Perhaps the dumbest criticism of a band in music history is the insistence by some music snobs that the band Boston is “corporate rock.” It’s just the opposite: Rather than being assembled by a music label, Boston was a DIY project. Much of the band’s first album was recorded in basements and apartments, often using gear created or built by lead guitarist, co-writer, and MIT-trained engineer Tom Scholz.
What resulted from those sessions was Boston, one of music history’s bestselling debuts. Released on August 25, 1976, it’s moved over 17 million copies in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide. Buoyed by Scholz’s sparkling guitar work and the soaring vocals of Brad Delp, the album holds a raft of songs that have never left classic rock radio.
Though you probably know most of the tunes, like “Peace of Mind” and “Smokin’,” the undisputed pinnacle of the album is “More Than a Feeling.” Capturing the band’s aesthetic with a perfect meeting of guitar and vocals, the song’s climax, wherein Delp hits an insanely high note that merges with the wail of Scholz’s guitar, is an immortal Rock Moment. Throw this on and “close your eyes as [you] drift away.”
This article is featured in the July/August 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
Become a Saturday Evening Post member and enjoy unlimited access. Subscribe now
