The Who are one of the most critically acclaimed rock bands, and have received numerous awards and accolades that reflect both their enduring popularity and commercial success.
The Who are one of the most critically acclaimed rock bands, and have received numerous awards and accolades that reflect both their enduring popularity and commercial success.
The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, [1] the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005, [2] and won the first annual Freddie Mercury Lifetime Achievement in Live Music Award in 2006. [3] They received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Phonographic Industry in 1988, [4] and from the Grammy Foundation in 2001, [5] for creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Tommy was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, "My Generation" in 1999 and Who's Next in 2007. [6] My Generation was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry in 2009. [7] "Baba O'Riley", "Go to the Mirror!", "I Can See For Miles" and "My Generation", were included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. [8] The Broadway version of Tommy , The Who's Tommy , won five Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards in 1993, while the London version won three Laurence Olivier Awards in 1997. Similarly, the movie adaptation of Tommy won the award for "Rock Movie of the Year" in the first annual Rock Music Awards in 1975. [9] In 1974, NME awarded "5:15" the "Best British Single" award. [10] Similarly, NME awarded Keith Moon the award for "Best Drummer" in 1978. [11] The following year, NME awarded the film Quadrophenia the "Film of the Year" award. [12] In 2005 The Who received the Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef Award for their outstanding contribution to music. [13]
At the 31st annual awards ceremony on 7 December 2008, Townshend and Daltrey received Kennedy Center Honors; the first rock band to be so honoured. [14] VH1 Rock Honors 2008 paid homage to The Who with tribute performances from Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips, Incubus and Tenacious D. On 12 March 2011, Roger Daltrey received the Steiger Award for excellence in music. [15] Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend received the Classic Album Award for Quadrophenia from the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards at The Roundhouse, 9 November 2011, in London, England. [16]
On 6 September 2012, it was announced that Pete Townshend will be presented with the prestigious Les Paul Award at the 28th Annual TEC Awards on 25 January 2013. According to Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation, he said "Pete Townshend personifies both guitar wizardry and technical prowess in both studio and live music performance. He is a true original and a natural choice for the Les Paul Award honor". [17]
The Who had seven albums on Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003, more than any other act with the exceptions of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. "Baba O'Riley", "My Generation" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" were ranked at No. 159, [18] No. 232, [19] and No. 295. [20] respectively on Rolling Stone's list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2021. Furthermore, "My Generation" and "I Can See For Miles" ranked at No.3 [21] and No.10 [22] respectively on "Your Favorite British Invasion Songs" readers' poll and the documentary The Kids Are Alright ranked at No.5. [23] on Rolling Stone's readers' poll. "Baba O'Riley" was ranked No. 11 [24] on Ultimate Classic Rock's list of "Top 100 Classic Rock Songs" and "My Generation" at No.6 [25] on its "Top 10 Drum Songs" list. VH1 ranked "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "My Generation" at No.6 and No.37 respectively on its list of "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" in 2009. [26] The Guardian placed My Generation at No.36 on its list of "The 50 Albums That Changed Music" in 2006. [27] ClassicRockReview.com awarded Who's Next as the "Album of the Year – 1971" by saying "Perhaps THE most complete rock album in history, Who's Next has just about everything". [28] Guitar World magazine ranked Who's Next at No.23 on its "Top 50 Greatest Guitar Albums" list. [29] Q magazine ranked "I Can't Explain" at No.24 on "The 50 Most Exciting Tunes Ever" list in 2002. [30] Similarly, in a readers' poll, Q ranked Who's Next at No.63 in 2003 and then at No.56 in 2006 on its list of "100 Greatest Albums Ever". [31] In 2007, Q ranked Live at Leeds at No.6 [32] on "The 20 Loudest Albums of All Time" list while NME magazine put it at No.3 [33] on its list of "Ten Great Live Albums" in 2011. NME placed Tommy and My Generation at No.16 and No.22 respectively on its list of "NME Writers All Time Top 100" in 1974. Likewise, "My Generation" was also named the best debut album in 1965 and its self-titled song was placed on the list of "75 Tunes That Defined Rock 'N' Roll" by NME. [34] In 2007, IGN placed Quadrophenia at No.1 in their list of the "Greatest Classic Rock Albums of All Time". [35] According to BestAlbumsEver.com, known for compiling databases and "Best Of" lists for albums, Who's Next ranks at No.2 in the best albums of 1971, [36] at No.7 in the best albums of the 1970s [37] and at No.25 in the "Overall Greatest Album" list, [38] making it The Who's most successful album in their career.
