At their peak, The Who consists of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Moon died in 1978 and was successively replaced by Kenney Jones, Simon Phillips and Zak Starkey. After John Entwistle's death in 2002, Pino Palladino took over the duties.
The beginning
In 1961, Roger Daltrey founded the band The Detours. A year later, he met John Entwistle, who at that time was playing with Pete Townshend in the band The Confederates. Entwistle and Townshend joined The Detours. The band changed their name to The Who when it became clear that there was already a band called The Detours.
"Loudest rock band in the world"
The Who's first single 'I Can't Explain' became a hit and several American tours followed. The Who's performances were a real spectacle. Townshend wildly swung his arms on his guitar, jumped around with it and smashed it on an amplifier. Keith Moon pulled funny faces while drumming and occasionally smashed the drum kit to pieces. Roger Daltrey constantly swung his microphone around. All this under a high volume which later earned them the reputation of "Loudest rock band in the world".
My Generation
The album My Generation was released in 1965. The very successful album includes singles such as 'The Kids Are Alright' and the title track 'My Generation'.
Tommy
After many great singles, the album Tommy was released in 1969. The first of two rock operas the band made (the second rock opera by songwriter-guitarist Pete Townshend is Quadrophenia). Tommy tells the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy who is a 'Pinball Wizard'.
Who's Next
After Tommy, Pete Townshend wanted to write another rock opera. He started the project Lifehouse; a story about a character living in the future. However, his bandmates didn't understand a word of it, so the project was scrapped. The songs were recorded and put on an album. The legendary rock album Who's Next was born, featuring classics like 'Baba O'Riley' and 'Won't Get Fooled Again'.
Endless
In total, The Who released eleven studio albums. The last album by The Who, Endless Wire, was released in October 2006. It was the first studio album since It's Hard in 1982. The band also went on tour again in 2006. The Netherlands was visited in June 2007.
Quadrophenia and More Tour
In 2012, The Who announced their European Quadrophenia and More Tour. As part of this tour, the legendary British rock band performed on Friday 5 July 2013 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. During this tour, The Who played the album Quadrophenia in its entirety plus some big hits.
Top 2000
In the 2020 Top 2000, The Who is listed with the following positions:
source: NPO photo: Jim Summaria and Heinrich Klaffs
