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Don't Look Back is a song by the American rock band Boston, released in 1978. It was written by the band's main songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader, Tom Scholz. The song was well-received by critics and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also Boston's second-biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included on the band's second studio album, also titled Don't Look Back, which was released in the same year. The album received generally favorable reviews and was a commercial success, reaching #1 in the US and Canada.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Boston |
| Genre | Rock |
| Album | Don't Look Back |
| Year of Release | 1978 |
| Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 | #4 |
| Number of Copies Sold in the First Two Weeks | More than a million |
| Writer | Tom Scholz |
| Vocalist | Brad Delp |
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What You'll Learn
Don't Look Back by Boston
"Don't Look Back" is a song by the American rock band Boston. It was released as the title track and first single from their second studio album, Don't Look Back, in 1978. The song was a major success, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helping the album sell over one million copies in its first ten days. It remains one of Boston's biggest hits.
The song was written by Boston's main songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader, Tom Scholz. Brad Delp sang all the vocals, both lead and backing. According to Scholz, Fran Sheehan only played a few bass notes, and Barry Goudreau played the solo guitar parts in the intro and outro. The song was the last to be written and recorded for the album, and Scholz has described it as "one of those things where everything clicked".
The album Don't Look Back was recorded during 1977 and 1978 at Scholz's Hideaway Studio. It was originally to be titled Arrival, but the band discovered that Swedish pop group ABBA had released an album with that name two years prior. The album received generally favorable reviews from critics, with Billboard describing it as "an equally superior effort [to their debut album] that further refines this group's ability to play hard rock underlined by a sweet, melodic base". Brad Chadderton of The Ottawa Journal also praised the album, citing its heavy, innovative, and melodic guitar lines, Delp's vocals, and the philosophical meaning of the lyrics.
"Don't Look Back" has been featured in several TV shows, including the pilot episode of the ABC drama series October Road, the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, the comedic web series Cobra Kai, and the CW dark fantasy series Supernatural.
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The album's success
The success of Boston's second studio album, 'Don't Look Back', was driven by multiple factors, including the band's unique sound, philosophical lyrics, and powerful vocals. The album topped the charts in the US and Canada, reaching No. 1, and peaked at No. 9 in the UK.
The title track "Don't Look Back" played a pivotal role in the album's success. It became a Top 10 hit, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and solidifying its place as one of the band's biggest hits. The song's infectious guitar riff and layered vocals created a signature sound that resonated with listeners.
Another key contributor to the album's triumph was the band's ability to innovate and build upon their debut album. Despite the immense pressure to follow up on the unprecedented success of their first album, Boston, the band delivered a fresh and refined sound. "It's Easy" was praised for its appropriately jarring transition from "The Journey," showcasing the band's ability to experiment with song structure and maintain their signature style.
The album also benefited from the fusion of Scholz's unique guitar skills and Brad Delp's exceptional vocal talents. Songs like "A Man I'll Never Be" showcased the band's ability to create powerful ballads with meaningful lyrics. The song's melodic guitar line and vocal harmonies left a lasting impression on listeners.
In addition to its commercial success, 'Don't Look Back' received generally favorable reviews from music critics. While some considered it a consolidation of their debut sound, others praised its improvement and refinement. AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, and Brad Chadderton of The Ottawa Journal commended the album for its heavy and innovative guitar lines, philosophical lyrics, and Delp's vocal performance.
Despite some criticism regarding the album's length and inconsistencies in lyrics, 'Don't Look Back' stands as a testament to Boston's musical prowess and their ability to create lasting hits that resonate with fans even decades later.
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Track listing
"Don't Look Back" is the second studio album by American rock band Boston, released in 1978 by Epic Records. The album includes the following tracks:
- "Don't Look Back"
- "The Journey"
- "It's Easy"
- "Party"
- "Used to Bad News"
- "Shattered Images" (a live version of this song was included in the 2006 re-release)
The album also includes three singles and "The Journey", which was released as the B-side of the "Don't Look Back" single.
