The #1 song the week of November 8, 1986, belonged to Boston. ‘Amanda’ was the band’s first single in six years, and it kicked off the promotion of their third album, Third Stage, with a bang.
While Third Stage didn’t ultimately reach the heights of the band’s first two smash albums, it did go 4X Platinum, and ‘Amanda’ became Boston’s only #1 hit. That’s right, ‘More Than a Feeling,’ ‘Peace of Mind,’ ‘Don’t Look Back,’ and other popular Boston songs never managed to top the Hot 100.
Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas‘ might have lost the top spot of the Hot 100 to Taylor Swift, but it’s been hanging in there at #2. In fact, Swift’s other three new songs debuted at #3-5, unable to fully dislodge the country smash.
At #3 this week is Stella Lefty’s ‘Boston,’ in its 28th week on the chart. It cracked the top 20 in June and has been kicking around the top five for more than a month, peaking at #2.
Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…
If you want a debut album on which the artist emerged fully formed right out of the gate, look no further than Boston’s self-titled first release.
Consider that the first track on the band’s first album is ‘More Than a Feeling,’ a bona fide classic. And right on its heels comes ‘Peace of Mind,’ another all-timer. And closing out Side One of the nine-track album is ‘Foreplay/Long Time,’ a stellar instrumental followed by another classic rock song.
