As The Who continues to honor the 50th anniversary of their brilliant LP 'Who's Next,' the Paste team runs down their 20 greatest songs.
had chosen to top this list, their response was usually a moment of quiet contemplation before saying something along the lines of, “Yeah, that works, but what about…” And so would begin many long debates about which one of the hundreds of songs recorded by Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon might rise to the #1 spot. As I said in our recent list on, there are far too many contenders to consider.
What you’re going to find below only scratches the surface but manages to include a taste of the group’s explosive early maximum R&B sound, their friendly embrace of psychedelia, Townshend’s growing ambition that codified what a concept album could be, the gentle injection of electronic instruments into their massive sound and their continuing interest in straight up pop.
The Who are still adding new chapters to their history. They just wrapped up a series of concert dates in Europe to celebrate the 50th anniversary ofthat aims to tell the complete story of how Townshend intended and failed to make another grand conceptual statement. That they came out of the experience with one of their tightest collections of songs only speaks to the hot streak the group was on. The four men emerged bloodied but unbowed and as brilliant as ever.
As with all of our lists, this is sure to raise some eyebrows and hackles among the legions of Who fans. I can already hear you sharpening your knives as you realize that none of the songs Entwistle wrote for the group are among the 20. My hope is that you do as my friends did, and give yourself a moment’s pause to appreciate that six decades after the group got together, we are still talking them and praising them to the heavens. Not many bands get that lucky.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Wonder Years: The Greatest Generation 10th Anniversary TourThe Wonder Years: The Greatest Generation 10th Anniversary Tour at House of Blues: House of Blues is the place to see megawatt artists on their way up (or down) the charts. The Music Hall holds more than 1,000, while the more intimate Cambridge Room hosts local bands and national acts still cultivating their following.
Read more »
The 10 Greatest And Strangest Horror Movie Crossovers EverHorror movie crossovers have dominated B-movie horror for generations, but not all crossovers were created equal. Some are brilliant, others are not.
Read more »
The 15 Greatest Charli XCX SongsFrom 'Hot Girl' to 'I Got It' to 'forever' to 'Vroom Vroom,' here are the 15 greatest Charli XCX songs ranked.
Read more »
Remembering Terence Davies, the Greatest British DirectorRichard Brody writes about the death of the British filmmaker Terence Davies, whose œuvre includes “Distant Voices, Still Lives,” “A Quiet Passion,” and “Benediction.”
Read more »
'Lawmen: Bass Reeves' Trailer - David Oyelowo Is America's Greatest LawmanDavid Oyelowo dons the badge of America's greatest lawman and faces outlaws of all kinds in a tense new trailer for Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
Read more »
Get Audible for less than $6 a month during Amazon's October Prime DayEnjoy instant access to the latest (and greatest) audiobooks.
Read more »