1970's

1970s

[ ] Lifehouse and Who's Next
In 1970, The Who began a studio album that was never released. At the in August, Daltrey introduced "I Don't Even Know Myself" as "off the new album, which we're sort of half-way through". But within weeks Townshend wrote "Pure and Easy", which he described as the "central pivot" of a concept album/ project called Lifehouse, distracting the band from the album. Lifehouse was never completed in its intended form. Some Lifehouse songs were released as non-album track singles, and on albums such as 1974's outtakes compilation Odds & Sods and Townshend's 1972 solo album Who Came First. Townshend later reconstructed it as a for the in 2000, and most of the material was on a 6-CD album from Townshend's website shortly after.

Meanwhile, in March 1971, the band began recording the available Lifehouse material with in New York, and then restarted the sessions with in April. Selections from the material, with one unrelated song by Entwistle, were released as a traditional studio album, Who's Next, which became their most successful album among critics and fans, but which terminated the Lifehouse project. Who's Next reached #4 in the USA pop charts and #1 in the UK. Two tracks from the album, "" and "", are cited as pioneering examples of use in rock music; both tracks' keyboard sounds were generated in real time by a Lowrey organ  [17] (though in "Won't Get Fooled Again", the organ was processed through a synthesizer). Synthesizers can be found elsewhere on the album, in "", "", and "The Song is Over".

[ ] Quadrophenia and By Numbers
Who's Next was followed by Quadrophenia (1973), which can be seen an autobiographical or social history piece about early 1960s adolescent life in London. The story is about Jimmy, his struggle for self-esteem, his conflicts with his family and others, and his mental illness.  [18] His story is set against clashes between and in the early 1960s in the UK, particularly at. The US tour featured a 20 November 1973 concert at the Cow Palace in Daly City where Moon passed out during "Won't Get Fooled Again" and in "Magic Bus". Townshend asked the audience, "Can anyone play the drums? - I mean somebody good." An audience member,, filled in for the rest of the encore.  [19]

The band's later albums contained songs more personal for Townshend, and he transferred this style to solo albums, as on the album Empty Glass. 1975's The Who by Numbers had introspective songs, lightened by "", another hit single. Nevertheless, some critics considered By Numbers Townshend's "suicide note."  [20] A movie version of Tommy released that year.was directed by, starred Daltrey and earning Townshend an nomination for Best Original Score. In 1976 The Who played at Charlton Athletic football ground in what was listed for over a decade in the as the world's loudest concert.  [13]

[ ] Who Are You and Moon's death
In 1978, the band released Who Are You, a move from rock opera towards a radio-friendly sound, though it did contain one song from a never-completed rock opera by Entwistle. The release was overshadowed by Moon's death in his sleep after an overdose of - prescribed to combat - a few hours after a party held by  [citation needed] . The last album cover shows Moon in a chair with the words "not to be taken away"; the song "Music Must Change" has no drum track. , of and, joined as Moon's successor.

In 1979, The Who returned to the stage with well-received concerts at the Rainbow Theatre in London, at the in France and at in New York City. A small tour of the United States was marred by tragedy: on 3 December 1979 in, a crush at killed 11 fans. The band was not told until after the show because civic authorities feared crowd problems if the concert were cancelled. Also in 1979, The Who released a documentary film called The Kids Are Alright and a film version of Quadrophenia, the latter a box office hit in the UK and the former capturing many of the band's most scintillating moments on stage. In December, The Who became the third band, after the and, featured on the cover of Time. The article, written by, said The Who had "outpaced, outlasted, outlived and outclassed" all of their rock band contemporaries.  [21]