LONG LIVE THE WHO!

For over six decades, The Who has survived the test of time, staying relevant with a unique sound that is, as the British band’s 1971 compilation album described, “meaty, beaty, big and bouncy.”

- By JOAQUIN HENSON

Lead vocalist Roger Daltrey still rocks at 81.

It’s a challenge for musicians to endure shifting consumer tastes and preferences, but The Who has managed to appeal to a wide range of generations from Baby Boomers onwards without missing a beat.

So, when The Who performed before a sellout audience of 18,000 at the iconic Hollywood Bowl during a recent 17-show, 14-city North American farewell tour, young and old alike sang and danced to the music, mindless of the age gap.

The Who’s legacy is ingrained in the numerous awards received through the years. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Once recognized as the loudest band ever at 126 dB from a distance of 32 meters by the Guinness Book of World Records, The Who has metamorphosed from a guitar-smashing act on stage to a pure-and-easy blend, with Daltrey still swinging the long wire of his microphone in a vertical, circular motion and Townshend rounding his arm to strike his guitar like a whirlwind.