The Who

## Genres

* garage rock
* hard rock
* progressive rock
* punk
* soft rock
* folk rock
* power pop
* stoner metal
* pop rock
* rock and roll

## Significance

* They were often noted for their wild style, including a concert where they destroyed their instruments on stage.
* They performed at the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969.
* They performed at the Monterey International Pop Festival of 1967.
* *It's Hard* went gold, three went platinum, two went double platinum, and *Who's Next* went triple platinum
* Their concert album *Live at Leeds* went double platinum.
* Four compilations went gold, three platinum, and *Who's Greatest Hits* went double platinum.
* The soundtracks to *Tommy* and *The Kids are Alright* were both hits, the latter going platinum.
* They had numerous hit singles.
* They were a part of the British Invasion of the sixties.
* Their song *Boris the Spider* is considered to be the birth of the "death growl" associated with death metal.
* Their version of the Eddie Cochran song *Summertime Blues* emphasized the line "I'd like to help you, Son, but you're too young to vote" as a part of the movement to lower the voting age to eighteen.
* They are often noted for a concert at the Isle of Wight.
* Their song *Love, Reign O'er Me* was successfully covered by the popular grunge band Pearl Jam.
* The punk band The Offspring did a song called *The Kids Aren't Alright*, named after the Who song *The Kids are Alright.*

## Trivia

* Member Pete Townshend would go on to have a successful solo career and is best known for his hit *Let My Love Open the Door.* Member John Entwistle would have a relatively-successful solo career himself.
* The song *Who Are You?* had to be censored for airplay due to an obscenity. This makes the original version rare and valuable.
* They formed the main subject of a variant of the classic comedy sketch *Who's on First.*
* They were noted for their revolutionary film *Tommy.*
* Many of their hits have become classic rock staples.
* They participated in the rockabilly revival
* Their member Roger Daltrey would go on to have a successful solo career.
* They were noted for a concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
* Many of their popular songs were originally intended for use in a rock opera known as *Lifehouse.*
* They had a major influence on punk and metal.
* They performed the Super Bowl XLIV halftime show

## Recommended Albums

* Tommy
* Who's Next
* Quadrophenia
* My Generation
* A Quick One
* The Who Sell Out
* Odds & Sods
* Endless Wire
* The Who By Numbers
* Who Are You
* Face Dances
* It's Hard

## Recommended Songs

### Top Ten

* Won't Get Fooled Again
* Behind Blue Eyes
* I Can See For Miles
* Join Together
* I Can't Explain
* Magic Bus
* Who Are You?
* You Better You Bet
* Love, Reign O'er Me
* Pinball Wizard

### Favorites

* Squeeze Box
* My Generation
* Pictures of Lily
* The Kids are Alright
* Going Mobile
* Bargain (The Best I Ever Had)
* A Legal Matter
* Happy Jack
* The Real Me
* Long Live Rock (Rock is Dead)
* Substitute
* The Seeker
* Getting in Tune (Right In On You)
* 5:15 (Inside, Outside, Leave Me Alone)
* Summertime Blues
* Love Ain't for Keeping
* I'm a Boy
* I'm Free
* We're Not Gonna Take it (Welcome to the camp)
* Pure and Easy
* The Song is Over (I'll Sing My Song)
* Slip Kid (No Easy Way to be Free)

### Other

* Boris the Spider
* Eminence Front
* Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
* Tommy Can You Hear Me?
* Albert Flasher
* Acid Queen
* It's Not Enough
* Drowned
* Athena (She's a Bomb)
* Call Me Lightning
* Do You Think It's Alright?
* Fiddle About
* See Me, Feel Me
* It's Hard
* Cry if You Want
* Sister Disco
* Ordono
* Sunrise
* Tattoo
* Bell Boy
* A Quick One, While He's Away