Album
Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 on Track Records. It is their third rock opera, following the mini-opera "A Quick One, While He's Away" and the album Tommy. The story is set in London and Brighton in 1965 and follows Jimmy, a young mod searching for self-worth and a sense of importance. Pete Townshend wrote every song, the only time that has happened on a Who record.
Work began in 1972, as the band tried to follow the success of Tommy and Who's Next. Solo projects and film work slowed things down, and with their new studio unfinished they recorded using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio. Townshend's layered synthesizers and sound effects sit alongside John Entwistle's stacked horn parts. The album later fed the late-1970s mod revival and inspired a successful 1979 film.
Quadrophenia: tracklist, credits and charts
17 tracks · 1:22:18Tracklist
- Disc 1
- 1I Am the SeaPete Townshend2:10
- 2The Real MePete Townshend3:22
- 3QuadropheniaPete Townshend6:15
- 4Cut My HairPete Townshend3:49
- 5The Punk and the GodfatherPete Townshend5:11
- 6I’m OnePete Townshend2:40
- 7The Dirty JobsPete Townshend4:31
- 8Helpless DancerPete Townshend2:36
- 9Is It in My Head?Pete Townshend3:46
- 10I’ve Had EnoughPete Townshend6:17
- Disc 2
- 15:15Pete Townshend5:02
- 2Sea and SandPete Townshend5:02
- 3DrownedPete Townshend5:28
- 4Bell BoyPete Townshend4:57
- 5Doctor JimmyPete Townshend8:39
- 6The RockPete Townshend6:40
- 7Love, Reign O’er MePete Townshend5:53
- Produced by
- Kit Lambert, Pete Townshend, The Who, Glyn Johns
- Executive producer
- Pete Kameron, Kit Lambert, Chris Stamp
- Recorded at
- The Kitchen, Olympic, Ramport and Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio, London
- Recorded
- *May–June 1972 *May–September 1973
- Mixed by
- Ron Fawcus, Bob Pridden
- Mixed at
- Eel Pie Studios
- Engineered by
- Ron Nevison, Glyn Johns
- Labels
- Track Record, Track (UK), Track/MCA (US)
- Length
- 1:22:18
Line-up
- John Entwistle · electric bass guitar, horn, background vocals
- Keith Moon · drums (drum set), percussion, lead vocals
- Pete Townshend · cello, electric guitar, keyboard, background vocals, lead vocals, banjo
- Roger Daltrey · lead vocals
- John Curle · spoken vocals · guest
- Chris Stainton · piano · guest
Singles
- “5:15” · October 1973 (UK)
- “Love, Reign o'er Me” · October 1973 (US)
- “The Real Me” · January 1974
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1973–1974 | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1973–1974 | 2 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1973–1974 | 2 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1973–1974 | 7 |
| German Albums · 1973–1974 | 7 |
| Austrian Albums · 1973–1974 | 8 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi) · 1973–1974 | 12 |
| Italian Albums · 2014 | 60 |
| Dutch Albums · 2011 | 87 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 1973 | Platinum |
| France · 1992 | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 1973 | Gold |
| United States · 1993 | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
87.3
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
5.0k
ListenBrainz listeners
229k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
30k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 26 October
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More from The Who
Full discography →
My Generation
1965
Ready Steady Who
1966
A Quick One
1966
The Who
1967
The Who Sell Out
1967
Number Two
1968
Magic Bus: The Who on Tour
1968
Direct Hits
1968
Tommy
1969
Live at Leeds
1970
Who’s Next
1971
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
1971
Odds & Sods
1974
Investigacion de mercado
1975
Tommy
1975
The Who by Numbers
1975
Substitute
1976
The Story of The Who
1976
Who Are You
1978
The Kids Are Alright
1979
Face Dances
1981
Hooligans
1981
It’s Hard
1982
Who’s Greatest Hits
1983
The Singles
1984
Who’s Last
1984
Who’s Missing
1985
Two’s Missing
1987
This Is My Generation
1988
Who’s Better, Who’s Best
1988
Won’t Get Fooled Again
1988
Join Together
1990
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
1994
My Generation – The Very Best of The Who
1996
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
1996
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Who
1999
BBC Sessions
2000
The Who Live: The Blues to the Bush 1999
2000
Live at the Royal Albert Hall
2001
The Ultimate Collection
2002
Then and Now
2004
Live From Toronto
2006
Endless Wire
2006
Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who
2008
Greatest Hits
2009
Greatest Hits Live
2010
Live at Hull 1970
2012
Quadrophenia: Live in London
2014
The Who Hits 50!
2014
Live at Shea Stadium 1982
2015
Ready Steady Who Two
2016
Ready Steady Who Three
2017
Live at the Fillmore East 1968
2018
WHO
2019
The best of 1973
All of 1973 →
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Vol. 3
The Rolling Stones · 1973
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The Rolling Stones · 1973
Devil’s Disciples
The Rolling Stones · 1973
Mythology of Stones
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Vol. 2
The Rolling Stones · 1973
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More on Track Record
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1973-11-16 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 16 November 1973 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 26 October 1973 | |
| Wikidata | 26 October 1973 | |
| US release | 22 November 1973 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 16 November 1973 | earliest UK or European date |
29 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | DE | Polydor | 042283107427 | other |
| — | US | BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. | other | |
| 1973 | DE | Track Record | other | |
| 1973 | DE | Track Record | other | |
| 1973 | US | MCA Records | other | |
| 16 November 1973 | GB | Track Record | original | |
| 22 November 1973 | US | MCA Records | other | |
| 1984 | DE | Polydor | 042283107427 | other |
| 1985 | CA | MCA Records | other | |
| 1985 | US | MCA Records | other | |
| 1 June 1991 | US | Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | 015775255029 | other |
| 1996 | US | BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. | other | |
| 24 June 1996 | GB | Polydor | 731453197121 | other |
| 25 June 1996 | DE | Polydor | 731453197121 | other |
| 2 July 1996 | US | MCA Records | 008811146320 | other |
| 28 November 2007 | US | Classic Records | other | |
| 1 January 2011 | XW | Polydor | deluxe | |
| 14 November 2011 | GB | Universal UMC | 0602527805030 | deluxe |
| 15 November 2011 | US | Geffen | 602527805030 | deluxe |
| 15 November 2011 | US | Polydor | 602527778402 | other |
| 30 May 2012 | JP | Polydor | 4988005711748 | other |
| 27 December 2012 | JP | Polydor | 4988005715760 | other |
| 18 December 2013 | JP | Universal | 4988005798367 | other |
| 18 December 2013 | JP | Polydor | 4988005798466 | other |
| 8 July 2014 | US | Geffen | 602537808137 | other |
| 4 November 2014 | US | Geffen | 602537999309 | deluxe |
| 5 March 2021 | XW | Universal UMC | other | |
| 27 February 2026 | GB | Polydor | 602455539328 | other |
| — | — | Polydor | 00602527866093 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×593 | upscaled |