The Story of The Who
The Story of The Who is a two-LP compilation from the English rock band, released on 24 September 1976 by Polydor. It arrived in the UK that September and climbed to number two in the charts, a healthy showing for a career-spanning collection. A separate edition with a different track listing was issued in Japan.
It sits between The Who by Numbers and Who Are You in the band's story, offering a overview for anyone wanting the hits in one place. It wasn't quite the definitive survey, though: John Entwistle felt as much, since the band could only include tracks they held the rights to. The exploding pinball machine in the TV advert came from film shot to promote it. The set has never appeared on CD, but it returned on vinyl for Record Store Day on 20 April 2024.
The Story of The Who: tracklist, credits and charts
26 tracks · 1:29:06Tracklist
- Disc 1
- 1Magic BusPete Townshend3:21
- 2SubstitutePete Townshend2:13
- 3Boris the SpiderJohn Entwistle2:32
- 4Run Run RunPete Townshend2:47
- 5I'm a BoyPete Townshend2:42
- 6Heat WaveDozier, Holland, Holland1:59
- 7My GenerationPete Townshend3:22
- 8Pictures of LilyPete Townshend2:47
- 9Happy JackPete Townshend2:16
- 10The SeekerPete Townshend3:26
- 11I Can See for MilesPete Townshend4:19
- 12BargainPete Townshend5:38
- 13Squeeze BoxPete Townshend2:41
- Disc 2
- 1Amazing JourneyPete Townshend4:28
- 2The Acid QueenPete Townshend3:37
- 3Do You Think It's Alright?Pete Townshend0:29
- 4Fiddle AboutJohn Entwistle1:34
- 5Pinball WizardPete Townshend3:05
- 6I'm FreePete Townshend2:41
- 7Tommy's Holiday CampKeith Moon0:59
- 8We're Not Gonna Take ItPete Townshend7:05
- 9Summertime BluesJerry Capehart and Eddie Cochran3:37
- 10Baba O'RileyPete Townshend5:01
- 11Behind Blue EyesPete Townshend3:41
- 12Slip KidPete Townshend4:13
- 13Won't Get Fooled AgainPete Townshend8:33
- Produced by
- Kit Lambert, The Who, Glyn Johns, Keith Moon
- Executive producer
- Chris Stamp, Pete Kameron, Kit Lambert
- Recorded at
- IBC Studios, Regent Sound Studios, Yasgur’s Farm, Olympic Studios
- Recorded
- November 1966 – May 1971
- Mixed by
- Glyn Johns
- Engineered by
- Glyn Johns
- Label
- Polydor
- Length
- 1:29:06
Line-up
- John Entwistle · brass, bass, vocals, electric bass guitar, background vocals, bass guitar · guest
- Keith Moon · percussion, drums (drum set), background vocals · guest
- Pete Townshend · synthesizer, organ, guitar, vocals, cello, electric guitar, background vocals, piano, lead vocals · guest
- Roger Daltrey · vocals, lead vocals · guest
- Dave Arbus · violin · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1976 | 2 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1976 | 19 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom · 1976 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 24 September
Every year →More from The Who
Full discography →The best of 1976
All of 1976 →More on Polydor
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1976 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 24 September 1976 | |
| Wikidata | 24 September 1976 | |
| UK / Europe release | 1976 | earliest UK or European date |
1 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | GB | Polydor | original |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 600x610, upscaled to 1500 (x2.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 600×610 | upscaled: major: best source 600x610, upscaled to 1500 (x2.50) |