Boston Artistfacts

Boston song list

Boston Artistfacts

1975-
Tom ScholzGuitar, keyboards1975-
Brad DelpVocals, guitar1975-1989, 1995-2007
Barry GoudreauGuitar1975-1982
Fran SheehanBass1975-1986
Sib HashianDrums1975-1986
Fran CosmoVocals1990-2006
Tommy DeCarloVocals2008-2026
Boston's self-titled debut album has been certified for sales of 17 million in America. From 1986-2008, it was ranked as the top-selling debut of all-time before losing that title to Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction, which was later overtaken by Hootie and the Blowfish's Cracked Rear View.
Tom Scholz, their guitarist/keyboard player/studio wizard, formed the band. He is from Toledo, Ohio and is an Ottawa Hills High School graduate of the class of 1965. He won a full scholarship to MIT, where he obtained Bachelors and Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering, graduating with a GPA of 4.8 on a 5.0 scale. He later worked at Polaroid, where he became a senior product design engineer, helping develop their instant film system.
Brad Delp sang all vocals (lead and harmony/backup) on the first three Boston albums. Before joining the group, he was working in a manufacturing plant making heating coils for Mr. Coffee machines while singing in various Boston-area clubs at night. It was Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau who connected him with Tom Scholz; Brad got the gig after singing on Tom's demo tapes.
Scholz is their producer. He's known as a perfectionist who can take years to wrangle an album to his standards.
Boston's debut album was quite possibly the greatest by a band that, at the time, barely existed outside of the studio. Tom Scholz wrote all the songs, produced the album himself, and played nearly every instrument, with drummer Jim Masdea and guitarist Barry Goudreau contributing. The band was then formed so "Boston" could tour.
They went eight years between their second and third albums, Don't Look Back and Third Stage.
The band racked up huge catalog sales in the '80s and '90s through promotions where you would choose a bunch of albums to get for free, then pay for another every month. When choosing those freebies, many folks picked at least one Boston album.
Tom Scholz got in a legal tussle with their label, Epic Records, in 1983 after failing to deliver an album since 1978. The band ended up leaving the label and hopping over to MCA, which released their next album, Third Stage, in 1986. The lawsuit wasn't decided until 1990, when a jury ruled in Scholz' favor. "Goliath lost in a surprising upset," he said.
Goudreau, Sheehan, and Sib Hashian all sued Scholz, claiming they were under-compensated for their contributions to Third Stage. As a result of this lawsuit, a sticker was affixed to Third Stage acknowledging Sib Hashian's contributions to the album.
Tom Scholz founded the company Scholz Research & Development (SR&D) and was the principal designer for the Rockman line of sound processing units they sold, including a pioneering portable headphone amplifier.
Delp sang in a Beatles cover band called Beatle Juice from 1994 until his death in 2007.
Scholz is a skilled 6'5" basketball player. Boston had to cancel a tour in 1996 after Scholz injured his hand playing.
They were nominated for the 1976 Best New Artist Grammy but lost to The Starland Vocal Band, who had one, and only one hit: "Afternoon Delight."
Scholz injured his back during the recording of Third Stage and had record many of his parts while lying flat on a surfboard.
Their record company advertised their first album as "Better Music Through Science." Scholz hated the slogan.
Though Scholz named the band Boston, he is the only member of the original lineup not from Boston. He's from Toledo, Ohio.
Brad Delp died by suicide in 2007. After his death, Tom Scholz told Yahoo News: "It went from a guitar lick that didn't mean a thing to a real song as soon as he opened his mouth. That was always the case. We had a very, very close working relationship. I swear it was like we were hooked up by a cable. We didn't even have to talk most of the time."

The Boston website called him the "Nicest guy in Rock and Roll."
The band toured in 2008, one year after the death of Brad Delp. Michael Sweet from Stryper was brought in along with Tommy DeCarlo, a Boston fan who was recruited after posting some of his covers of Boston songs on MySpace. DeCarlo became their lead singer and held that role until 2026, when he died from brain cancer at age 60.

