Songoftheday 1/28/15 - Babe tomorrow's so far away there's somethin' I just have to say, I don't think I could hide what I feel inside another day knowin' I love you...

"Amanda" - Boston
from the album Third Stage (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 12

Today's Song of the Day is by the arena rock band Boston, who are one of the best selling rock acts despite a very scattered recording schedule. Formed around songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Tom Scholz, and with Brad Delp on lead vocals, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1976, with songs worked on for two years. Their first single, "More Than A Feeling", climbed into the top-10 of the American pop chart, and the album ended up selling over seventeen million copies in the States. It would take another two years for Boston to release their sophomore record, but the title track, "Don't Look Back", went one notch higher on the Hot 100 at #4. However, things started falling apart after that. Feuding with his management, his label, and even members (guitarist Randy Goudreau left to form Orion The Hunter), Scholz took another eight years to finalize Boston's third album, Third Stage. Perfecting the sound to rival his other classic albums, rock fans gave the set a warm welcome, with the first single "Amanda" ending up their highest charting hit...

"Amanda" became Boston's sole #1 pop hit in November of 1986, while also topping the Mainstream Rock radio chart in Billboard magazine. The record even crossed over to the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") chart, peaking at #13. Internationally, the record went to #1 in Canada, made the top-10 in Norway, and landed in the top-40 in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands (surprisingly it flopped in Britain, not even landing in the top-75).

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Here's Boston touring behind the album performing "Amanda"...

Up tomorrow: That "codpiece" makes its appearance in the top-10.