Began:
Original Members:
Pete Townshend - Guitar
John Entwistle - Bass
Keith Moon - Drums
Significant Facts:
- Pioneered the rock opera concept
- Pioneered the use of electronic synthesizer and superior studio acoustical engineering
- Released nearly two dozen albums over 38 years beginning in 1965
Turning it up to 11:
Performed as The Detours and The High Numbers before settling on The Who. They were known for high energy, high volume live performances in which several instruments were usually destroyed.
After early success with single releases, the band concentrated on concept albums. One (The Who Sell Out) was produced like a radio station, complete with jingles and commercials. Another was one of the first rock operas, Tommy.
Breaking through:
Between 1965 and 1967 they scored three Top 5 albums and a series of Top 10 single in the U.K., where they were the darlings of a thriving crop of popular pirate radio stations. In 1967 they broke through in the U.S. with "Happy Jack" and "I Can See For Miles" reaching the Top 40 singles chart.
Performances at the Monterey Pop Festival (1967) and Woodstock (1969) in the U.S. and Isle of Wight festival in the U.K. in 1970, the band became firmly established, eventually selling more than 100-million albims and singles. They released 57 singles, and have a catalog of 11 studio albums and 10 live albums.
Present day:
Drummer Keith Moon died in 1978, bassist John Entwistle in 1982. The band, including surviving original members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, is still active, releasing a studio album (Endless Wire) in 2006 and doing occasional live performances.
Essential Album:
Who's Next
Released in 1971, this was one the most technically advanced albums of its day, featuring some of the first use of an electronic synthesizer, and an acoustic engineering technique that gave the music a deep, full quality, even on AM radio.
