The British Invasion of the 1960s produced some of history’s most popular, and most successful, bands, among them The Who, a quartet that has sold over 150 million albums worldwide.

Known as one of the world’s best live rock and roll performers, The Who concert tickets have consistently been a premium in the band’s three and a half decades together. Keith Moon, Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle were as different as night and day, and it was such diverse personalities that combined to create an explosion of prolific music and unexpected angst. It was during an early nightclub performance that Townsend, fed up with the club’s sound system, smashed his guitar, which would later become his trademark signature.

Townsend was the driving force behind the band, and a talented songwriter who touched listeners with such early hits as “The Kids Are Alright,” and “My Generation.” The band got their first big break in 1964, signing with Decca Records, and they soon released their first single, “I Can’t Explain,” which received little attention. Then, the band performed on the popular British television show, “Ready Steady Go,” just the boost that was needed to skyrocket the single to the top of the charts. The Who followed by releasing the full-length album “My Generation,” which quickly soared to the second spot on the British music charts.

“A Quick One,” released in 1966, became an instant hit in the United Kingdom, and it was just the in The Who needed in the United States. Changing the title to “Happy Jack,” the Who released the album stateside. However, it wasn’t until the following year with the album, “The Who Sell Out” that the Who broke into the U.S. charts, the first single “I Can See For Miles” giving The Who their first Top Ten U.S. hit.

In 1969, The Who released another revolutionary album, this time a double disk rock opera “Tommy,” written by Townsend. The rock opera received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, and The Who set off on a worldwide tour with a set that included the full opera.

The massive success of “Tommy” made it a daunting task to create another album, so the band released “Live at Leeds,” in 1970, and Townsend followed with another rock opera, this time in science fiction mode, “The Lifehouse,” which was a disappointment compared to “Tommy.”

The Who suffered a major blow in 1978 when Keith Moon was found dead of a drug overdose. Still, the band decided to continue on, and went on to release “It’s Hard” (1982), “Hooligans” (1982), “Who’s Last” (1984), and Join Together (1990).

Today The Who are still one of the premier bands in the music industry, now with three generations of loyal fans.