[Note: This is not an April Fool’s joke.]
Boston has never been accused of being the most prolific band in Rock & Roll History. In a career that has lasted four decades, they have only released six studio albums, the most recent in 2013. Given that Boston has given the world better music through technology as well as amazing chords that blend a hard rock sound with a progressive rock song that has a strong element of classical melodic composition, it is little surprise that their career is worthy of induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Boston, throughout their career, has been all about quality rather than quantity, and this quality is immensely worthwhile, including hit albums in the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s among their very infrequent work. Like Boston’s case for induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this is a band whose infrequent studio albums are worth the wait. It is a shame that the band has had to wait for so long for their worthy induction, but for those who want to hear their sweet melodies on a jukebox in Cleveland, it will be worth the wait when they finally arrive.
The Influence Of Boston
There is no doubt that Boston had influence [1]. Their music helped set up a template for melodic FM rock, a style that many later bands like Journey, Foreigner, Toto, and others [2] followed after, music that was popular on the radio and that sounded good live. They not only managed to set a template for music that remains immensely successful for “classic rock,” and made songs that remain popular today on the radio, but they also showed themselves as possessing the sort of attitude that a band needs to make its own music on its own terms. Boston didn’t make the music they did because some music label told them to make lame but popular music. No, they made the music they wanted to, and a lot of other people copied them. That is the sort of influence that is worthy of induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and worthy of gaining them some respect that has often been denied because people did not like the way that they changed music.
Why Boston Deserves To Be In The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The solid track record of album and single success for Boston, the songs that they have made during their career are their most persuasive argument for induction, especially when one considers that the band wrote and largely produced the material for themselves. Their first album sold more than 17 million copies, and remains one of the biggest debut albums of all time. Three of their other albums, including a greatest hits album, went multi-platinum, two of them hitting #1 on the album charts in the process, and they had a platinum studio album as late as the 1990’s. Considering their singles, they hit #1 with “Amanda,” the lead single from their third studio album, and also hit the top 10 with “More Than A Feeling,” “Don’t Look Back,” and “Get Ready.” They had further top 40 hits that have had solid catalog value with “Foreplay/Long Time,” “Peace Of Mind,” “A Man I’ll Never Be,” and “Can’tcha Say (You Believe In Me)/Still In Love.” This is a band that has continued to make, throughout their career, music that has been worthy of playing and replaying, including a metal remake of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” They haven’t had many albums, but they have made their releases count, and that’s what matters most [3].
Why Boston Isn’t In The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Boston has unquestionably influenced the world of music through their successful singles and through the template for FM rock radio that they helped to establish through the songs from their first two albums. There are plenty of people who may not like the sort of influence they had, but that is frankly irrelevant as far as induction is concerned. The fact that they have influenced music is important enough. Certainly, their music would sound good coming from a jukebox to listen to their sparse but tuneful discography. It’s hard to complain about a legacy that includes a few hours of great music, including the first ever gold cd.
Verdict: Put them in. They’ve waited long enough, almost as long as their fans have waited for follow-up albums. Specifically, the following people deserve to be inducted: Brad Delp, Tom Scholz, Gary Pihl, Fran Sheehan, Jim Masdea, Sib Hashian, Barry Goudreau, David Sykes, and Doug Huffman [4].
[1] See, for example:
http://www.futurerocklegends.com/artist.php?artist_id=boston
[2] See, for example:
[3] See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_(band)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_discography
[4]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Boston_band_members
About nathanalbright
I'm a person with diverse interests who loves to read. If you want to know something about me, just ask.
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