Comments: 28

Turbooffy from Alma Co.Pretty decent band. especially appreciated toms lead guitar. very underrated brad lead vocals. and after longer listening, Frans excellent excellent bass licks...
Rikk from SocalI believe the most under rated Boston member was Barry Goudreau and if Tom Sholtz wouldn't of been so selfish about having contributions to the albums, Boston would of had a least a couple more good albums. Don't think so? Listen to Barry Goudreau's solo album. Brad even helped out on some of the lead vocals.
Ezee from PaLove Boston. Saw the DLB tour in late '78....rockin good times.
Mariealena from MidwestI have no idea where you've gotten your information about the band members but you're way incorrect. Brad was with Boston until his passing in 2007, he stepped away in 1990 but he never "left".
Here, update your info:
Chronological list (including time spent in pre-BOSTON groups with Tom):
Tom Scholz (guitar, keyboards, etc.): c. 1970-present
Barry Goudreau (guitar): c. 1970-74; 1975-81
Jim Masdea (drums, keyboards): c. 1970-75; 1983-88
Brad Delp (vocals, guitar): c. 1971-73; 1974-90; 1994-2007
Sib Hashian (drums): 1975-1983
Fran Sheehan (bass): 1975-1984
Gary Pihl (guitar, keyboards): 1985-present
Doug Huffman (drums): 1987-1994
David Sikes (bass, vocals): 1987-1999
Fran Cosmo (vocals, guitar): 1991-2006
Curly Smith (drums, harmonica): 1994-2001, 2012-13, part of 2014 tour, part of 2015 tour
Anthony (Antonio) Cosmo (guitar): 1998-2006
Kimberley Dahme (bass, vocals, guitar): 2001-2012, 2014 tour
Jeff Neal (drums): 2003-2012, most of 2014 tour, most of 2015 tour
Michael Sweet (vocals, guitar): 2007 (guest appearance), 2008 tour
Tommy DeCarlo (vocals): 2007 (guest appearance), 2008-present
David Victor (vocals, guitar): 2012-2014
Tracy Ferrie (bass): 2012-present
Beth Cohen (vocals, guitar, keyboards): 2015 tour
Rockheadz from Scarsdale, NyThey were a really good studio band.
Barry from New York, NcAlthough 70's era Boston had an image as "heavy metal" or "hard rock," this is extremely deceptive. In my opinion, Boston was totally a soft rock band... even during their loudest moments. "More Than A Feeling" "Peace of Mind" "Long Time" are ballads in disguise.
Mike from Halifax, NsWhen I was about 11 or so years old, my older brother had bought a big shiny new Technics stereo system (big dogs in their day!) and when I went up to hear it he was playing Foreplay/Longtime.....he took the covers off the speakers and I watched in amazement as the woofers pumped out the bass line....actually moving back and forth....first time I had ever seen this phenomenon.....and I was hooked on Boston right then and there! Later, as I learned to play drums, I remember very distinctly that breakthrough moment when I could make my right hand and right foot do two different things at the same time....I was playing along with Rock and Roll Band at the time (Thanks, Sib!)......and....just a couple of weeks ago I bought a new drum kit (first I owned in many years)...and to knock the rust off and get back to where I was playing years ago, I have a song list of about 14 songs I am trying to learn again.....5 of them are Boston tunes!!!!
John from Springdale, Pabut it wasn't Sid or the other musicians on the first album... it was only Tom and Brad. Tom played EVERY instrument and Brad sang lead and all of the background (and on each album after it was just Brad's voice). Then T.S. spliced them together
Donna from College Station, Tx"Don't Look Back" by Boston was No. 1 in top albums in Oct 1978, source; Billboard Oct 8, 1988-the ten years ago list.
John from Springdale, PaCheck out the brad delp tribute on youtube by teddy z...9 year old kid...it will bring tears to your eyes, I cannot stop watching it...then come back and let me know what you think!
John Kovel
Springdale, PA
William David Snyder from Phoenix, AzBrad Delp commited suicide in March of "07"
Scott from Honolulu, HiTom Scholtz is a genius. And Brad Delp sings like an angel.
Mar;y Jo from Philly, Pawhat a loss to the greatest band on earth. one of things i wanted to do before i left this earth was see boston, and 3 days later i saw they were appearing in atlantic city in 2004. yes, i saw boston. i'm very sick over the loss of Brad, the voice of BOSTON. THE BEST ROCK EVER. iTS more than a feeling, its BOSTON. ROCK ON!!!!
Mary Jo from Philly, Pa.
D from Somewhere, FlFarewell..... ~1951 - 2007~ Such a sad way to pass on.
Ed from Los Banos, CaFairwell Brad. I won't forget about you now that you are gone!!!!
Paul from Ontario, CaSo long Brad your great voice will be missed. Rest in Peace
Bruce from Edison, NjAs a drummer/percussionist since age 6, I was more than a little taken with Sib Hashians work on the first two Boston albums. Now I'm 39, and realize just how great his work really was! Although others have kept the clock for the band,
nobody ever had that bands style to more of a science than Sib did. Sib Hashian, where are you? Come back!
Mike from Germantown, MdIf it's just Tom Scholz and Fran Cosmo now, and they only play guitar, keyboards, and vocals, then who plays bass and drums?
Jim from Columbus, OhBoston are sort of a cult band of limited overall importance. They came at a time when the rock revolution of the sixties was descending into Disco Hell. The first album had some nice pop songs, the second one was basically a rehash of the first, as is everything from then on. Sholz is a talented musician, but his claims to technological brilliance are about as credible as Jimmy Page's sometime claim to have invented the power chord, and Page is much more influential.
All of the effects used by Boston had already been done better by other people long before, but Tom just combined them into what was a pleasing tone but one which wears thin with constant repetition in the absence of innovation. The real "Boston" would of course be Aerosmith, especially since Tom is from the Toledo, OH area. The keynote of Boston's and Tom's prescience is the condemnation of the contemporary corporatocracy as in "Peace of Mind." If only the Yuppies had listened to the words...
George from Newport Beach, CaHoping Boston does their 30th year anniversary tour this year (2006).

