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Don't Look Back

by Boston

Released: August 15, 1978

Hard rock, arena rock

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Chart Success.

The Album

"Don't Look Back" is the second studio album by American rock band Boston, released in 1978 by Epic Records. The album's release came after a two-year gap from their debut, which was the shortest interval between two of the band's studio albums at the time. Their next album, Third Stage, took eight years to complete, during which time the band experienced legal disputes with their record label, ultimately winning in court.

Inside the Recording

Tom Scholz, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter for the band, felt pressured by Epic executives to release the album before it was fully ready, and he described the album as ridiculously short.

Watch and listen

Explore the Album

Boston - Don't Look Back

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Then

Reception

The album was propelled by the title track, which reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1978 and remains one of the band’s biggest hits. It sold over one million copies within ten days of its release and was certified 7× platinum by the RIAA in the US on April 11, 1996. It reached No. 1 in the US and Canada, and No. 9 in the UK.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Don't Look Back" is the second studio album by American rock band Boston, released in 1978 by Epic Records. It reached No. 1 in the US and Canada, and No. 9 in the UK. The album was propelled by the title track, which reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1978 and remains one of the band’s biggest hits. It sold over one million copies within ten days of its release and was certified 7× platinum by the RIAA in the US on April 11, 1996.

The album's release came after a two-year gap from their debut, which was the shortest interval between two of the band's studio albums at the time. Tom Scholz, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter for the band, felt pressured by Epic executives to release the album before it was fully ready, and he described the album as ridiculously short. Their next album, Third Stage, took eight years to complete, during which time the band experienced legal disputes with their record label, ultimately winning in court.