Top 10 New England Songs

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Our top ten New England songs list digs deep into the music of an American rock band best known for its fusion of hard rock and pop sensibilities. New England was formed in 1978 by bassist Gary Shea, guitarist/vocalist John Fannon, keyboardist Jimmy Waldo, and drummer Hirsh Gardner. The band was managed by Bill Aucoin, who also managed tremendous talents such as Kiss, Billy Idol, and Manowar.

Through the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the band managed to issue three studio albums. Two of the albums achieved mainstream success, rising into the Billboard 200 Chart. New England failed to achieve massive success, unlike other Aucoin projects such as Kiss and Billy Idol. Nevertheless, New England’s prime years were marked by remarkable live performances, opening for legendary bands including Cheap Trick, Kiss, Journey, Rush, and Styx.

New England’s Album Releases over the Years

In 1979, the band issued its eponymous debut studio album through Infinity Records. New England was a successful record, rising to the fiftieth spot on the Billboard 200. The album was produced by Paul Stanley of Kiss in conjunction with record engineer/record producer Mike Stone. Mike has also worked with other bands/artists including Queen, Toby Beau, Genesis, Journey, Foreigner, Asia, and Whitesnake.

New England is the most critically acclaimed/successful album by the band to date. The album is home to some of the best New England songs including “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya,” “Shall I Run Away,” “Alone Tonight,” “Hello, Hello, Hello,” and “Nothing to Fear.” New England’s first single “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya” remains the band’s highest-charting song of all time, making it to the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

After parting ways with Infinity Records, New England went ahead to sign a recording contract with Elektra Records. Other artists/bands (once) associated with Elektra Records include The Afghan Whigs, Brandi Carlile, Cold Chisel, Tracy Chapman, and Emmylou Harris among others. Explorer Suite, released in 1980, marked the band’s first record issued through Elektra Records.

The band worked once again with Mike Stone in the production of its album Explorer Suite. Unfortunately, Explorer Suite failed to achieve mainstream success, missing entry into the Billboard 200. Nevertheless, the album featured some classics including “Living in the Eighties,” “Explorer Suites,” “Seal It with a Kiss,” and “Conversation.”

In 1981, New England members returned with their third studio album Walking Wild—the album was also issued through Elektra Records. Walking Wild rekindled New England’s mainstream appeal, making it to the Billboard 200 where it reached number one hundred and seventy-six. The band worked with musician Todd Rundgren in the production of Walking Wild.

As a producer, Todd has also worked with a number of bands/artists including Badfinger, Meat Loaf, The Psychedelic Furs, Bad Religion, and New York Dolls among others. Walking Wild features some of the best New England songs including “Get It Up,” “DDT,” “She’s Gonna Tear You Apart,” and “Don’t Ever Let Me Go.” Unfortunately, Walking Wild marked the band’s final studio album.

New England’s Other Musical Pursuits and Legacy

During its prime years, New England managed to impress rock aficionados with songs composed of memorable hooks and tight harmonies. Following a hiatus in 1982, the band members sought new musical ventures—Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea collaborated with Graham Bonnet and Yngwie Malmsteen (replaced shortly after by Steve Vai) to form a heavy metal band by the name Alcatrazz. The New England quartet has in recent years reunited for occasional live performances albeit with no new major release. Here we present our all-time best New England songs.

#10- Don’t Ever Let Me Go

Ushering us to the all-time best New England songs list is the impressive hit “Don’t Ever Let Me Go.” The song is featured on the band’s third studio album Walking Wild. “Don’t Ever Let Me Go” finds the singer displaying paranoia about being left by his lover. The song was covered by singer/producer/DJ ShyBoy. ShyBoy is best known for his collaborations with artists like SlimKid3 of The Pharcyde, Wendy Waldman, and RuPaul among others.

#9- Seal It With A Kiss

Powerful, aggressive, and catchy is the track “Seal It With A Kiss,” the ninth pick on our ten best New England songs list. “Seal It With A Kiss” is among the most sought-after songs from the band’s sophomore studio album Explorer Suite. “Seal It With A Kiss” brings out some hard rock influences by New England—quite an impressive pick for early ‘70s hard rock fans.

We cannot forget to mention the impressive keyboard riffs in this song delivered by Jimmy Waldo. The ethereal vocal delivery by John Fannon in this song stands out too. While Fannon takes the center stage in the vocal delivery, the background singers add glamour to this hit with their audacious vocal harmonies!

