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The Who

May 15, 2014 by strictlyrock Leave a Comment

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England, in the 1960’s, almost seemed like it was part of some strange mathematical equation thought up by the music gods. There was almost a formula to it. Take 4 or 5 males in their later teens or early twenties, add the fact that they came from middle class backgrounds and the fact they were from England, and the product of this equation seemed to equal legendary rock bands time and time again. In this case, the product of this mystical equation was “The Who”. Pete Townshend and John Entwistle met at school and in the late 1950’s and played in a Dixieland band together, in which Townshend played the banjo and Entwistle the trumpet. In 1962 Entwistle left the group to join a rock band, “The Detours” where he met Roger Daltrey. When it came time for a replacement guitarist, Entwistle recommended Townshend. Shortly after, Daltrey took over singing and drummer Keith Moon joined the team. At this point the band that was known as “The High Numbers” became “The Who.” The group worked on a demo called “I Can’t Explain” with the help of a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page, and with the assistance of producer Shel Talmy, ended up with a recording contract.

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Unfortunately, no one really seemed to care about “I Can’t Explain,” but after a guitar-smashing, drum-throwing performance on the TV show “Ready, Steady, Go,” the song took off. It ended up on the #8 spot on the British charts and primed The Who for more success. After the single “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” reached the #10 spot on the charts the band released their first mega hit in 1965. The single “My Generation” reached #2 on the British charts, and although it only ranked #75 in the U.S. charts, it allowed The Who a foot in the door. In 1967 they released the album “Happy Jack” in the U.S. and the title track broke into the top 40. After being given an inch, The Who took a mile and released the record “The Who Sell Out,” which included the single “I Can See For Miles,” which climbed to a respectable #9 spot on the U.S. charts. Now with some success under their belts, the group released “Magic Bus” in October of 1968, which was a compilation of singles and B-sides. This gave fans something to digest and gave Townshend, who was the band’s main songwriter, time to work on something truly special; a rock opera.

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In 1969 they released the double album “Tommy,” which was a “Rock Opera.” It soared to the #4 spot on the U.S. charts and its first single, “Pinball Wizard,” became a hit. “Tommy,” which was about a “deaf, dumb, and blind boy” was turned into a movie that featured Eric Clapton, Elton John, Tina Turner and others, and eventually became a Broadway show which in 1993 won 5 Tony Awards, including one for Townshend himself with an award for “Best Original Score.” In 1971 the band put out the album “Who’s Next” which drove home the idea that The Who were serious hit makers with songs like, “Baba O’Riley,” “Bargain,” and the extremely significant “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” “Quadrophenia,” which was released in 1973, became the group’s second rock opera. “Quadrophenia,” like “Tommy,” was also double-sided and was also later made into a movie.

Still hugely popular, the group decided to take a break from the road, and after their 1975 release “The Who by Numbers,” and its successful single “Squeeze Box,” did just that. They returned in 1978 with the album “Who Are You” which sold more than 2 million copies. Unfortunately this was to be the original group’s last album. On September 7, 1978 while being treated for alcoholism and drug abuse, Keith Moon overdosed on a prescribed sedative that was supposed to curb seizures he was experiencing due to withdrawals from alcohol. Although it was “never the same,” the band continued on with drummer Kenny Jones and keyboardist John Bundrick, but officially disbanded on December 17, 1982 after a show in Toronto.

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Fortunately for fans, The Who have reunited several times since their official breakup. They played in February of 1994 for Roger Daltrey’s 50th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York City. They recruited drummer Zak Starkey, son of legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Star, for performances of their album “Quadrophenia,” and after a charity concert in 1999 ended up touring. That same year they won a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, and in October of 2001 played a 9/11 benefit in New York City. On June 27, 2002, before a tour they had planed for the following summer, John Entwistle died of a heart attack in Las Vegas. More recently, in 2006, Daltrey and Townshend released the album “Endless Wire,” which has been The Who’s last album to date. The Who, as of March 2009, are currently touring and to quote Roger Daltrey, they “don’t want to stop.”

 

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100 Greatest Rock & Roll Bands

  1. The Beatles
  2. The Rolling Stones
  3. Led Zeppelin
  4. Jimi Hendrix
  5. Elvis Presley
  6. The Who
  7. U2
  8. Pink Floyd
  9. The Doors
  10. The Police
  11. Elton John
  12. Metallica
  13. AC/DC
  14. Van Halen
  15. Nirvana
  16. Guns N' Roses
  17. Santana
  18. The Allman Brothers Band
  19. Bon Jovi
  20. David Bowie
  21. Grateful Dead
  22. Rush
  23. Yes
  24. Black Sabbath
  25. Bob Dylan
  26. James Brown
  27. The Beach Boys
  28. Eric Clapton
  29. Fleetwood Mac
  30. The Eagles
  31. Bob Marley
  32. Van Morrison
  33. Bruce Springsteen
  34. The Clash
  35. Queen
  36. Janis Joplin
  37. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  38. R.E.M.
  39. The Kinks
  40. Steely Dan
  41. Steve Miller Band
  42. Jethro Tull
  43. Tool
  44. The Scorpions
  45. Coldplay
  46. Stone Temple Pilots
  47. Rod Stewart
  48. Marilyn Manson
  49. Creedence Clearwater Revival
  50. KISS
  51. The Pretenders
  52. Green Day
  53. Aerosmith
  54. Tina Turner
  55. Pearl Jam
  56. Ted Nugent
  57. Pantera
  58. Motörhead
  59. Judas Priest
  60. ZZ Top
  61. Megadeth
  62. Motley Crue
  63. Alice Cooper
  64. Def Leppard
  65. Iron Maiden
  66. Billy Idol
  67. Journey
  68. Anthrax
  69. Rage Against the Machine
  70. Blue Oyster Cult
  71. Alice in Chains
  72. Genesis
  73. Red Hot Chili Peppers
  74. Chuck Berry
  75. Buddy Holly
  76. Little Richard
  77. Elvis Costello
  78. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
  79. Sex Pistols
  80. Cream
  81. Frank Zappa
  82. Talking Heads
  83. Stevie Ray Vaughan
  84. Billy Joel
  85. The Band
  86. Ramones
  87. Lynyrd Skynyrd
  88. Jerry Lee Lewis
  89. Doobie Brothers
  90. Foo Fighters
  91. The Cure
  92. Soundgarden
  93. Iggy Pop
  94. Peter Gabriel
  95. The Byrds
  96. Traffic
  97. Deep Purple
  98. Blondie
  99. Velvet Underground
  100. Heart

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