Released in November 1965, “My Generation” by The Who seemed to define the musical generation gap between rock and the music of the big band and jazz era. The song was characterized by fake stuttering on the word “generation” and other words in its lyrics. It was an over-the-top celebration of youth (”I hope I die before I get old”). Although not as important to American listeners, the song, written by Pete Townshend, was a sort of anthem for the British youths knows as “mods,” who cruised about town on scooters and confounded the sensibility of many older folks. The exciting conclusion of “My Generation” a firestorm of guitar feedback and super-speed drumming, was The Who — and the new musical genre known as “rock” music — at their best.

The story of the song “My Generation”