At the end of May, one of the greatest bands to ever play will be embarking on their last major tour. The Who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band. Along with this celebration will be the 70th birthday celebration for Pete Townshend, the guitarist and songwriter for The Who. This band has come a long way since Townshend was just 20 years old, trying to write a hit song that would tear its way up the charts. Here are some of the many accomplishments this band has achieved as they took the world by storm.
- Sold over 100 million records worldwide.
- Credited with originating “rock opera," which is rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs, or sections in the manner of opera.
- Pete Townshend and John Entwistle were directly responsible for the creation and widespread use of stacked Marshall cabinets.
- One of Townshend's guitar smashes was included in Rolling Stone magazine's “50 Moments that Changed Rock and Roll."
- Influenced performers such as Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Ramones, MC5, The Stooges, The Six Pistols, The Clash, Oasis, and Green Day.
- Paved the way for hard rock and heavy metal with their loud volume.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
- Inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
- Won the first ever Freddie Mercury Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
- Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2001.
- Three albums in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
- Four songs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll."
- First rock band to be awarded Kennedy Center Honors (an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture).
- Quadrophenia won “Best Album Award" from the Classic Rock and Roll of Honours.
- Seven albums on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
- Ranked No. two in Classic Rock's “50 Best Live Acts of All Time."
- Ranked No. seven in Q magazine's “50 Bands You Must See Before You Die."
- Roger Daltrey was ranked No. 61 in Rolling Stone's “Best Singers of all Time."
- Pete Townshend was ranked No. three for "Best Guitarists" in The New Book of Rock Lists.
- Guitar magazine named John Entwistle "Bassist of the Millennium."
- Keith Moon was ranked at No. two on Rolling Stone's "The Best Drummers of All Time."
- The Guinness Book of World Records listed The Who as the record holder for "The Loudest Band in the World."
- Important trademarks of the band: power chords, windmill strum, and the guitar smash.
Over the past 50 years, this band has proved to the world that they are some of the best rock stars to ever live. Although they might be getting up there when it comes to age, they continue to tear it up on stage on their North American/ European tour, which ends in November. This band has left behind a great legacy that no other band will ever be able to live up to.
