Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, and The Who

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are two of the most iconic rockers in the history of rock and roll. As the face of the classic rock band, The Who, Roger and Pete have rocked their way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lead singer Roger Daltrey is known for his powerful, dynamic vocals that can rock you a mile away. Pete Townshend is the six-string-shredder of The Who, famous for his windmill strumming technique. While Roger has a not too shabby acting career, and Pete is a fantastic story writer, both will always be remembered for their unbelievable musical talents. However, Daltrey and Townshend are much more than violent, instrument-smashing rock stars, for they have proven themselves to be brilliant songwriters. These members of The Who, especially Pete Townshend, have been recognized as musical geniuses with the ability to blow people’s minds with their song-writing abilities.

The Who, originally called the Detours, was introduced to the world in 1965 and would eventually be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Most of this success would be a result of Pete Townshend’s amazing song writing ability. Pete Townshend was born May 19, 1945 in London England. He grew up in the same neighborhood as his lead singer, Roger Daltrey. While he got into music and guitar playing as a teenager, Pete also went through a terrible childhood experience, believing he had been molested as a boy. This horrifying event, however, may have actually benefitted the band in their pursuit to reach the Hall of Fame. Though it did cause Townshend a life of troubles, Pete’s molestation may have been his inspiration to write one of his most famous projects, Tommy. Tommy was an unbelievable Rock Opera that shocked everybody in the world of music and sent The Who skyrocketing to the top of the charts in England and the U.S. Tommy singlehandedly revealed Townshend and The Who to be one of the most genius artists in history. Later, Townshend wrote another Rock project called Quadrophenia in 1973. Another incredible musical masterpiece, Quadrophenia secured Townshend’s spot amongst the best writers of all time. The success of these two rock operas did not end here. Tommy and Quadrophenia had been so successful that they were later turned into plays and films. Rock Operas were not The Who’s only claims to fame. The Who also had great success with their singles. Townshend, Daltrey, and The Who wrote chart-topping singles such as “I can see for Miles,” “My Generation,” “Who Are You,” and many more songs. While Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are the only two surviving band members from The Who, the band still has a large fan base 45 years later and has withstood the test of time. The collection of all of the band’s hits, operas, immortality, and overall success has earned them a spot at the table of the greatest song writers in history.

The Who was not like any other rock band. They went beyond everyone’s imagination and accomplished feats that the average mind could never think of. While the band did include one of the most powerful vocalists of all time, a great guitar player, an incredible drummer, and a smooth bass player, it is clear that the mass of talent was not the reason for the Who’s overall success. To write such an abundance of hit songs, a band must have a musical genius. To write entire rock operas, a band must have much more. The Who found such a person in Pete Townshend. After an unbelievable 45 year musical career full of unbelievable accomplishments, any rocker would agree that The Who and Pete Townshend are among the best writers in music history. In conclusion, it is clear that The Who’s great success rode on the genius of Pete Townshend, rather than the raw talent of the band.