The 5 Most Memorable Rock Operas by The Who

The Who are famous for pioneering the rock opera. A concept album bringing a classical form to rock fans, the rock opera is the meeting ground for high art and low(er) art. Here we’ll be looking at the most memorable rock operas by The Who.

The idea was ambitious and ground-breaking at the time. Though some of the stories are complex, what grounds them is classic songwriting. We can easily separate iconic songs like “Pinball Wizard” and “The Real Me” from their epic parent works. Even for critics who are cynical about the overly ambitious efforts of rock stars, the individual songs highlighting these albums stand out. 

It’s not necessary to understand the synopsis of Quadrophenia to feel the redemption of “Love, Reign o’er Me.” Pete Townshend was wise enough to realize he could make a lofty concept accessible with a good old-fashioned power chord. 

1. Quadrophenia (1973)

Quadrophenia tells the story of Jimmy, a working-class mod who’s disillusioned by the tedium of daily life. Stuck working dead-end jobs, Jimmy can’t find happiness. The drugs don’t work and a visit with a psychiatrist is unhelpful. Contemplating suicide, he heads for Brighton where he discovers a fellow mod, Ace Face, working as a bellboy in a hotel. Jimmy steals a boat and sails to a rock. Jimmy contemplates his life while he’s stranded on the rock. The album ends with the epic “Love, Reign o’er Me,” were Jimmy finds redemption in the rain. 

Quadrophenia is more focused than the most famous rock opera by The Who, Tommy. The story and theme of a disillusioned kid was relatable to British youth at the time. It also focused heavily on songs. The album opens with “I Am the Sea” which foreshadows how the story ends. Then the band immediately thrusts the listener into the unforgettable song, “The Real Me.” Quadrophenia is Pete Townshend’s songwriting apogee.

Only love can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers laying in the fields

[RELATED: The Who’s Pete Townshend Writes New Rock Opera]

2. Tommy (1969)

Pete Townshend’s inspiration for Tommy came by the teachings of Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual guru. Tommy is the story of a “deaf, dumb, and blind kid” who’s traumatized by his father killing his mother’s lover. His parents try convincing Tommy the event he witnessed didn’t really happen. Tommy experiences emotional and sexual abuse and tries coping with his trauma by playing pinball. Using his keen sense of touch, he becomes a pinball wizard. To confront his pain, a doctor prescribes Tommy a mirror. Tommy becomes delusional and messianic. He starts a religion and attempts to convince his followers the true path to healing is through him. They ultimately reject Tommy and his teachings.

Ever since I was a young boy
I’ve played the silver ball
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played ’em all
But I ain’t seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall
That deaf, dumb, and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball

3. “A Quick One, While He’s Away” (1966)

Pete Townshend introduced “A Quick One, While He’s Away” in concert by as “Tommy’s parents.” The song is a nine-minute mini-opera. It’s a story of a girl whose lover leaves for a year. Her friends offer a “remedy.” A man named Ivor the Engine Driver is the cure. Her lover returns and she confesses she’s been unfaithful to him. He forgives her. Townshend arranged “A Quick One” in six movements: 1. “Her Man’s Been Gone,” 2. “Crying Town,” 3. “We Have a Remedy,” 4. “Ivor the Engine Driver,” 5. “Soon Be Home,” 6. “You Are Forgiven.”

Down your street your crying is a well-known sound
Your street is very well known throughout your town
Your town is very famous for the little girl
Whose crying can be heard all around the world

4. “I’m a Boy” (1966)

The Who intended to place “I’m a Boy” into a rock opera called Quads. The plot is set in a future where parents choose the gender of their children. In the song, a family places an order for four girls. But they make a mistake and instead three girls and a boy arrive. Townshend and band eventually discarded Quads and released “I’m a Boy” as a single. 

One girl was called Jean Marie
Another little girl was called Felicity
Another little girl was Sally Joy
The other was me, and I’m a boy

5. Lifehouse (1971)

Pete Townshend intended Lifehouse to follow Tommy. But he abandoned the idea of a follow-up rock opera and The Who recorded Who’s Next instead. The plot centered on a world uninhabitable due to pollution. In this new reality, the powers that be force people to wear “Lifesuits.” The suits simulate life’s experiences so no one has to leave their home. “My Wife” was the only song on Who’s Next that didn’t originate from Lifehouse. Bassist John Entwistle wrote it. Songs from the original Lifehouse project would eventually see light on subsequent albums. The complex story was collected on a Pete Townshend box set called Lifehouse Chronicles (2000). 

Out here in the fields
I farm for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don’t need to fight
To prove I’m right
I don’t need to be forgiven

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns