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The Who is a British rock band. They were noted for the dynamism of their live performances and for their thoughtful music, including Tommy, one of the first rock operas.

In its early days, the band was known as the High Numbers and played mostly rhythm and blues. They changed their name to The Who and became the most popular band among the British Mods, a social movement of the early 60s who rejected the older style of music favored by the Rockers. The album and film Quadrophenia are based on the story of the Mods and Rockers, particularly riots between the two factions at Brighton.

The Who's first hit was "The Kids are Alright", a mod anthem, but they vaulted to fame with another anthem, "My Generation", which included the line, "Hope I die before I get old". Another early favorite, showing Townshend's way with words, was "Substitute", which had the opening line, "I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth."

From the beginning, The Who drew attention because all three musicians, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon all played, in effect, lead parts. Singer Roger Daltrey was a dynamic front man, twirling his microphone on the end of its cord while Townshend played windmill chords on his guitar with great sweeps of his arms, and the maniacal Moon bashed and crashed like no drummer ever before him. Through it all, Entwhistle stood still and played intricate, innovative bass lines. At the end of their live performances in their first years, the band would smash their instruments and explode smoke bombs, signalling that they had given the audience all they had.

The Who were also notorious for treating their hotel rooms and dressing rooms the same way.

Although they had great success as a singles band, the Who, or more properly their leader Townshend, had their sights set higher, and over the years their music became more complex and their lyrics more evocative and involving. The first sign of this ambition came in their album The Who Sell Out which purported to have been transcribed from a pirate radio station that played nothing but Who music. Tommy and Quadrophenia continued the trend to greater elaborateness. Other later albums were more personal, and eventually Townshend transferred this personal style to his solo albums.

Members include:

• Roger Daltrey - lead singer
• Pete Townshend - lead guitar/main songwriter
• John Entwistle - bass (until June 27, 2002)
• Keith Moon - drummer (until 1978)

Discography

Studio Albums

• 1965 - The Who Sings My Generation
• 1966 - A Quick One, British album including their first essay at rock opera, "A Quick One While He's Away".
• 1967 - The Who Sell Out
• 1969 - Tommy
• 1971 - Who's Next
• 1971 - Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy
• 1973 - Quadrophenia
• 1975 - The Who By Numbers
• year - Odds and Sods -- a collection of singles and B-sides
• 1978 - Who Are You
• 1981 - Face Dances

Concert Albums

• year - The Kids are Alright
• 1970 - Live At Leeds

The Band Name

They chose to give the band a short name because concert posters at the time typically ran a list of band names, devoting one line to each band. They figured that even if they were at the bottom of the bill their name would be printed in larger type because it was short.