#8- Holdin’ Out on Me

Coming in at the eighth spot on our all-time best New England songs list is the pulsating hit “Holdin’ Out on Me.” The song is featured on the band’s third studio album Walking Wild. Just like the album-opening track “Walking Wild,” “Holdin’ Out on Me” oozes pure aggression, especially in the instrumentation. The song gets a tad bit melodic halfway thanks to the awe-inspiring guitar riffs by John Fannon and keyboard tunes by Waldo. “Holdin’ Out on Me” features the impressive rare croons of Hirsh Gardner. Without a doubt, “Holdin’ Out on Me” is a power-pop ballad that any true New England fan shouldn’t miss on his/her playlist.

#7- Living in the Eighties

“Living in the Eighties” is yet another striking song that showcases New England’s success in churning out melodic guitar-driven rock hits. The song is featured on the band’s sophomore studio album Explorer Suite. “Living in the Eighties” is among the few songs from Explorer Suite that earned massive airplay thanks to its remarkable lyrical content and catchy feel.

The lyrics to “Living in the Eighties” finds the singer expressing his take on living in a decade marked by a fast-paced lifestyle, especially in pop culture and trends. “Living in the Eighties” is a perfect anthem to celebrate the ‘80s and the changes that came with the era!

#6- Shall I Run Away

Number six on our all-time best New England songs list is the alluring track “Shall I Run Away.” The song is featured on the band’s 1979 eponymous debut studio album. “Shall I Run Away” is a mid-tempo track with singer John Fannon giving us a taste of his tempestuous croons.

It is the multi-layered harmonies and driving rhythm sections of this song that make it quite an audacious pick. The lyrics to this song showcase the singer’s dilemmatic conflict of whether to run away or face the day. “Shall I Run Away” makes a perfect anthem to the disillusionment experienced in our day-to-day life.

#5- Explorer Suite

When New England released their sophomore studio album Explorer Suite, songs like “Living in the Eighties” and “Conversation” quickly stole the show earning quite some airplay on rock radio stations. It was no mistake that the two songs seemed to be outperforming the album title track “Explorer Suite” in terms of airplay received—after all, they were shorter and radio-friendly! However, our best New England songs list goes beyond what was just popular on the radio!

“Explorer Suite” never earned the airplay it deserved by quite a huge margin. Nevertheless, the song went on to become a concert favorite, and here’s the reason why! With “Explorer Suites” we get to experience New England’s experimentations and versatility in progressive rock. The soaring guitar riffs and atmospheric keyboard melody add to the reasons why “Explorer Suite” always earned a spot in the band’s setlist in most concerts.

#4- Alone Tonight

“Alone Tonight” is yet another impressive song off the band’s 1979 eponymous debut studio album. The song is among the top musical gems that helped New England establish itself as a reputable progressive rock act. A driving rhythm and catchy/melodious guitar riffs by John Fanon make this song quite a heartfelt pick for classic rock and power pop lovers! “Alone Tonight” has its lyrics centered around the theme of loneliness.

#3- Hello, Hello, Hello

The third pick on our all-time best New England songs list is the alluring hit “Hello, Hello, Hello.” “Hello, Hello, Hello” is one of the most sought-after tracks featured on the band’s debut studio album New England. This upbeat song is a true definition of New England’s signature catchy and melodious compositions. The song’s lyrics find the singer attempting to lure a woman into a romantic relationship. “Hello, Hello, Hello” was a mainstream success, rising to the sixty-ninth spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

#2- Get It Up

“Get It Up” is by far the perfect emblem of New England’s musicianship on the band’s third studio album Walking Wild. The song starts with a catchy symphonic tune that helps Jimmy Waldo assert his role as the band’s keyboardist. “Get It Up” moves on to present a delightful blend of the band’s power-pop roots and progressive rock explorations.

The song is groomed with some ‘70s/’80s-Esque pop-rock influences. Orchestral rockers like “Get It Up” left fans of the band wishing for more from New England. “Get It Up” would later be covered by Sensity World—this rendition of the song rose atop the Billboard’s Spain Charts. The song was also sampled in the 2010 song “Air Balloon” by Planet Asia.

#1- Don’t Ever Wanna Leave Ya

Number one on our ten best New England songs list is the striking hit “Don’t Ever Wanna Leave Ya.” The song, featured on the band’s 1979 eponymous debut studio album, was New England’s first single. “Don’t Ever Wanna Leave Ya” finds the singer expressing his fear of losing his loved one, wishing to forever be with her.

Once again, the band heavily depends on the keyboards and guitar riffs in this song, an attribute that grants this pick quite a melodious feel. This song rose to the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1979. Thanks to songs like “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya,” New England achieved massive success with their debut record.