10 Classic Rock Songs You Didn't Realize Were Incredibly Dark

Of all the biggest bands to come out of the British Invasion, Pete Townshend was always about making something that was much more than just pop music. Throughout a record like Tommy, you can hear him trying to hit on something that was much more profound, with songs that told a narrative from beginning to end and touched the audience on a visceral level. Since it worked once though, it was bound to work again, only with a little more dire consequences this time.

Though Quadrophenia is really the dark horse concept album compared to Tommy, hearing the tale of Jimmy as he tries to find his way through his former Mod existence comes to a head on Love, Reign O'er Me, as he looks for any kind of solace from feeling lonely all the time. After coming in contact with the persona Doctor Jimmy, he finds himself walking out to sea and finding refuge on a rock, where he calls out to the clouds as a storm opens up around him.

It really is a primal moment when you listen to it without context, but it takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that it's the final moments of the album. There's certainly an open ended side to what the end of the song could mean, but chances are that Jimmy is still on that rock after the song is over and is most likely going to be overtaken by the waves within minutes.