You bet Iâm excited to write this edition of Listen To This, Not That! The Who are one of my favourite bands of all time and have gotten me through everything. I got into them when I was in secondary school and falling down the classic rock rabbit hole. Theyâre a band that I canât stop listening to and Iâll never get sick of. They had such a solid run from 1965 to 1973 from My Generation to Quadrophenia. Not as much into their later stuff, but while writing this, Iâll be giving The Who By Numbers and later albums a chance to see if my mind has been changed.
One of the first stories I tell basically everyone I meet is about me and my friend, Zsofia going to the Pete Townshend book signing back in 2012. We were screaming like fangirls and Pete Townshend winked at us and waved at us. I swear itâs true! Definitely one of the best days ever.
The Who have really shaped me into who I am from my style to my name. Any classic rock fan clocks my name as being inspired by Keith Moon, and theyâd be right. I wanted a British image to market myself and be something that I live up to, like an anchor, as a friend of mine named Rico put it. More than anything Iâm Angie Moon and I love classic rock, and especially The Who.
Iâve been looking forward to writing this forever and I want to share my selections for under appreciated Who songs since theyâre one of my favourite bands of all time. I hope with this blog post youâll get an understanding of why theyâre one of my favourites ever. These one band deep dive blog posts are so fun to write and I get a new appreciation for a band every time I write them.
Not That! Overrated Who songs
The Who are going to be different from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in that they donât have as many chart hits, but they were still successful as a live act and are one of the best known British Invasion acts. You canât take that away from The Who.
Why are The Who so significant? What makes them special? Imagine being in the late 60s and early 70s and hearing their music. It was loud and made your parents and the neighbours annoyed. Most of their hits were originals written by their main songwriter and brain behind the music, Pete Townshend. Thatâs right, every single one, except âSummertime Bluesâ. They were the biggest band from the original Mod era of the 60s and they werenât just popular in that subculture. One thing that made them different in the world of hard rock bands is they werenât afraid to release singles and werenât afraid of mainstream popularity – they saw the appeal of crossover. Theyâre a hard rock band that have something for every taste, but they still maintain that hard rock cred.
As a band, they took rock to the next level with the way they used power chords and feedback; the stacks of amplifiers; Pete Townshend coining the term âpower popâ; their trademark moves: Roger Daltreyâs microphone twirl, Keith Moonâs craziness on the drums, and Pete Townshendâs jumping and windmill; and they were one of the first bands to make a rock opera and it was one of the first successes in that genre.
Whenever I research for one of these posts, I always find something surprising about a band and the charts and hereâs your surprise for The Who: Incredibly, they never topped the charts in the UK or the US. Thatâs right, not a single #1. Not with âMy Generationâ, not with âPinball Wizardâ, not with âBaba OâRileyâ. Meanwhile, their contemporaries like The Searchers, Manfred Mann, The Honeycombs, Hermanâs Hermits, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, The Seekers, Spencer Davis Group, The Troggs, and the Small Faces all topped the charts. Ask yourself this though, whoâs better known: The Who or these groups? This isnât to throw shade at these groups, I like them too, but it shows you that topping the charts isnât the be all end all of success. A theory as to why The Who didnât hit #1 is because usually chart hits are very poppy and try to appeal to a general audience, nothing too edgy. The Who were incredibly loud and edgy for their time. They competed with The Beatles on who could make a louder, edgier song: âI Can See For Milesâ vs âHelter Skelterâ.
I use the UK and US charts for my purposes since they are the countries where most of the bands I talk about come from and they are huge markets for rock music.
Since The Who are one of my favourite bands of all time, itâs hard for me to say that you shouldnât listen to the following songs, because they are good songs and theyâre a lot of peopleâs favourites for a reason.
My rules for Listen To This, Not That havenât changed. No top 20 hits and no greatest hits. For our purposes the greatest hits album Iâll be using their latest greatest hits compilation, The Who Hits 50! I picked this particular compilation because it was their most recent greatest hits and time really is a filter and I think this sums up what people think are their most appreciated songs and it covers a lot of ground, making it a challenge for me.
