See Me Feel Me: The Who’s Tommy and the Rise of the Rock Opera

50 years ago, the world’s hardest-rocking band embraced orchestral techniques and released a narrative album that set the stage for The Wall, American Idiot, and IGOR.

Written by Zac Weiss

Photo courtesy of Decca Records

In March 1969, The Who were known as the world’s most powerful rock ‘n’ roll group. Their live shows were dramatic and uncontrollable. Their mod audience thought they knew what to expect from the band: Keith Moon’s ferocious drumming, John “Thunderfingers” Entwistle’s melodic bass, Roger Daltrey’s piercing howl, and Pete Townshend’s windmill strumming and onstage guitar smashing.

In May of that year, they released Tommy. Upon initially listening to the album, it was obvious the band had evolved. The double album opened with an overture featuring organ, timpani, and french horn that introduced musical themes reiterated throughout the work. Some songs were as short as ten seconds, some as long as ten minutes. Most importantly, the album told a story. Each song built the tale of a deaf, mute, and blind boy who overcomes his inner turmoil to become a messianic figure. From the creation of Tommy’s psychological blocks (“1921,” “Amazing Journey”) to the failed attempts to find a cure (“The Acid Queen”) to his final breakthrough into reality (“Smash the Mirror,” “I’m Free”) and messianic status (
“Sensation”), each event in the opera had a dedicated song with its own distinct sound, style, and even voice.  But the Who had even grander ideas for their ambitious experiment. The album was meant not simply to be heard, but to be experienced by listeners, emphasized by The Who’s visceral live performances, orchestral adaptations, and even a film version of the work.

No one had heard anything like this before. There had been loosely conceptual albums before, and even another narrative album (Pretty Things’ S.F. Sorrow released the previous year) but a world-famous band creating such a complex narrative work was revolutionary. As proof of their trailblazing style, critics created a new term to describe this kind of album: “rock opera.” 

In the years to come, rock operas and narrative albums of every genre would stretch the limits of popular music. David Bowie’s 1972 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars follows an androgynous extraterrestrial superstar in his quest to save the hearts and minds of humans. Pink Floyd’s 1979 The Wall describes a musician’s self-imposed isolation and retreat into mental illness. Green Day’s 2004 punk opera American Idiot explores social disconnection and apathy in the age of the Bush administration. Most recently, Tyler the Creator’s 2019 hip-hop opera IGOR delves into love triangles and homophobia in rap music.

An elaborate set from Pink Floyd’s The Wall Tour; Photo courtesy of Columbia Records

But what’s the appeal of these pretentious and overblown stories? Why do bands continue to make these albums? More importantly, what makes rock operas so dear to listeners’ hearts?

It all comes down to stories. From the wandering minstrels of the middle ages, to classical tone poems, to Wagner’s song cycles, music has always been closely tied to storytelling, which is central to the human experience. That’s why legends and fairytales have existed for time immemorial. That’s why people dig deep into the lyrics and composition of their favorite songs, seeking to understand the artist’s thoughts and intentions. That’s why, in the case of albums like Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, and The Beach Boys’ Smile, the myth of the reclusive genius auteur is even more important than the music itself. 

Humans are irresistibly drawn to stories — especially as they exist in music. If songs are stories, then a rock opera is a novel. Each album synthesizes traditional structure and modern flair with such a grandeur that dares listeners to follow the artist through their greatest ambition. Stories are just as important today as ever, and rock operas are the most grandiose stories of all.