Just started a Boston fan site - Come on by !
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Boston_rocks/
Josh from New York, Nyi dont understand how their debut album can be considered the best selling debut album until hootie and the blowfish sold more.
last time i checked, a certain album called "Appetite for Destruction" by a semi-wellknown band called Guns N' Roses is the best selling debut album of all time. :shrugs:
Bill from Philadelphi, PaI know many other bands used electronics with great effect before Boston (Pink Floyd comes to mind immediately) but in my humble opinion Boston changed the way rock sounded (for better or worse).
James from Windsor, CaBoston's lyrics to "Smokin'" were used in an anti-drug video I saw in 1983. At my high school, it had the reverse effect when someone yelled out, "Boston ROCKS!!!" We all made a bunch of noise and had to be quieted down. It was one of my favorite Boston experiences, other than attending one of their concerts in LA.
Brittany from Wood River, IlForeplay/Longtime is a GREAT song. :)
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, Scgreat band! Their songs are great, and i really like the vocals too!
Chris from Rock City, SdBoston is a great band. I have all of there albums and they are all great. ROCK ON!!
Jerry from Phoenix, AzI started listening to Boston when I was only 7 years old. Boston had just come out with their first album. One day while camping with my family I told my mom I wanted to listen to some music. She put the new Boston on 8-track and 27 years later I'm still listening.
Pete from Nowra, Australiawhen i first heard More then a Feeling , new instantly what a great song it was so... went out and bought the single cost me $1.10. GREAT SONG

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Amber311

The 311 song "Amber" is likely about Nicole Scherzinger, who was dating the band's lead singer Nick Hexum.

Turn On The RadioReba McEntire

When "Turn On The Radio" topped the January 1, 2011 Country chart, Reba McEntire became the first female solo act to have a #1 hit on that tally in four straight decades.