Without further ado, hereâs my list of overplayed Who songs. Disclaimer: I really like these songs, but I think The Who are more than these songs.
- âI Canât Explainâ – #8 UK
- âMy Generationâ – #2 UK, #74 US
- âSubstituteâ – #5 UK
- âIâm a Boyâ – #2 UK
- âHappy Jackâ – #3 UK, #24 US
- âPictures of Lilyâ – #4 UK, #51 US
- âI Can See For Milesâ – #10 UK, #9 US
- âMagic Busâ – #26 UK, #25 US
- âPinball Wizardâ – #4 UK, #19 US
- âWonât Get Fooled Againâ – #9 UK, #15 US
- âBehind Blue Eyesâ – #34 US
- âBaba OâRileyâ – Surprisingly, not a chart hit, but a concert and classic rock staple
- âJoin Togetherâ – #9 UK, #17 US
- â5:15â – #20 UK
- âSqueeze Boxâ – #10 UK, #16 US
- âWho Are Youâ – #18 UK, #14 US
- âYou Better You Betâ – #9 UK, #18 US
Not an exhaustive list of ânot thatsâ but these are the songs that I always hear on the radio when they play The Who and these are songs that are always in the set lists.
Listen to This! Underrated Who songs
Finally, we get to my favourite part of the blog post, the songs that deserve more appreciation. For this one, Iâll be organising it album by album since I think thatâs the easiest way to organise my thoughts:
Non-Album tracks:
Some of these songs were released as bonus tracks and as a huge fan of The Who, I have lots of recommendations and I canât leave these songs out.
- âIâm The Faceâ – B-side to âZoot Suitâ, which was The Whoâs first single, but released under The High Numbers. This song was written by Peter Meaden and based on the Slim Harpo song âGot Love If You Want Itâ.
- âDaddy Rolling Stoneâ – Otis Blackwell cover
- âShout and Shimmyâ – Cover based on âShout!â by The Isley Brothers, but written by James Brown. I love hearing the R&B side of Roger Daltrey
- âCirclesâ – Garage rock with a bit of psychedelia, original Pete Townshend composition. Written to showcase John Entwistleâs horn playing. Did you know he could play French horn and trumpet? This was the b-side for âSubstituteâ in the UK
- âInstant Party Mixtureâ – R&B/doo-wop influenced original by Pete Townshend
- âLeaving Hereâ – Motown cover, written by the famous Holland-Dozier-Holland powerhouse songwriting team. The Who do an excellent job with Motown.
- âMotoringâ – Not sure who did this song originally, but great song for a car themed playlist
- âWaltz for a Pigâ – an obscure instrumental, was the b-side for âSubstituteâ in the US. Credited to The Who, but actually The Graham Bond Organisation played on it. Thought it would be an interesting inclusion. Totally different sound from The Who. Not sure why theyâd put another bandâs song as the b-side. Record labels do weird things I guess.
- âBucket Tâ – A rare moment with Keith Moon on vocals. Keith Moon was a big fan of surf music and sang this Jan & Dean cover. Trumpet by John Entwistle! Check out this goofy video of them in the studio singing it.
- âBarbara Annâ – The Whoâs other attempt at surf rock, covering this song originally recorded by The Regents, but popularised by The Beach Boys
- âUnder My Thumbâ – The b-side to their cover of The Stonesâ âThe Last Timeâ – recorded to get Mick and Keith money to bail them out of jail. Now thatâs friendship! But seriously, fuck the racist War on Drugs.
- âDoctor, Doctorâ – B-side to the raunchy âPictures of Lilyâ, written by John Entwistle
- âSomeoneâs Comingâ – Written by John Entwistle
- âSodding Aboutâ and âIn The Hall of the Mountain Kingâ – Instrumental jams recorded in 1967. The latter gives me âInterstellar Overdriveâ vibes
- âDr Jekyll & Mr Hydeâ – Spooky song written by John Entwistle about Keith Moonâs drinking problems. B-side to âMagic Busâ
- âI Donât Even Know Myselfâ – Supposed to be the closer for Lifehouse, B-side to âWonât Get Fooled Againâ.
