Pete Townshend

Pete Townshend is the legendary guitarist, co-founder, and principal songwriter for English rock group The Who (with lead singer Roger Daltrey, drummer Keith Moon, and bassist John Entwistle). He is most known for writing the revolutionary rock operas/concept albums Tommy (1969) and Quadrophenia (1973).

Townshend announced on his blog on August 26, 2009 that he is working on a new musical, FLOSS, to be staged in 2011, and that some of the songs from that project will be included on a new Who album to be released in 2010. The Who is performing at halftime of Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010.

• 1972: Who Came First
• 1977: Rough Mix (with Ronnie Lane)
• 1980: Empty Glass
• 1982: All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes
• 1983: Scoop
• 1985: White City: A Novel
• 1986: Another Scoop
• 1989: The Iron Man: A Musical
• 1993: Psychoderelict
• 2001: Scoop 3

The Who is one of the iconic bands of the 1960s Mod subculture, and Townshend's compositions and straightforward guitar approach have had an immeasurable influence on the punk, power-pop and grunge movements. Subsequent bands that have been particularly influenced by Townshend include The Jam, Oasis and Pearl Jam.

Townshend's solo work has included concept albums such as White City (1985), The Iron Man (1989), and Psychoderelict (1993). During The Who's hiatus between 1983 &ndash 1988, Townshend worked as an editor for publisher Faber & Faber, which published his collection of short-stories (some semi-autobiographical), Horse's Neck, in 1985.

Townshend re-grouped with Daltrey and Entwistle as The Who in 1989 for a tour showcasing Tommy, and again in 1996 featuring the band's first full tour performing Quadrophenia, and continued performing live with The Who—generally performing their best known songs. In 2006, the two surviving members of The Who, Townshend and Daltrey, (Moon died in 1978; Entwistle in 2002) released The Who's first new album in 24 years, Endless Wire. Tours featuring the new material, alongside their greatest hits, followed.