The Who are ranked No. 3 on About.com's "Top 50 Classic Rock Bands". [39] Rolling Stone also ranked them No. 29 [40] on its "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list and No.3 [41] on its "Top Ten Live Acts of All Time" readers' poll list in 2011. The Who are ranked No. 2 on Classic Rock's "50 Best Live Acts of All Time". [42] Yahoo Voices ranked them at No.3 on "Top 10 Best Live Rock Bands of All Time" list. [43] The Who were ranked No. 9 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of all time" in 1998, [44] then No. 13 in 2010, [45] and No. 8 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists" in 2000. [46] Q magazine ranked The Who at No.7 on its list of "50 Bands You Must See Before You Die". [47] Likewise, they placed The Who's gig at University of Leeds in 1970 on the list of "The Best Gigs Ever". [48] BestEverAlbums.com ranks them at No.13 on "Best Bands of All Time" list (based on album rankings and points only). [49] For a number of years, The Guinness Book of World Records listed The Who as the record holder for "The Loudest Band in the World" at 126 dB, measured at a distance of 32 meters from the speakers at a concert at The Valley on 31 May 1976. [50]
Individually, each of the original members of the band received accolades throughout their music careers. Roger Daltrey was ranked No. 61 on Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Singers" in 2011. [51] Pete Townshend was ranked No. 3 in Dave Marsh's list of "Best Guitarists" in The New Book of Rock Lists, [52] No. 10 in Gibson.com's list of the "Top 50 Guitarists", [53] and No. 10 again in Rolling Stone's updated 2011 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists". [54] In 2000, Guitar magazine named John Entwistle "Bassist of the Millennium" in a readers' poll. [55] J. D. Considine ranked Entwistle No. 9 on his list of "Top 50 Bass Players" [56] and was also named the second best bassist on Creem magazine's 1974 Reader Poll Results. [57] In 2011, a Rolling Stone reader poll selected Entwistle as the No. 1 bassist of all time. Gibson.com ranked Entwistle at No.7 on its list of "Top 10 Metal and Hard Rock Bass Players" in September 2012. [58] Keith Moon was ranked at No. 1 on Dave Marsh's The New Book of Rock Lists of "The 50 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Drummers". [59] Similarly, he was ranked at No.2 [60] on Rolling Stone's "The Best Drummers of All Time" readers' poll and No.10 [61] on "Top 10 Greatest Dead Rock Stars" readers' poll in 2011.
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled Nevermind to the top of several albums charts at the start of 1992, an event often marked as the point when grunge entered the mainstream. It was Nirvana's biggest hit, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992, and was number one on the charts in Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. It was met with wide critical acclaim, and described as an "anthem for apathetic kids" of Generation X. Although Nirvana grew uncomfortable with the mainstream and commercial attention the song brought to them, listeners and critics continue to praise "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as one of the greatest songs of all time.
Who's Next is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 2 August 1971. It developed from the aborted Lifehouse project, a multi-media rock opera conceived by the group's guitarist Pete Townshend as a follow-up to the band's 1969 album Tommy. The project was cancelled owing to its complexity and to conflicts with Kit Lambert, the band's manager, but the group salvaged some of the songs, without the connecting story elements, to release as their next album. Eight of the nine songs on Who's Next were from Lifehouse, with the lone exception being the John Entwistle-penned "My Wife". Ultimately, the remaining Lifehouse tracks would all be released on other albums throughout the next decade.