My Generation (1965)
This is The Whoâs debut album, named after one of their first big hits and a signature song for the group. The Who are one of those bands that I could say started off strong. This is an excellent debut album and Iâd have to say itâs one of my top debuts that Iâve ever heard. Itâs incredible that they were between the ages of 18-21 when they recorded this. Think back to when you were that age, could you do something this amazing? Did you know that Jimmy Page played lead guitar on âBald Headed Womanâ?
Of its sound, I would say that this is their most R&B influenced album (during this time a lot of British acts were still very R&B influenced and didnât find their own unique sound that blends British and American yet). Most of the songs on this one are originals, but there are a couple James Brown covers (âI Donât Mindâ and âPlease Please Pleaseâ) and a Bo Diddley cover (âIâm a Manâ).
Instead of listening to âMy Generationâ and âThe Kids Are Alrightâ, try âOut in the Streetâ, âThe Goodâs Goneâ (very early Rolling Stones), the poppy âLa-La-La Liesâ, âItâs Not Trueâ, âA Legal Matterâ (with Pete on lead vocalsâ, and the instrumental âThe Oxâ – seriously though, this one is way underplayed and this is one of Keith Moonâs strongest drumming moments. Stop sleeping on the rest of the album and really give this whole album a listen.
A Quick One (1966)
The Whoâs sophomore album marks a change in sound. Saying goodbye to R&B and saying hello to quirky rock and roll. It wasnât as commercially successful as their debut and didnât have one hit single (on the UK version that is, the US version had âHappy Jackâ), but itâs a well-received album and well-loved by the fans.
It is important in The Whoâs history because it has a precursor of sorts to Tommy in the albumâs epic title track, âA Quick One While Heâs Awayâ – a mini-rock opera with 6 movements about a woman whose husband has been gone for a year, she cheats on him with Ivor the Engine Driver, her husband returns and forgives her. Pete Townshend later said that this epic was based on his own childhood trauma.
Another interesting thing about this album is you have songwriting contributions from the other band members âBoris The Spiderâ and âWhiskey Manâ by John Entwistle, âI Need Youâ and âCobwebs and Strangeâ by Keith Moon, and âSee My Wayâ by Roger Daltrey, Itâs a rare moment that Pete didnât write the majority of the songs on an album.
The strongest moments on the album are âI Need Youâ (why wasnât this released as a single? and I really like that Beatles impersonation), âWhiskey Manâ – which will leave you wishing that John wrote more songs for The Who, their cover of Martha & The Vandellasâ âHeat Waveâ, the zany âCobwebs and Strangeâ, âSo Sad About Usâ – not a chart hit but one of The Whoâs most covered songs, and âA Quick One While Heâs Awayâ – you need to watch their performance of it on The Rolling Stonesâ Rock and Roll Circus, seriously itâs the most talked about performance in that concert film. They made that their show, itâs a Who concert that the Stones and some other musicians were guest performers on.
Why didnât I mention âBoris the Spiderâ above? It is arguably an underrated song, but was included on The Who Hits 50! along with another favourite of mine âCall Me Lightningâ – great song and Iâm so glad this compilation goes beyond the biggest hits, but these songs deserve more attention.
The Who Sell Out (1967)
The Whoâs first concept album of sorts, inspired by the pirate radio stations of the 60s. Little history lesson for you: Pirate radio stations took off in the 60s because the BBC (who basically had a monopoly on radio) wouldnât play popular or rock music, they were slow to catch up to the times and young people wanted to hear music that resonated with them and was cool. Eventually the BBC caved. So these offshore radio stations were started from boats in international waters where British laws didnât apply and the radio signal could reach land. Radio London and Radio Caroline were two of the most popular pirate radio stations. Millions of people would tune into these stations and rock out. It didnât become illegal to have a pirate radio station until 1967 with the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act. All was not lost though and some pirate radio DJs like John Peel, Tony Blackburn, and Emperor Rosko got jobs with the BBC.
The Who Sell Out isnât just an ordinary album, itâs a concept album, which means that the songs all have a theme and may tell a story. Common features are songs and phrases that are the glue that hold the album together with reprises, epic length multi-movement suites, characters, and songs that flow together as one or song cycles. Some of the best known concept albums are SF Sorrow, Tommy, and The Wall. The late 60s through the 70s were a golden age of LPs. Because of changing technologies and media consumption habits, youâll never get anything like that ever again.