"Don't Look Back Now" is also a soundtrack by John Wesley Harding, released in February 2021. The 17-track album includes the following songs:
- Kiss Me Miss Liberty
- The Person You Are
- The People's Drug
- Still Photo
- Top of the Bottom
- Negative Love
- Monkey And His Cat
- Kill The Messenger
- The Truth
- Our Lady of the Highways
- Window Seat
- The Devil In Me
- July 13th, 1985 (Bonus Track)
- Cupid and Psycho (Bonus Track)
- Spaced Cowgirl (Bonus Track)
- Humble Bee (Bonus Track)
- Save a Little Room For Me (Bonus Track)
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Critical reception
"Don't Look Back" is the title of several works by different artists, each of which has received varied critical reception. Here is a summary of the critical reception for each:
Don't Look Back by Boston
"Don't Look Back" is a song by the American rock band Boston, released in 1978 as the title track and first single from their second studio album, Don't Look Back. The song was a commercial success, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and helping the album sell over one million copies in the ten days following its release. The single received positive reviews from critics, who praised its musical and lyrical elements. Paul Grein of Billboard commended Boston's skill at changing tempos, and Tim Emerson of Rolling Stone described the lyrics as "optimistic about the road that lies ahead." The album Don't Look Back also received generally favorable reviews, with Billboard describing it as "an equally superior effort [as their debut album] that further refines this group's ability to play hard rock underlined by a sweet, melodic base." Brad Chadderton of The Ottawa Journal praised the album for its heavy and innovative guitar lines, the vocals of Brad Delp, and its philosophical lyrics, considering it an improvement over Boston's debut album.
Don't Look Back by The Korgis
"Don't Look Back" is also a song by British pop band The Korgis, released as a non-album single in 1982. The song received mixed reviews, with some critics expressing disappointment. Larry Juviski of The Northern Echo described it as "Ruff stuff," suggesting that the band hadn't produced compelling material since their previous hit, "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime." Johnny Waller of Sounds also seemed unimpressed, stating, "No one has 'Don't Look Back' – despite being produced by the brilliant Trevor Horn – and I suspect matters will stay that way." Songwriter James Warren expressed criticism of himself in a 2015 interview, reflecting on the recording session as "rather tense" and the final result as "not very satisfactory."
Don't Look Back in Anger by Oasis
"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by the British rock band Oasis, which received high critical praise and became a commercial hit. Larry Flick of Billboard commended Noel Gallagher's "deft sense of timing and craft that turn his improprieties into masterful pop gems." The Stud Brothers of Melody Maker described it as "a very good song indeed," and Music Week rated it five out of five, naming it "Single of the Week." However, David Stubbs of Melody Maker offered a more mixed review, characterizing the song as "Oasis at their least incandescent."
Don't Look Back (Documentary)
Don't Look Back is a 1967 American documentary film directed by D. A. Pennebaker that follows Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in England. The film has been well-received by critics and is considered influential in the "rockumentary" genre. It holds a rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and has a Metacritic score of 84, indicating "universal acclaim." Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl of Nirvana also praised it as the only "good documentary about rock and roll." The film's famous opening sequence, featuring "Subterranean Homesick Blues," has inspired numerous music videos and has been parodied and referenced in popular culture.
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Re-releases and certifications
"Don't Look Back", the second studio album by Boston, was released in 1978. The title track is one of the band's biggest hits, reaching No. 4 in 1978 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold over 4 million copies in the first month of its release and has been certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA in the US. The album was among the first commercially produced compact discs when the format was introduced in 1983, but legal issues meant that the title was pulled after a small production run. It did not reappear on CD until three years later, and the 1986 reissue did not include the "`spaceship blueprints`" from the original album inserts.
In 2006, the album and the group's first album were remastered and re-released on June 13. The reissues were digitally remastered by Tom Scholz, the band's guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter, after he heard that the project would be handled by Sony's team. Scholz felt that this was unacceptable, so he negotiated with Legacy Recordings to handle the remastering himself. A small number of the Sony-remastered versions briefly went on sale in Canada on April 4, 2006, before being removed. These discs included a live version of "Shattered Images", mistitled "Help Me" on the packaging, an unreleased Boston original recorded at a 1976 concert in Philadelphia.
The album received generally favorable reviews from critics. Billboard described it as "an equally superior effort [as their debut album] that further refines this group's ability to play hard rock underlined by a sweet, melodic base". Party" was rated by Billboard as one of the best songs on the album and was included on Boston's Greatest Hits album. "Used to Bad News", written by Delp, was described by Emerson as "a charming, rather Beatles-like song". Greil Marcus rated it as one of three "masterpieces" on the album, along with the title track and "A Man I'll Never Be".
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Frequently asked questions
"Don't Look Back" is a song by the American rock band Boston.
It was written by Boston's main songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader Tom Scholz.
"Don't Look Back" was released in 1978 as the title track and first single from Boston's second studio album, Don't Look Back.
The song was a commercial success, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helping the album reach No. 1 in the US and Canada. The single sold over a million copies in the first two weeks following its release.
Billboard gave a positive review, calling the album "an equally superior effort [as their debut album] that further refines this group's ability to play hard rock underlined by a sweet, melodic base". Ken Emerson of Rolling Stone gave a more mixed review, stating that the album "consolidated the sound of the band's debut album but was less pretentious than Bruce Springsteen's 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town".
