Pete Townshend Names the Three Bands That Filled The Who’s Stadium Shoes
When The Who launched a massive farewell tour and initially split in the early 1980s, Pete Townshend noticed a massive shift in the live music landscape. In a recent interview with Classic Album Review, the guitarist revealed which acts stepped up to claim the massive crowds he had spent years cultivating.
Filling the Stadium Void
According to Townshend, three distinct groups picked up the mantle when the band broke up. “When I broke up The Who in 1982, post Live Aid, the band that came and filled the space, there were three bands – Bruce Springsteen, Queen and U2,” Townshend stated.
Townshend noted that he purposefully wrote huge, anthemic songs like “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and massive versions of “My Generation” specifically to work in stadium environments. He believes those three acts capitalized on the groundwork he laid while he spent time working as an editor at Faber & Faber. Despite feeling a slight sting at the time, Townshend expressed pride in their success, noting that they were respectful and that he eventually became friends with all of them.
Reassessing Led Zeppelin
In the same interview, Townshend addressed his previous harsh stance on Led Zeppelin, admitting that competition clouded his judgment back in the day. “The only heavy metal I really listened to was ACDC, and I never really got into Led Zeppelin,” he said. Townshend added that he has recently been trying to get Jimmy Page to have lunch with him and has been listening to Zeppelin’s catalog again, concluding that “there’s some fucking great stuff there.”
The guitarist compared the rivalry to his initial resistance to Jimi Hendrix, acknowledging how difficult it was to watch other revolutionary artists arrive with heavy distortion and massive amplification while trying to protect their own audience share.
Wacken Open Air Announces First 2027 Lineup: Five Finger Death Punch, Helloween & More
Continue reading →Latest Posts
Dave Grohl Broke Down in Tears After Playing With AC/DC
Bob Dylan Meets With Pope Leo XIV in Private Vatican Audience
The Doors Guitarist Robby Krieger Announces Death of Wife Lynn
Steven Tyler Pushes Back Against Aerosmith Retirement Rumors
Why Turnstile Turned Down an Offer to Open for Metallica
Aerosmith Stuns Hollywood Bowl with Guns N’ Roses and Run-DMC