Boston burst onto the pop music scene in 1976 with the meticulously crafted single More Than A Feeling, which combined elements of progressive rock and 1960s pop. Generating three American Top 40 hits, the group's eponymous first album became the biggest-selling debut in rock history. Guitarist Scholz, who had earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (and who later invented the popular Rockman compact amplifier), laboured for seven years in his home recording studio to craft the majestic guitar sound that, along with Delp's distinctive high-register vocals, became the band's trademark.

Boston’s beginnings go back to 1969 and a band headed by guitarist Barry Goudreau called Mother’s Milk. Vocalist Brad Delp and drummer Jim Masdea were joined by a recent MIT graduate, Tom Scholz on keyboards. The band didn’t last, but its members spent time in a homemade recording studio in Scholz’s basement recording demo tapes in hopes of making a new start. Those tapes eventually landed Boston a deal with Epic Records. In 1976, they released Boston, which saw more than 17 million in sales. At a time when disco and punk were starting to emerge as influences, Boston’s traditional rock sound was embraced by radio stations and record buyers.