Editing Boston (band) (section)

===''Boston'' and ''Don't Look Back'' (1976–1978)===
[[Image:Brad Delp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Brad Delp]], the original lead singer. Along with Scholz, Delp was the only other person signed to Epic Records as Boston.]]
The debut album, ''[[Boston (album)|Boston]]'', released on August 25, 1976, ranks as one of the best-selling debut albums in U.S. history with over 17 million copies sold.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zito |first=Tom |date=December 13, 1976 |title=Boston Group and How It Grew |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=F20 |quote=On Aug. 23, 1976, their first LP simply titled "Boston" was shipped to record stores. }}</ref><ref name="nme">{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.ie/music/feature/Top-5-best-selling-debut-albums/201/4830.htm |title=Music &#124; Top 5 best-selling debut albums |website=Entertainment.ie |date=November 20, 2013 |access-date=March 23, 2017}}</ref>

During the late summer and early fall of 1976, Boston attracted publicity due to the record sales. However, according to [[Cameron Crowe]] in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', there was "a conscious effort to de-emphasize Scholz as the total mastermind behind Boston".<ref name="crowe">{{cite magazine |last=Crowe |first=Cameron |magazine=Rolling Stone |via= theuncool.com |title=The Band from the Platinum Basement |url= http://www.theuncool.com/2013/11/25/archives-boston-takes-over/ |access-date=November 25, 2018}}</ref> After opening for [[Black Sabbath]], [[Blue Öyster Cult]], [[Foghat]], and others in the fall, the band embarked on a headlining tour in the winter and spring of 1976–1977 to support the album.<ref name="bostonorghistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |website=Boston.org |access-date=August 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009  }}</ref> This helped establish Boston as one of rock's top acts within a short time, being nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] as a "Best New Artist".<ref name="bostonorghistory"/><ref name="rockwell">{{cite news| last= Rockwell| first= Jorn |date= February 12, 1977| title= Rock: Boston Heads a Triple Bill| work= [[The New York Times]]| publisher= | url= | access-date= }}</ref> Boston was the first band in history to make their New York City debut at [[Madison Square Garden]].<ref name="crowe"/>

The album spawned three singles, "More Than a Feeling", "Long Time", and "Peace of Mind", all of which made the national charts.<ref name="bostonorghistory"/> The album peaked at number three on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and remained on the charts for 132 weeks.<ref name="billboarddebut">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200?chartDate=1976-12-11 |title=Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Album Charts |via= billboard.com |magazine= [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]  |access-date=August 16, 2009}}</ref>

Despite having problems with manager Paul Ahern, being caught in the middle of a fight between Ahern and his business partner Charles McKenzie, and doing most of the recording work alone,<ref name="crowe"/> Scholz completed the second Boston album two years after the debut album's release. The second album, ''[[Don't Look Back (Boston album)|Don't Look Back]]'', was released by Epic in August 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Boston#search_section|title=RIAA certifications|website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] }}</ref> At the time, this was considered a long gap between albums, but Scholz still considered ''Don't Look Back'' to be a rush job and was unhappy with the album's second side in particular.<ref name= "officialdlb">{{cite web |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/album2_html.html |title= Don't Look Back – 1978 |last=Wild |first=David | publisher= Boston| website= bandboston.com| access-date=August 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090504075530/http://www.bandboston.com/html/album2_html.html |archive-date=May 4, 2009  }}</ref> Overall, ''Don't Look Back'' sold about half as well as the debut album, eventually selling over 7 million records.<ref name="riaa">{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |title= Gold & Platinum – August 17, 2009 |publisher= [[Recording Industry Association of America]]| website= RIAA.com |access-date= August 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225031458/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |archive-date=February 25, 2013 }}</ref>

Another tour followed (playing with the likes of [[AC/DC]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[Van Halen]], [[Sammy Hagar]], and [[the Doobie Brothers]]),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/van-halen-1978-tour-highlights/|title=How Van Halen Conquered the World in Just 10 Shows|website= UltimateClassicRock.com | first= Matthew| last= Wilkening| publisher= Townsquare Media, Inc.| date= March 3, 2016| access-date=July 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ac-dc.net/archive/acdc_tour_history.php?date_id=1302|title=AC/DC Tour History - 27 May 1979 Orlando (Tangerine Bowl)|website= ac-dc.net|access-date=July 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://rocktourdatabase.com/tours/dont-look-back |title= Don't Look Back |website= rocktourdatabase.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160613021840/http://rocktourdatabase.com/tours/dont-look-back |archive-date=13 June 2016 |url-status= dead}}</ref> and the album's title track became a top-five hit. Additionally, two other singles, "[[A Man I'll Never Be]]" and "[[Feelin' Satisfied]]", went top 40 and top 50, respectively.<ref name= "bostonorghistory"/> Despite the success, Scholz's relationship with Ahern completely deteriorated.<ref name="Ahern vs. Scholz">{{cite court |litigants= Ahern v. Scholz |vol= 95-1146.01A |reporter= |opinion= |pinpoint= |court= U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals |date= June 4, 1996|url= http://media.ca1.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=95-1146.01A |access-date= February 15, 2022 |quote= |postscript= }}</ref> Delayed by technical renovations to his studio, Scholz eventually began the process of working on Boston's third album, determined to complete the album at his own pace and up to his demanding standard.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}