Back”

Remember how long it seemed to take before Boston released a follow-up album to their stunning debut. I was in 10th Grade when Boston’s first album came out. The second one came out the summer before my senior year. It was just a little less than two years. In today’s world that’s nothing. Bands take a decade in between releasing albums now. However, in the ’70s, we were used to bands releasing a new album every six months. Can anyone say Elton John? I am sure some people would vote for the ballad, “A Man I’ll Never Be.” But in my opinion, the album’s title track is by far the best song on the record.

Third Stage (1986) – “Cool the Engines”

While fans thought they had waited a long time between Boston’s first and second albums, the wait for the third record was by far much longer. It took the band eight years to release their third album. Nonetheless, the album’s first single, “Amanda,” became the band’s first and only number-one hit. In the end, “Cool the Engines” gets the pick.

Walk On (1994) – “I Need Your Love”

Eight years seemed to be the norm between Boston albums, so it would be another eight years between their third and fourth albums. For the group’s fourth album, Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau were no longer in the lineup. The Walk On album would introduce Boston fans to the group’s new lead singer, Fran Cosmo. The album’s lead single, “I Need Your Love,” is a really good song. It features some great guitar work by Tom Scholz. Fran Cosmo, who is a spectacular vocalist, did a fantastic job on the track. This is a very underrated Boston song.

Corporate America (2002) – “I Had a Good Time”

Once again, another eight years would pass between Boston albums. Corporate America would become the first Boston album of the twenty-first century. Brad Delp returned on the album, and although he passed away five years later, his vocals would later appear posthumously on Life, Love & Hope. It was tough to pick a favorite from this album. In the end, I went with the opening track, “I Had a Good Time.” Brad Delp’s vocals sold me on this one. I love the “Wanna Do It Again?” line at the end.

Life, Love & Hope (2013) – “You Gave Up on Love (2.0)”

Boston broke their eight-year pattern between albums with this one, as eleven years passed between Corporate America and Life, Love & Hope. Nearly thirteen years have now passed since Life, Love & Hope was released in 2013, and it remains Boston’s most recent studio album. Will there be another Boston album in the future? Well, as a big fan of the band, I hope so. For this record, my ex-bandmate Beth Cohen joined the group. She is a phenomenal artist whose music you should check out. The pick here is “You Gave Up on Love (2.0).” The vocal performances on this one are just so brilliant.