Concept albums are the bread and butter of the Album-oriented rock radio format and itâs easy to programme a radio show. Plenty of opportunities for DJs to take a smoke or potty break and fans love hearing the album uninterrupted.
Anyway, the theme of The Who Sell Out, as you can tell is pirate radio. When you listen to the album as a whole, youâre not just hearing songs, but rather youâre hearing them in the context of a radio programme with mock announcements, station identifiers, and jingles in between songs, creating a different experience from a garden variety album. So I recommend hearing it in full from start to finish, no shuffling (recommended for concept albums generally). The problem with this album is itâs hard to replicate live because of the complicated effects. Itâs very much a studio album.
The album had one hit with âI Can See For Milesâ, which one critic called the heaviest rock song they had ever heard. Instead of that, listen to the psychedelic and fuzzy âArmenia City in the Skyâ written by Peteâs friend Speedy Keen (later to be in Thunderclap Newman), the risquĂŠ âMary Anne with the Shaky Handâ, âTattooâ, âOur Love Wasâ, âI Canât Reach Youâ, the psychedelic âRelaxâ, âSilas Stingyâ, and âSunriseâ.
Iâll leave you with one more fun fact, in the mini rock opera âRaelâ, you can hear a preview of familiar guitar riffs from Tommy at about 3:35. Always great to hear earlier versions and hear how riffs and parts of songs evolve, because a lot of times a rock star has the song idea in their head for a while.
Tommy (1969)
Finally we get to The Whoâs first real masterpiece, the rock opera and double LP, Tommy. It so happens to be my favourite album by the group. It tells the story of a boy named Tommy Walker born at the end of WWI. His father, Captain Walker, is in the army and he disappeared. His mother believes him to be dead and starts dating someone else. Captain Walker lived and came home to find his wife in bed with another man, and he kills the other man. Tommy saw it all and his mother convinces him he didnât see it, hear it, and wonât say anything about it to anyone. His senses shut down, and he is left deaf, dumb, and blind. All he can do is feel and use his imagination. His mum realises that this is a problem and tries to get him cured with religion and LSD, to no avail. Tommyâs extended family, Cousin Kevin abuses him and Uncle Ernie molests him. As he grows up, Tommy finds that through his sense of touch, he can feel the vibrations of the pinball machine and he could play it better than anyone else. He wins a pinball contest. His parents try one more time to get him help from a doctor and he pinpoints what the problem is: it isnât physical, but rather psychosomatic – itâs in his head. The doctor tells him to go to the mirror and he sees his reflection. His mum smashes the mirror because it didnât snap Tommy out of it and through the mirror smashing, he can see, hear, and speak again, heâs free from his disorder. Tommy starts a cult and his followers reject him, leaving Tommy alone and he looks inward.
The album was a breakthrough for The Who and the beginning of a golden age for the band. This was The Who at their best and so many iconic moments from here. Woodstock being one of their most iconic, helping market the album. Roger Daltrey basically became Tommy as he performed it and found his image.
Pete Townshend transitioned to these concept albums because the band were no longer young and their fans are growing up and they need to stay relevant, so the next logical step was to write more complex albums that tell stories, but the songs could stand on their own and be radio hits – and did they succeed at that! The album was inspired by spiritual mentor Meher Baba, who remained an inspiration for Pete Townshend for a long time.
Two songs from Tommy have made it onto compilation albums and were the two chart hits: âPinball Wizardâ and âIâm Freeâ (imo the harder rock version from the movie is much better), both great songs, but there are so many strong moments from the album that really deserve a listen: âOvertureâ is such a great opener and gives you an idea of what sound this is going for, â1921â is a mood even 100 years later than it took place (really hoping â21 is better than â20), âAmazing Journeyâ and the instrumental âSparksâ are those songs that you have to play back to back, âEyesight to the Blindâ is a modernised spin on Sonny Boy Williamson II, âChristmasâ (gimme this instead of all the crappy Christmas songs), âThe Acid Queenâ, âGo to the Mirror!â, and the epic closer âWeâre Not Gonna Take Itâ.
