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“Don't Look Back” by Boston

“Don't Look Back” by Boston appears on 88 radio countdowns from 30 stations between 1978 and 2026. Its best result is #21 on the KISW Top 25 Rock Songs from 1978. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #176 classic rock song of all time.

88countdowns
30stations
#21best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1978–2026years charted

Watch

Boston - Don't Look Back (Official Video)

Video from YouTube (BostonVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

Tom Scholz saved the title track for last. "Don't Look Back" kicks off Boston's second album, Don't Look Back, and was the first single pulled from it in 1978, yet it was the final song written and recorded for the record. Scholz, the band's guitarist, chief songwriter and producer, says it all just clicked: no demo, only chords, melody and arrangement worked out and laid straight onto the master tape.

The credits hold a few surprises. Brad Delp sang every voice on it, lead and backing; Fran Sheehan added just a handful of bass notes; and Barry Goudreau took the solo guitar parts at the start and the finish, earning Scholz's praise for his playing on the way out. Sib Hashian's drums got the heaviest hand, with Scholz making more than 60 edits to reach the take he wanted. It went to number 4 on the Hot 100.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1978 21 KISW Seattle-Tacoma, WA KISW Top 25 Rock Songs from 1978 25

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 444 95.5 KLOS KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) 499
1994 150 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1995 100 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 89 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1996 321 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 271 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1997 86 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (1997) 499
1997 103 104.5 KZEP KZEP Memorial Weekend Top 500 (1997) 500
1998 113 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 102 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2002 632 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) 923
2002 344 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2004 631 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2010 81 97.9 The Loop The Loop USO Rock 'N' Roll 500 (2010) 500
2010 658 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 222 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2011 207 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2012 223 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 86 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2013 153 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2013) 500
2013 65 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 76 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2013 382 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2013 58 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2014 220 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 400 (2014) 400
2014 280 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 164 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 164 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2015 277 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2015 76 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2015 135 I-95 I-95 Memorial Day Weekend Top 500 (2015) 500
2016 180 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2016) 500
2016 60 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 170 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2016 79 103.5 The Fox The Fox Memorial Day 500 (2016) 299
2016 61 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2017 88 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2017) 500
2017 395 97.9 The Loop 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017) 540
2017 59 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2018 105 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2018 261 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2018) 500
2019 395 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2019) 500
2019 385 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2019 98 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2019 199 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2019) 500
2019 637 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 351 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2020 240 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2020) 500
2020 554 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 351 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 73 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 98 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2021 169 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 231 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2021) 500
2021 378 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 440 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2021 372 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 1011 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 434 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2022 468 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2022 548 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 169 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 240 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 450 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 167 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2022) 500
2022 931 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 330 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2022 308 94.1 KRNA KRNA Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2023 233 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 308 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 263 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2023) 500
2023 398 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 442 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 334 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 207 97.1 The Drive 97.1 The Drive Memorial Day Weekend Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2024 248 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 339 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2024) 500
2024 340 KQRS KQRS KQ 500 (2024) 499
2024 377 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 341 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 197 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 499
2024 780 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2025 350 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 673 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2026 293 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2026) 500
2026 190 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500
2026 212 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2026) 500

Charting alongside it in 1978

Best songs of 1978 →
  1. 1Runnin' With The DevilVan Halen
  2. 2Who Are YouThe Who
  3. 3Fat Bottomed GirlsQueen
  4. 4Don't Fear the ReaperBlue Oyster Cult
  5. 5LightsJourney
  6. 6Miss YouThe Rolling Stones

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