10 Greatest Ever Rock Concept Albums

Before Quadrophenia, The Who had already perfected the rock opera with Tommy. This 1969 concept album tells the story of the titular character, who is brainwashed to become "deaf, blind and dumb" after witnessing the murder of his mother's lover at the hands of his war-hero-presumed-dead father. From here, Tommy's story only gets more bizzarre as he suffers at the hands of several sadistic relatives, trips on LSD given to him by a prostitute, becomes really good at pinball despite his condition and is then cured of said condition before starting a cult based on his life experiences. The premise of Tommy is a strange one to say the least.

Musically, Tommy is one of the most concise and purposeful albums that The Who have ever released. Each track moves the narrative of the album forward in a unique and creative way, with no two songs sounding alike. The diversity between tracks such as the 10-minute instrumental "Underture", the studio-effect laced "Amazing Journey" or the short minute-long interlude "Tommy's Holiday Camp" serve to highlight how The Who were beginning to move away from their mod-rock roots into more experimental territory. This new attitude of musical development is best evidenced in the album's most well-known song, "Pinball Wizard". Every band member is on top form throughout this song, with Roger Daltrey's high vocals, Pete Townshend's intricate guitar melodies, John Entwistle's thundering bass and Keith Moon's trademark chaotic drumming all blending together to form one of the band's most recognisible hits. Elsewhere on the album, songs such as "Christmas", "The Acid Queen", "Go To The Mirror!" and "We're Not Gonna Take It" further expand on the narrative and musical progression that defines Tommy.

Six years after Tommy was released, the album was adapted into a film starring The Who themselves alongside Elton John, Tina Turner and Jack Nicholson that was both critically and commercially successful. Tommy represents a successful turning point in The Who's career, as well the creation of one of the most memorable concept albums ever released.