30: Pete Townsend composes Tommy
If it were written today, the opera would probably be about a guy with a talent for a web-based game, but it was 1969 and a different past time. The Who’s Pete Townsend crafted “Tommy” a concept album about a “deaf, dumb & blind kid” who had a magical way with a pinball machine. The work was considered groundbreaking. First of all, it was rock’s first official opera. Second, Pete Townsend tackled the taboos of childhood trauma and sexual abuse. The album had several hits including “I’m Free” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and according to the online All Music Guide propelled the band to international superstardom. In 1975 the opera found a second life as a movie. “Tommy” was directed by Ken Russell and assembled a bizarre mix of stars including Ann Margaret, Jack Nicholson, Oliver Reed, Tina Turner and of course, Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie.