"People try to put us down,
Just because we get around..."

Of the many English bands to reach to shores of America during the British Invasion of the 60s, perhaps none have ever been as electrifying, not to mention as long lasting, as The Who. What started as a modest pop band, filled with underlying angst and aggression, morphed into one of the most formidable arena rock powerhouse bands to ever take the stage. Power chords thrashed out from a guitar attacked with a windmill-like flurry, drums pounded into submission by a madman, a rock solid foundation supplied by a bass virtuoso, a charismatic and emotion-filled lead vocalist  and, in the end, everything on stage smashed to bits. This was and is the essence of rock and roll and The Who pretty much defined the attitude of the genre.

Their humble English beginnings were as a beat group called The Detours, and later, The High Numbers. They developed a strong following with the mod culture as they entertained with covers of American R&B hits. Then Pete Townshend began writing original material for the band, including a catchy rock number called “I Can’t Explain” which resulted in the band charting their first UK hit. Energetic frontman, Roger Daltrey, and the driving rhythm section of drummer Keith Moon, and bassist John Entwhistle accentuated Townshend’s aggressive guitars to create a sound unlike anything heard before.

Townshend had more tunes up his sleeve and it wasn’t long before The Who was adding to its hit resume with songs like “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” and one that would eventually become an anthem for disillusioned youth called “My Generation.” (Some have even gone as far to call this the first punk song.) Upon the success of these releases, The Who headed over to America, appearing on shows such as The Smothers Brothers and winning plenty of new fans with their hard-driving, equipment-smashing displays of musical energy.

By 1967, they had scored their first American hit, a pleasant little ditty called “Happy Jack” then followed up with a much more psychedelic offering, a track from The Who Sells Out album called “I Can See For Miles” which accelerated up the charts to the Top-10. The following year, in 1968, they landed another hit with an acoustic Bo-Diddley homage called “Magic Bus. But there were bigger, more ambitious undertakings on the horizon, for Pete Townshend was already at work on a concept that would coin a new term in the rock and roll dictionary - the “rock opera.”

The album, Tommy, focused on the tale of a lad born deaf, dumb and blind, who, thanks to his particular prowess at pinball, is able to cure himself and become a messiah in the process. The band was also careful to ensure that this musical journey could be performed live in its entirety and that’s exactly what the band proceeded to do, heading out on tour that included an eventual stop at the iconic Woodstock concert. The performance was captured on the filmed documentary of the event, and portions of Tommy would also be included on their next release, a live album called Live At Leeds. From this point forth, The Who were international superstars.

Townshend immediately went to work on a new conceptual studio album, one that would never be released called Lifehouse. Some of its material would find its way to their next major release, titled Who’s Next, an innovative album that would include liberal use of a new instrument called the synthesizer and serve to reinvent the band as pioneers of arena rock. The album featured two epic tunes, “Baba O’Reilly” (which many refer to as “Teenage Wasteland” and a grand anthem called “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” a hard-driving, angry song with an extended synth and drum battle interlude. These songs would provide a perfect vehicle for the band to unleash their energy on enthusiastic crowds, with Daltrey swinging his microphone in broad circles (sometimes over the heads of fans in the first few rows) and Townshend twirling his arm like a windmill as his powerful guitar exceeded the decibel levels of a standard jet taking off. Meanwhile, John Entwhistle provided an understated flurry of melodic bass lines and Keith Moon displayed his seemingly uncontrolled virtuosity as a lunatic behind the drum kit.

After extensive touring, The Who returned to the studio in 1972, releasing a jovial sing-along single called “Join Together” and polishing up their next concept album, the lush and epic Quadrophenia. This time around, a double album wove the story of a young Mod’s journey of self-discovery, on the streets of London circa early-60s. Containing the pleading emotional ballad, “Love, Reign On Me” and traditional hard-driving fare like “The Real Me,” it was clear to anyone listening that The Who were at the top of their game. They embarked on an extensive and successful world tour in support of Quadrophenia and ended their journey in a historic performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The next major endeavor, in 1975, involved bringing Tommy to the big screen. Daltrey took on the part of the pinball whiz, Moon played the psychotically perverse Uncle Ernie, and film and music stars like Jack Nicholson, Ann Margret, Elton John and Tina Turner each strutted their stuff. The film was a hit, as was their next studio recording, released the same year and called The Who By Numbers. A return to their less-synthesized roots, the album featured a folksy single called “Squeeze Box” which added another hit to their resume.

The band toured extensively for the next couple of years before finally settling back into the studio. The result was Who Are You, a finely honed and heavily produced endeavor that once again merged the band’s rock energy with futuristic synthesizer pads. The highlight of the album was the bombastic title track, one still played quite frequently (and serving as the theme of the television series, CSI,) that was perhaps one of their most ambitious singles to date. It rose to #15 on the charts. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the band before they had much time to celebrate. Drummer Keith Moon was found dead, the victim of an accidental prescription drug overdose. Considered to be one of the finest rock drummers of all time, his passing was a monumental loss for the band.

But they weren’t quite ready to throw in the towel. They found a replacement by the name of Kenney Jones and went back on the road to embark on an extensive tour. They also released a film documentary called The Kids Are Alright, and a film version of the Quadrophenia album. If that weren’t enough to fill their schedules, Pete Townshend also got his feet wet as a solo artist, releasing the successful Empty Glass album which featured the Top-10 hit “Let My Love Open The Door.” The remaining bandmates may have suffered a tremendous loss but they trudged forth with one project after another.

In 1981, they refined their sound yet again, to a more radio friendly pop sound for their next album, Face Dances. The album made it to the Top-5 and contained the Top-20 single, “You Better You Bet.” The following year, they called upon this successful formula again for the album, It’s Hard. Soon after, they announced an ambitious “Farewell Tour” that billed The Clash as their opening act. They performed to sold-out arenas around the world, giving their loyal fans one more chance to see the windmill and the swinging microphone. Well, sort of. Although the band did go off to pursue various solo projects, it certainly wasn’t the last time The Who would perform together.

They first reared their head at the 1985 charity event for Live Aid. Four years later, they embarked upon a 25th anniversary “Kids Are Alright” tour, this time with virtuoso drummer Simon Phillips handling the percussion. Two million tickets were sold during the course of the 1989 tour. The following year, the band would get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside fellow Brits, The Rolling Stones. And six years later, the band would reunite yet again for a “one-time” live performance of Quadrephenia in Hyde Park, London, which turned into six shows at Madison Square Garden and, you guessed it, an extensive world tour. They continues to perform together off and on through the remainder of the decade and into the next.

After an appearance at The Concert For New York, aiding victims of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the band was set to kick off a new tour the following summer. The day before the first show, to be performed at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, bassist John Entwhistle was found dead in his hotel room of an apparent drug overdose. But showing the same perseverance amidst tragedy that they had called up in earlier years, the band continued on with the tour. And five years later, in 2006, fans were finally treated to a new studio album, called Endless Wire. The album debuted at #7 on the billboard charts. And, as might be expected, a lengthy tour followed, this time with Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, on drums and Pino Pallidino on bass.

And rumors persist of another studio album and possibly another tour in the coming year. Their demonstrated longevity over the years seemingly knows no boundaries. But even if they were to stop today – heck, even if they had stopped 20 years ago – their legacy as one of the most powerful rock bands of all time is safely secured.