Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
You will forgive me hopefully, I love dad jokes. But yeah, for real, The Who, according to Roger Daltrey, was “the first heavy metal band” because they established the genre more than 60 years ago, as per Blabbermouth. The remarks were made by the 82-year-old rock icon in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. When asked what he and his bandmates did better than anyone else and how he views The Who’s legacy, Roger responded as follows.
We were just different than everybody else. Americans don’t really know The Who from the early ’60s, but as the drummer of Deep Purple [Ian Paice] said recently in a magazine, ‘The Who started it all.’ We were the first heavy metal band. Jim Marshall invented the 4×12 [speaker cabinet], 100-watt stack for Pete Townshend. All the guitar smashing that Jimi Hendrix became famous for, in his style, was basically copied from Pete Townshend, first of all. And the first rock opera, of course, we elevated rock to be maybe up its own ass in a way, you could say it. We were doing it before anyone, but it’s not important in the long run.
In 1964, the English rock group The Who was founded in London. Lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon made formed their iconic lineup (1964–1978). The Marshall stack, large public address systems, the use of synthesisers, the influential playing styles of Entwistle and Moon, Townshend’s feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the creation of the rock opera are just a few of the contributions made by this band, which is regarded as one of the most important rock groups of the 20th century. Numerous hard rock, punk, power pop, and mod bands attribute their influence to them. In 1990, they were admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
