#113 Tommy by The Who

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

113

2011 Album Rank

83

Total Points

533

Year Released

1969

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

4

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

2,000,000 (Multi Platinum)

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Tommy Album Details

Released on May 23, 1969, Tommy is The Who's groundbreaking double album rock opera that tells the story of a "deaf, dumb, and blind" boy who becomes a spiritual leader through a surreal series of traumas, visions, and triumphs. Written almost entirely by Pete Townshend, the album represented an ambitious leap in both storytelling and rock conceptualization. It combined British Invasion energy with classical and operatic structure, using recurring musical themes and narrative cohesion.

Tommy signaled a reinvention of The Who from mod-pop agitators into conceptual visionaries. Its themes of trauma, repression, spiritual enlightenment, and the dangers of idolization were unprecedented in rock music. Tracks like Pinball Wizard, I'm Free, and Sensation became essential Who anthems, while the suite-like structure of the album invited serious critical discussion about rock as high art.

Other albums by The Who on the list: Who's Next

Interesting Facts about Tommy

• Townshend was inspired by Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba, who had taken a vow of silence. Many of Tommy's themes, particularly the idea of a silent messiah, were drawn from Baba's teachings, though the story itself became more secular and psychedelic as it developed.
• Keith Moon was initially confused by the project and reportedly asked Townshend, "What's it about again?" several times during rehearsals. Despite this, Moon's drumming is among the most dynamic on any Who record, particularly on Underture and Amazing Journey.
• The band was initially unsure about the commercial viability of such an unconventional concept album. Manager Kit Lambert encouraged Townshend to expand what had begun as a short cycle of songs into a full-blown narrative opera.
• The album's most famous single, Pinball Wizard, was reportedly added late in the process to appeal to rock critic Nik Cohn, who was a pinball fanatic. Cohn later admitted the song swayed his favorable review.
• Outtakes from the Tommy sessions include Dogs, Part Two and early versions of Young Man Blues, which were not used in the album but appeared later in live sets and on other releases.
• The original 1969 live debut of Tommy began with a heavily condensed version. By the time of the band's legendary Woodstock set, they were performing nearly the entire album live, an exhausting and risky choice that won over skeptical audiences.
• Live versions of Tommy evolved significantly over time. The 1970 Live at Leeds performance is considered one of the most powerful renditions of the suite, even though it was still being adjusted on stage.
• A full orchestral version of Tommy was recorded in 1972 with the London Symphony Orchestra and a cast including Steve Winwood, Ringo Starr, and Rod Stewart. Townshend himself participated, but some critics considered it overly bombastic.
• The 1975 film adaptation directed by Ken Russell starred Roger Daltrey as Tommy and featured appearances by Elton John (as the Pinball Wizard), Tina Turner, and Jack Nicholson. The film took liberties with the story and visuals, turning the surrealism up to 11.
• In 1993, Tommy was reimagined as a Broadway musical with additional lyrics and dialogue by Townshend. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Original Score, and reintroduced the story to a new generation.
• One abandoned song, Trying to Get Through, was reportedly too dark for inclusion. Other fragments, like Welcome and Sally Simpson, underwent lyrical changes during the mixing process.
• Though Tommy was not initially a massive chart hit in the UK, it performed better in the US, where its ambition and live performances captured a zeitgeist hungry for something beyond the three-minute single.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 for its cultural and historical significance.

Tommy Tracklist

1. Overture
2. It's a Boy
3. 1921
4. Amazing Journey
5. Sparks
6. The Hawker
7. Christmas
8. Cousin Kevin
9. The Acid Queen
10. Underture
11. Do You Think it's Alright?
12. Fiddle About
13. Pinball Wizard - Reached #19 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
14. There's a Doctor
15. Go to the Mirror!
16. Tommy Can You Hear Me?
17. Smash the Mirror
18. Sensation
19. Miracle Cure
20. Sally Simpson
21. I'm Free - Reached #19 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
22. Welcome
23. Tommy's Holiday Camp
24. We're Not Gonna Take It!