My Generation is the debut studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 3 December 1965 by Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom, and Festival Records in Australia. In the United States, it was released on 25 April 1966 by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing. Besides the members of the Who, being Roger Daltrey (vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar), John Entwistle (bass) and Keith Moon (drums), the album features contributions by session musician Nicky Hopkins (piano).
Live at Leeds is the first live album by English rock band the Who. It was recorded at the University of Leeds Refectory on 14 February 1970, and is their only live album that was released while the group were still actively recording and performing with their best-known line-up of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon.
Synchronicity is the fifth and final studio album by the British rock band the Police, released on 17 June 1983 by A&M Records. The band's most successful release, the album includes the hit singles "Every Breath You Take", "King of Pain", "Wrapped Around Your Finger", and "Synchronicity II". The album's title and much of the material for the songs were inspired by Arthur Koestler's book The Roots of Coincidence (1972). At the 1984 Grammy Awards the album was nominated for a total of five awards, including Album of the Year, and won three. At the time of its release and following its tour, the Police's popularity was at such a high that they were arguably, according to BBC and The Guardian, the "biggest band in the world".
The Stone Roses is the debut studio album by English rock band the Stone Roses. It was recorded mostly at Battery Studios in London with producer John Leckie from June 1988 to February 1989 and released later that year on 2 May by Silvertone Records.
Grace is the only studio album by American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, released on August 23, 1994, by Columbia Records. The album had poor sales and received mixed reviews at the time of its release. However, in recent years it has dramatically risen in critical reputation. An extended version of the album, celebrating its tenth anniversary, was released on August 23, 2004, and peaked at number 44 in the UK.
"My Generation" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. One of the band's most recognizable songs, it was placed number 11 by Rolling Stone on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004 and 2010, re-ranked number 232 in the 2021 edition. It became part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. It is considered one of the band's signature songs.
"Baba O'Riley" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by the guitarist, Pete Townshend. It is the opening track to the Who's fifth album, Who's Next (1971). In Europe, it was released as a single in October 1971, coupled with "My Wife". Performances of "Baba O'Riley" appear on several Who live albums.
"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). It was released as the album's second single initially in the UK in September 1987 then again in October 1988 this time including the US, where it reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Crazy Train" is the debut solo single by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and was released in 1980 from his debut album as a solo artist, Blizzard of Ozz (1980). The song was written by Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley. The lyrics deal with the subject of the Cold War and the fear of annihilation that existed during this period.
"Coffee & TV" is a song by British rock band Blur. It was written by the band's guitarist, Graham Coxon, who also sang lead vocals rather than frontman Damon Albarn. The song appears on Blur's sixth studio album, 13 (1999), and was the second single released from the album on 28 June 1999. The lyrics describe Coxon's struggle with alcoholism and the song's video, featuring a sentient milk carton searching for Coxon, won several awards. Commercially, "Coffee & TV" reached No. 11 in the United Kingdom and No. 26 in Ireland. It was a major hit in Iceland, where it peaked at No. 2 in September 1999.
Let It Be is the third studio album by American rock band The Replacements. It was released on October 2, 1984, by Twin/Tone Records. A post-punk album with coming-of-age themes, Let It Be was recorded by the band after they had grown tired of playing loud and fast exclusively as on their 1983 Hootenanny album; the group decided to write songs that were, according to vocalist Paul Westerberg, "a little more sincere."
"Master of Puppets" is a thrash metal song by American metal band Metallica, released on July 2, 1986, as the only single from the album of the same name. It was also issued as a promo single in the US by Elektra Records.
"Love, Reign o'er Me", subtitled "Pete's Theme", is a song by English rock band The Who. Written and composed by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was released on 27 October 1973 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album and second rock opera, Quadrophenia. It is the final song on the album, and has been a concert staple for years. The song peaked at number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 54 on Cash Box.
"I Can See for Miles" is a song by the English rock band the Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Written by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was the only song from the album to be released as a single.
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by the English rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 23 July 1988, behind "Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is considered the band's signature song, and was ranked #2 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" in 2006.
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine Rolling Stone. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in a special issue of the magazine in 2003 and a related book in 2005.
new book of rock lists greatest drummers.
