10 Classic Bands Who Only Had One Classic Album

For as much great material was emerging from the rock world in the ‘70s, the overall sound of the production started to feel a little stale. Sure, bands like Blue Oyster Cult may have written some badass tunes, but the actual staying power got muddied by the sound of their records. Out of all the more extravagant acts of the day, Boston’s debut still sounds fresh even by today’s standards.

Being almost entirely the brainchild of guitarist Tom Scholz, the record has one hit after another, from the arena anthem “More Than a Feeling” to the bluesy groove of “Smokin.” In addition to just being great songs, Scholz’s use of keyboards, guitars, and homemade gear had a huge impression on the rock world going forward. Any record this seminal should set up a band for a career of awesomeness, but it ended up inadvertently killing their groove.

By the time they got to making the record Don’t Look Back, Boston had quickly gone from being sonic innovators to somewhat of a one trick pony. The songs ended up sounding so similar that the band actually called it Don’t Look Back in the hopes that fans would ignore the power of their debut. Boston’s debut is a big reason for rock’s growth, but it did end up costing the band any further ambitions.