Rank The Who's Albums

Quadrophenia
Who's Next
Live At Leeds
The Who By Numbers
Tommy

 

1. Who's Next
2. Who Are You
3. Quadrophenia
4. Face Dances
5. Tommy
6. It's Hard
7. Who by Numbers
8. Live at Leeds
9. Who Sell Out

 

and i, like a fool, sprung for the 3 CD version that cost a lot more money. i see it used now for $5 and under

 

What would be your other four picks? For me, Led Zeppelin IV needs to be there.

 

Agreed:

The Dark Side Of The Moon, Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin IV, Let It Bleed.

 

Excluding live albums (Live at Leeds is their crowning achievement), the studio albums would be personally ranked like this:

1. The Who Sell Out
2. Quadrophenia
3. Who's Next
4. The Who By Numbers
5. Tommy
6. A Quick One
7. My Generation
8. Who Are You
9. Face Dances
10. It's Hard
11. Endless Wire

 

1. Quadrophenia
2. Live at Leeds
3. Who's Next
4. Tommy
5. Who By Numbers
6. My Generation
7. A Quick One
8. Odds and Sods
9. Who Are You
10. Its Hard
11. Face Dances
12. Endless Wire

 

1. Who's Next
2. Tommy
3. Quadrophenia
4. Live at Leeds
5. Sell Out
6. By Numbers
7. My Generation
8. A Quick One
9. Who Are You
10. Face Dances
11. It's Hard
12. Endless Wire

 

I just commented on them based on someone else's list I copy-pasted. I'm lazy today! I would put Who's Next first, too.


1. Who's Next (One of the classic albums, nary a wrong note)
2. Quadrophenia (Too dense musically, not as coherant as Tommy, a double album needs more stand out tracks)
3. Tommy (The most successful concept album in telling it's story, IMO)
4. The Who Sell Out (Just okay. It has "I Can See For Miles" which is great, but psychedelia wasn't the Who's forte anymore than it was the Stone's)
5. Who Are You (Love the title track, but they sound really tired)
6. A Quick One (The worst Keith Moon Who album, IMO. The songwriting is really sub par)
7. My Generation (A solid debut, but sounds more 1964 than 1965)
8. The Who By Numbers (A Pete Townshend solo album maquerading as a Who album)
9. Live At Leeds (Powerful. The Who in their element. Best on the vinyl version; short and straight to the point)
10. Face Dances (Well, "You Better You Bet" is a good song, I guess. Needs Keith Moon)
11. It's Hard ("Eminence Front" is a good song. Needs Keith Moon)
12. Endless Wire (LOL)

 

1. The Who Sell Out
2. My Generation
3. Tommy
4. Happy Jack
5. Who By Numbers
6. Quadrophenia
7. Who's Next
8. Face Dances
9. Live at Leeds
10. Who are You
11. It's Hard to Listen To.

 

1. Who's Next
2. Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy (I know this isn't supposed to count but I don't care; I don't count "Endless Wire." Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy is a perfect album)

3. Quadrophenia

4. Live At Leeds

5. The Who Sell Out
6. Tommy
7. A Quick One
8. My Generation

9. Who Are You
10. The Who By Numbers
11. It's Hard (the title track is great so I put it above Face Dances, which just has Daily Records and You Better You Bet)
12. Face Dances

 

1. The Who Sell Out
2. A Quick One
3. Live At Leeds
4. Who's Next
5. Who Are You
6. My Generation
7. Tommy
8. Quadrophenia
9. The Who By Numbers
10. Face Dances
11. It's Hard
12. Endless Wire

I saw the Who during the "Sell Out" tour and they were so great! That biases my list a bit. "A Quick One" was "music to survive middle school by". "Live at Leeds" is one of (maybe THE) greatest live albums of all time. "Who's next is classic". I don't never listened to much of the rest (and don't even have them any longer).

 

1. Quadrophenia
2. Who's Next
3. Live at Leeds
4. My Generation
5. Tommy

 

1. Live At Leeds
2. The Who Sell Out
3. Tommy
4. My Generation
5. Who's Next
6. Quadrophenia
7. A Quick One
8. The Who By Numbers
9. Face Dances
10. Who Are You
11. It's Hard
12. Endless Wire

 

The rankings of these albums is unimportant, as they're all pretty much excellent, but it is crucial to note the following:

11. Endless Wire
12. It's Hard -- dead last, sorry folks.

 

1. Who's Next
2. Quadrophrenia
3. Tommy
4. My Generation
5. The Who Sell Out
6. A Quick One
7. By Numbers
8. Who Are You
9. Face Dances
10. It's Hard
12. Endless Wire

 

Guess one risks humiliation and beatings for liking "Endless wire".

 

Tommy below Face Dance and It's Hard????

 

sell out
quadrophenia
by numbers
who's next
tommy
face dances
live at leeds
quick one
my generation
who are you
its hard
endless wire

 

I like Endless Wire. "Black Widows Eyes" is fantastic. But overall its the weakest link.

 

I added in some of the compilation albums. I know it's weird but I had to split up Tommy since I love its 1st half but don't really care much for its 2nd half.

1. Quadrophenia
2. Live At Leeds
3. Rarities, Vol. 1
4. Who's Next
5. Tommy (1st half)
6. The Who Sell Out
7. A Quick One (Happy Jack)
8. It's Hard
9. Odds And Sods
10. Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy
11. The Who By Numbers
12. Rarities, Vol. 2
13. Who Are You
14. The Who Sings My Generation
15. Tommy (2nd half)
16. Magic Bus - The Who On Tour
17. Face Dances
18. Endless Wire

My irrational love for Rarities, Vol. 1 is something that I can't explain, no pun intended. And I think It's Hard is a great album. I love most everything the Who ever did, and I'd say that my top 13 are albums I love to listen to start to finish.

 

Quadrophenia
Tommy
Who's Next

The rest blend together in my head.

 

What is Endless Wire?

 

The only ones I know well enough to rank (and I'm only counting original albums, not comps/rarities collections):

1. The Who By Numbers (yep, definitely the tops in my book though I recognize it's almost more of a Townshend solo statement - it's just an extremely outstanding one, and it still feels "Who" enough for me especially with Entwistle's fabulous "Success Story")
2. The Who Sell Out
3. Who's Next
4. Live at Leeds
5. Tommy
6. Who Are You (also always felt this one was way, way underrated - killer album, especially side 2 - but again, like BY NUMBERS, one that feels at times more like Townshend's than a band statement - so I guess that may be why some die hard fans rate it lower - though on the other hand 3 Entwistle tracks, all good ones, so....I even considered rating it ahead of Tommy which is much more uneven, despite some truly soaring moments that ultimately carry the day)
7. A Quick One
8. My Generation
9. Quadrophenia (apart from a couple of tracks, this has always been an overblown, crashing bore from where I sit, and even some of the stronger pieces are too long and repetitive and so outwear their welcome. I admire the reach, but it exceeded the grasp, even moreso than with TOMMY. Just cannot warm to it. Maybe one of the most overrated rock albums of all time)
10. Face Dances

 

By levels, and within in each level by chronological order...

Level I:
"My Generation"
"The Who Sell Out"
"Tommy"
"Who's Next"
"Quadrophenia"

Level II:
"A Quick One"
"Odds & Sods"
"Who By Numbers"

Level III:
"Who Are You"
"Face Dances"
"It's Hard"
"Endless Wire"