The story of a Jimmy, young mod with multiple personalities (each representing a different member of the Who), Quadrophenia was Pete Townshend’s second attempt at crafting a “rock opera,” carrying the narrative over a double album, with a photographic depiction of the narrative (as well as text) including in the liner notes. Arguably even more ambitious than their earlier Tommy, Quadrophenia didn’t have much in the way of single hits, but remains one of the Who’s most hailed works and a fan-favorite. A film adaptation was released in 1979 (with Sting as “Ace Face”!), and in 1996 the band performed the album in Hyde Park with help from stars like Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour, Gary Glitter and Phil Daniels, who played Jimmy in the original films. They also employed a large backing band, as the band was still haunted by memories of the original tour for the album, which found them playing along with malfunctioning tapes and mistimed sound effects.

The final scene of “Quadrophenia”: