Boston

After painstakingly experimenting in his basement studio for years, Boston guitarist and MIT-trained engineer Tom Scholz channeled his frustrations into a song called "More Than a Feeling." This 1976 pop Top 10 ushers in the long, cold winter of arena rock; Boston's soaring combination of high-tech metal guitar punch and smooth pop vocal hooks quickly became the cornerstone of Album Oriented Radio. But as slick as it sounds, "More Than a Feeling" also strikes an uncommonly resonant emotional note.

In retrospect, it's a classic one-shot-to-glory tale. Only problem is, Boston went on to make two far less distinctive and even more popular albums. Boston itself sports two satisfying, if similar, followups ("Peace of Mind" and "Hitch a Ride"), alongside a couple of cleaned-up boogie crowd-pleasers ("Smokin' " and "Rock & Roll Band"). The title track of Don't Look Back would hold its own on the debut, but Boston's formulaic virtuosity dulls rather quickly. Perhaps Scholz realized this: He retired for eight years after the second album. When the long-delayed Third Stage finally saw the light of day, the Boston concept seemed a little musty. That didn't stop "Amanda" from climbing to the top of the charts, of course. Greatest Hits charts the band's descent from genre builders to also-rans. (Paul Evans)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide