Don’t Look Book – Boston | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#4); 1978
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Perhaps you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to play rock ‘n’ roll, however, for Boston’s Tom Scholz being a MIT graduate may have helped. However, “MIT” didn’t equal computer-generated music as stated by some Boston detractors. Tom used his IQ power to build a home studio, Hideaway, and create a distinctive sound for his guitar.
The songs themselves were solely the product of Tom’s songwriting and producing creativity. His first collection of tracks as Boston was seven years in the making, whereas Tom completed the second album, Don’t Look Back, in a “mere” two.
Don’t Look Back – the single – was the final addition to the album. Tom bypassed the customary intermediate demo stage, coming up with the tune’s musical elements rapidly, and laying them down directly to the master tape.
Don’t Look Back, the album, topped the charts in late summer 1978 and sold over seven million copies, while the like-titled single peaked at #4.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Tom Scholz
Lyrics Written by:
- Tom Scholz
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).