[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
Edge Induced Cohesion 
Also Gerry and the pacemakers
Herman hermits
Glen Campbell
Richie havens
I have a greater interest in exploring the relationship between country and rock, so Glen Campbell certainly fits that one, and I see you have included a couple of the as yet unrecognized British invasion acts as well; that is a solid list.
Gary Puckett and the union gap
Yes, that’s definitely a good group, but for some personal reasons I have delayed in writing about them.
Boston deserve to be in the Rock and Roll hall of fame, there’s allot of bands in there that could never compare to the unique sound and quality of Boston.
I think it’s a shame that their not there, they were such an influence on other bands that are already in the Hall of Fame.
PUT THEM IN!!!!!
I agree; Boston is clearly an example of quality over quantity in terms of their musical output as well.
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I agree. This is one of my favorite bands of all classic rock! They definitely deserve to be in the Hall of Fame no question about it!
🙂 Agreed.
Joan Jett in, Boston not
MADNESS
Agreed.
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Agree with your conclusion.
Also, Tom Scholz has 16 patents on musical equipment for rock and roll. That shows innovation.
Why would someone dislike their influence?
No one, no one has a better rock sound. Period.
I agree; I had read about some of his research, but I wasn’t aware of the extent of it 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Boston strikes me as a pretty obvious induction.
There are several reasons why I believe Boston deserves induction into the HOF. 1their guitar sound is second to none. 2 their influence on other bands, and I have not found any band, except Boston’s 1st album, that comes close to having every single one of there songs on any of their albums played on the radio. Plus Boston is AWESOME!!!
That is true, Boston is awesome. They didn’t release a huge amount of albums, but their body of work is stellar, and when you look at the influence of their sound, their influence is undeniable.
I definitely agree put them in the hall of fame. They should have been in there long ago. I don’t know who makes these decisions on who to induct but they need to wake up. My GOD Boston is rock and roll. In my youth they were the band if all rock and roll bands. It’s very sad and extremely disrespectful to the band and to the millions of fans all over this world we live in. INDUCT THEM They deserve it a hell of a lot more than some of the bands you have in there now. Hell some of the groups you have on there isn’t even rock and roll hip hop yea right.
I’m not sure who makes the decisions either, but Boston is an obvious case.
Hell yes they should be in
There is not a good reason for not including Boston in the RRHOF. They had everything: good music, good lyrics, impeccable engineering and editing, cutting edge technology (which they exported to other bands), longevity. They had it all.
Agreed. They didn’t have very many popular albums, but they met all of the tests of significance and quality that one could wish for. In my own thinking, the way that they exported cutting edge technology to other bands makes them a particularly compelling case. Those who improve the infrastructure of music are to be especially treasured.
Boston will never be inducted because of Tom Scholz beating CBS Records in their breach of contract suit against him. That’s a grudge that they will never forgive him for. Of course, it’s just one more reason why Boston should be inducted… it’s just one more way that Tom influenced the music industry.
Yes, it does appear like grudges are a major role in some of these snubs.
100%!! Also Foreigner without doubt!!
100%!!! Foreigner also without a doubt!
Boston, not in the Hall is a complete joke. They’re an unbelievable Rock band!
Indeed.
I disagree with Boston not having the quantity of work; Guns N Roses is in for esssentially a few songs from an album or two. Good lord, the GoGos are in, foe one album that had no influence and did not break any ground..
Boston certainly has a larger quality body of work than the artists you mention, though compared to many other artists they don’t have the long discography that many other acts do.
They don’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Tom Schultz was spent all his energy suing company and people then making music. They had two good albums. He not them missed out on their prime just like Mr. Cat Stevens and Steve Perry.
Yes, a one hit wonder is in, but Boston is not, sad. Just goes to show you that corruption is everywhere.