10 Perfect Rock Songs That Don't Have Any Lyrics

When Pete Townshend first got the idea of making his rock opera, he knew he had to come correct. Tommy was the kind of story that needed a vast soundscape, and he spared no expense making it happen, bringing in orchestras where he could while still staying rooted in the sound that the Who were known for. This was still an opera though, and the Overture to kick everything off really zeroes in on that concept.

Considering the pop minded form of rock and roll at the time, it was a pretty gutsy move starting the album like this, being completely silent and taking us on a journey with sound for almost 6 minutes. Much like other operas of their ilk, this gives us a little glimpse at what is to come on the rest of the album, sprinkling in bits and pieces of music that would reappear at different points in the album, like hearing the verses of Go To the Mirror in the brass or kicking the entire thing off with the theme of See Me Feel Me.

This is an album that's also supposed to tell a story though, and this almost feels like the prequel where you get to see the first part of the production play out, getting used to the kind of characters and ending with the barrage of sound that signifies Tommy's father passing away during the war. If anything, this feels like the entire opera distilled into one track. There's a lot of dramatic and even heartbreaking moments, but at the end of it, there's still hope of getting better.