Tommy

album by the Who

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July 14, 2026

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Tommy is a 1969 rock opera by the British band The Who. It was conceived by guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend and is considered a pioneering work in the rock opera genre.

The story centers on Tommy Walker, a "deaf, blind, and dumb" boy who experiences trauma and eventually becomes a messianic figure. The album explores themes of drug culture, sexuality, and the nature of fame. Tommy was a major commercial and critical success, propelling The Who to international stardom. It was later adapted into a 1975 film and a 1993 Broadway musical.12

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Pete Townshend
The Who
The double album Tommy (1969) rocketed the Who to stardom, effectively originating the concept of the rock opera and bringing the band’s music to a wider audience. The concept album, which centres on a deaf, blind, and non-speaking protagonist named Tommy who undergoes trauma and founds a new…
Read More
The double album Tommy (1969) rocketed the Who to stardom, effectively originating the concept of the rock opera and bringing the band’s music to a wider audience. The concept album, which centres on a deaf, blind, and non-speaking protagonist named Tommy who undergoes trauma and founds a new…
Read More

the Who
…was the 1969 rock opera Tommy—and a memorable performance at Woodstock that summer—that made the Who a world-class album-rock act. In the process, Townshend was recognized as one of rock’s most intelligent, articulate, and self-conscious composers.
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…was the 1969 rock opera Tommy—and a memorable performance at Woodstock that summer—that made the Who a world-class album-rock act. In the process, Townshend was recognized as one of rock’s most intelligent, articulate, and self-conscious composers.
Read More

Celia Cruz
Queen of salsa
…of the Who’s rock opera Tommy) in New York’s Carnegie Hall and by recording updated Latin classics for Johnny Pacheco’s Vaya record label. Before long, Cruz emerged as a central figure within New York’s vibrant salsa scene. She collaborated with Pacheco on a series of albums, beginning with Celia &…
Read More
…of the Who’s rock opera Tommy) in New York’s Carnegie Hall and by recording updated Latin classics for Johnny Pacheco’s Vaya record label. Before long, Cruz emerged as a central figure within New York’s vibrant salsa scene. She collaborated with Pacheco on a series of albums, beginning with Celia &…
Read More