10 Strangest Concept Albums

British rock legends The Who have never been less than ambitious in scope and eclectic in terms of lyrical themes. With their second studio album, 1966's A Quick One While He's Away, they served up the title track as a nine-minute long, six-movement piece recounting the story of a woman who, abandoned by her lover, finds solace in the arms of 'Ivor the Engine Driver.'

With 1969's Tommy, though, the band expanded the narrative idea, creating one of the first true concept albums, and what a strange concept it is. The record spawned a huge hit in 'Pinball Wizard,' and was later made into a film, which was directed by Ken Russell and starred the band themselves alongside Elton John and a host of other notables.

The 'plot' of Tommy is a little nebulous and certainly bizarre. It concerns the titular character, who witness his father kill his mother's lover, and from that moment on becomes deaf, mute and blind. Various individuals interact with Tommy, including a quack doctor, a sadistic cousin and a drug-pusher. Despite his handicaps, Tommy finds solace in playing pinball machines. He eventually recovers his senses, founds a religious movement, becomes famous and then loses it all.