The whole album is amazing and you have to listen to it all multiple times to really understand it. Still fresh 50 years later. If I could only give you one Who album to listen to, Iâd say this one. Pinball machine go brrrrrr!
Whoâs Next (1971)
Pete Townshendâs follow up concept album was going to be the sci-fi Lifehouse, but the rest of the band didnât understand it so it was scrapped, but some songs from it were repurposed for Whoâs Next. While not a concept album, it was a success and two of The Whoâs biggest hits can be found on this album: âBaba OâRileyâ and âWonât Get Fooled Againâ. Other well-loved tracks from the album include âBargainâ and âBehind Blue Eyesâ.
Whoâs Next is a fan favourite and considered one of the best hard rock albums and one of the best albums of 1971. This is definitely an essential listen and you should listen to the songs on it that werenât as big because theyâre good too! If you want to break up the routine of the four songs above, listen instead to âMy Wifeâ, âThe Song is Overâ, and âGoing Mobileâ.
Quadrophenia (1973)
If I had to pick a second favourite from The Who, this would be it. Itâs the other double LP rock opera by the band and a lot of people will say this is the band at their best. First, Iâll give you a summary of the plot. The story of the album takes place in about 1964 and the main character is a young man named Jimmy. He comes from a working class family and he is a mod who likes wearing suits, military parkas, riding on a scooter, taking pills, and going out to nightclubs to dance to rock and R&B. A popular thing for working class British people who live in London is to go to the seaside for a day or weekend trip. One of the best days of Jimmyâs life was his weekend trip to Brighton, where he saw The Who, a band he is obsessed with. Sounds like a fun life, right? Except that he does this stuff to escape from a humdrum home and work life. He works a dead end job and goes to therapy. He doesnât feel accepted by anyone: not his family, nor his friends or crush. After quitting his job, he goes to Brighton to reminisce about the good times only to find out that the coolest mod, Ace Face, works a boring day job as a bell boy. Heâs disillusioned with the mod subculture and feels let down and hates life. Jimmy steals a boat and sails out to a rock in the pouring rain. What happens to Jimmy is up to you to imagine. Did he die or did he come back and get the help he needs?
The album was recorded after a year of little activity for the band. They set the bar high with Tommy and Whoâs Next, so what were they going to release next? Pete Townshend decided to write a relatable concept album and so we have Quadrophenia, another well-loved album that has two popular songs: â5:15â and âLove Reign Oâer Meâ. The Who at their best everyone. If you really want to dive into Quadrophenia, I recommend listening to the album from start to finish, but if you want some under appreciated tracks, I recommend: âThe Real Meâ, âQuadropheniaâ, âCut My Hairâ, âThe Punk and the Godfatherâ, âIâm Oneâ, âIâve Had Enoughâ, âSea and Sandâ, âDrownedâ, âBell Boyâ, and âThe Rockâ.
The Who By Numbers (1975)
This is my opinion and I think Who superfans might hate me for this, but I think The Who went downhill from here. From Moonie on a downward spiral because of his alcoholism to the band running out of good ideas. Pete even admitted as much that he was experiencing writerâs block and felt like he was having a midlife crisis⌠at 30! So he basically made this album his diary. Well, I guess in the entertainment industry if youâre 30, you might as well be in the retirement home! This is more of a personal album than the others.
The last two studio albums with Moonie donât have the same magic as the previous three and itâs a tough act to follow. The Who set the bar so high. Where are the concept albums? Why did they give this up? I want Lifehouse or Quads! Give us that, Pete! I guess with the band being busy with solo projects (which are more worth your time than this album) and working on the movie Tommy, maybe the music wasnât as important. However, there are Who fans who disagree with me and think this is one of the bandâs most underrated albums. Even after another listen, Iâm wondering whereâs the energy and I feel like sleeping listening to this album. When I listen to the Who, Iâm in the mood for music that I can blast loudly and get me energised – this album doesnât deliver on that. If we look at The Whoâs setlists, it falls pretty far down the list (about â down) of most performed albums. Even the most popular song from the album, âSqueeze Boxâ is their 56th most performed song. The album as a whole is not a live favourite. Their 80s hits âEminence Frontâ and âYou Better You Betâ have been performed more!
