Boston: Boston[LEGACY/EPIC/SONY]

Boston is the American rock band Boston’s first studio album, released by Epic Records on August 25, 1976. Guitarist Tom Scholz and producer John Boylan oversaw the project. Scholz—an engineer and multi-instrumentalist active in the Boston music scene since the late ’60s—had been crafting demos in his apartment basement with vocalist Brad Delp, but the pair initially faced repeated rejections from major labels. Their demo eventually reached CBS-owned Epic Records, which signed the band in 1975. The album became known for its distinctive mix of electronic effects, Hammond organ textures, powerful guitar riffs, and early rock-and-roll influences, a combination Scholz described as the “Boston sound.”

Despite Epic’s demand that the album be recorded professionally in Los Angeles, Scholz and Boylan misled executives into believing the sessions were happening on the West Coast, while most of the recording was actually done by Scholz alone in his home studio in Massachusetts. The finished album closely mirrors the band’s original demo tape, featuring songs written years earlier. Its sound grew out of Scholz’s appreciation for classical music, strong melodic hooks, and heavy guitar-driven groups such as the Kinks and the Yardbirds, as well as analog effects he built himself. Although Scholz performed nearly all instrumental parts and Delp handled the lead vocals, other musicians contributed, including drummers Jim Masdea and Sib Hashian, guitarist Barry Goudreau, and bassist Fran Sheehan. Except for Masdea, these players would become the band’s full-time lineup.

Released in August 1976, the album shattered sales records, becoming the best-selling debut LP in U.S. history at the time and earning the RIAA Century Award for top-selling debut album. Its singles—“More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” and “Foreplay/Long Time”—were major hits, and nearly every track continues to receive regular rotation on classic rock radio. Frequently cited as a cornerstone of 1970s rock, the album has appeared on numerous “essential” lists and has sold at least 17 million copies in the U.S. and over 20 million worldwide, securing its place among the best-selling debut albums ever made.