The nicest thing I can say about this album is I like John Entwistleâs drawing style. To be fair, the album isnât awful, but I think greatest hits compilations cover the essentials: the opening track âSlip Kidâ and âSqueeze Boxâ. Instead of those, give âHowever Much I Boozeâ, âSuccess Storyâ, âBlue Red and Greyâ (I think this one in particular is beautiful), and âHow Many Friendsâ a listen. âSuccess Storyâ is another example of why we shouldnât sleep on John Entwistleâs songwriting.
Who Are You (1978)
This album is the last one recorded with Keith Moon. Itâs less liked than The Who By Numbers, but not hated as much as the post-Keith Moon albums: Itâs Hard and Face Dances. Critics didnât give it the best ratings and some fans call this album overproduced and synth heavy. Itâs really meh at best and not an essential album. Maybe if it had a more classic hard rock sound, it would sound better. To me, this is not an album that aged well. The synthesisers make it sound dated. Not only that, but you can tell the band were falling apart and Keith Moon wasnât performing like he used to.
The first track, âNew Songâ, has a good idea behind it – about how the industry want bands to keep making songs that have the same magic as before, but itâs forgettable and cheesy. âHad Enoughâ describes my mood listening to this album.
The greatest hits albums have it right, the only songs worth listening to are âTrick of the Lightâ (the best track imo) and âWho Are Youâ, both stronger songs than the best songs on The Who By Numbers – and thatâs about the nicest thing I have to say about this album. However, I think âWho Are Youâ is really overplayed and would be The Whoâs âSatisfactionâ – itâs overstayed its welcome in setlist and I wish radio stations would play other songs. Itâs a weak album, thatâs all I have to say. Really should put this in the Not That section, but Iâm listing all the albums in a logical order.
Face Dances and Itâs Hard (1981 and 1982, respectively)
Itâs pretty much universally agreed upon in the Who fandom that the two albums after Keith Moonâs death are not good and donât have a lot of redeeming moments. People are hard on Keith Moonâs replacement Kenney Jones, who was in fellow 60s mod band The Small Faces. He was a good fit for that band and a decent drummer for their sound, but not for The Who. Keith Moon was a one of a kind drummer and as they say about him, âthere is no substituteâ. I really tried to give these albums a chance because Iâm such a Who stan, but thereâs really nothing thatâs worth giving a listen, unless youâre absolutely obsessed with The Who. The greatest hits albums basically cover the noteworthy songs: âYou Better You Betâ and âEminence Frontâ (that bassline though). Todd in the Shadows should make a Trainwreckords video about these albums.
Iâll be honest, I was hitting that skip button and trying to fast forward so I could move on and finish with this post already. Why Did I Fall For That is right! Just because itâs by The Who doesnât mean itâs good.
Honestly, youâre better off listening to Peteâs solo work because âLet My Love Open the Doorâ and âRough Boysâ are bops.
Overall, The Who are an amazing band and despite their output post Quadrophenia being hit and miss, they easily have legendary status and it is only right that I give The Who their own Listen to This, Not That.
The Who arenât as talked about as The Beatles and The Stones and that needs to change. Their contribution to rock music is huge and their songs are classic rock radio staples and I think you can get an even better appreciation if you go beyond the radio hits because there are so many gems in their discography. Check out my Listen to This, Not That: The Who playlist below:
Coming up next will be a British Invasion roundup post – where Iâll highlight bands that were well known for a couple songs and Iâll share some songs by them that I think are underappreciated.
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I agree; the late 60s-early 70s was their heyday. Peteâs brilliant writing, Rogerâs powerful vocals and John and Keithâs amazing musicianship made them a force in rock and roll.
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I dig The Who as well and was fortunate to see them three times over the past 20 years, though unfortunately never with Keith Moon (obviously). But at least I saw The Ox once – as a retired bassist, that was a special treat!
I also agree the band’s period (until the mid ’70s) was their best. That being said, have you checked out their last album ingeniously titled “Who”? đ
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