Page updated January 1, 2026. This is a highly abridged version of all the things that happened to and around The Who in January. Click for access to the full history.
January 1959
New music releases: The Music from Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini; ...from the "Hungry I" - The Kingston Trio; Come Dance With Me - Frank Sinatra; Open Fire, Two Guitars - Johnny Mathis
On the 28th, John Entwistle and his future wife Alison Wise go out on their first date, a national Boys' Brigade concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
January 1962
New music releases: "Cry to Me" - Solomon Burke; So Much in Love - The Ray Conniff Singers; Roger Williams' Greatest Hits - Roger Williams; "The Young Ones" - Cliff Richard and The Shadows
Pete Townshend later notes this month as the one where he successfully auditions for The Detours.
January 1963
New records: "Please Please Me" - The Beatles; "One Broken Heart for Sale" - Elvis Presley; (Moving) - Peter, Paul & Mary; Songs I Sing on The Jackie Gleason Show - Frank Fontaine
Business begins to pick up for The Detours. On the 4th, they play the Grand Ballroom in Kent (returning on the 18th and 22nd), the Fox & Goose Hotel in Ealing on the 11th and a "New Year's Rave" on the 19th at the CAV Sports Ground, Northolt, West London.
January 1964
New music releases: Meet The Beatles! - The Beatles; Introducing... The Beatles - The Beatles; The Wonderful World of Andy Williams - Andy Williams; The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan
On the 3rd, The Detours again get to open for The Rolling Stones at the Glenlyn Ballroom in Forest Hill. Pete, who has incorporated an arm-swinging move he saw Keith Richards perform as his own signature guitar move, apologizes for the appropriation to Richards. Richards says he doesn't know what Pete's talking about as it turns out he was merely limbering up before the show.
January 1965
New music releases: "It's Not Unusual" - Tom Jones; A Love Supreme - John Coltrane; "King of the Road" - Roger Miller; "This Diamond Ring" - Gary Lewis and The Playboys
On the 15th, The Who finally get their first record in the U.K. shops as "I Can't Explain" is released on U.S. Decca's U.K. subsidiary Brunswick Records. Derek Johnson reviews it for New Musical Express: "...It's insidious and insistent, with an arresting backing - a blend of Mersey beat and surfing! Keep your eyes on this one..." and Record Mirror declares: "One of the most stylish British groups, pungently presented on a fastish beater with some first-rate vocal ideas. They have a good 'feel' for a song, with a good beat. Might do very well."
January 1966
New music releases: Sounds of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel; "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" - The Isley Brothers; "The Ballad of the Green Berets" - SSgt. Barry Sadler; Doctor Zhivago - Maurice Jarre
On the 5th, Pete Townshend is featured on an episode of the BBC1 television programme A Whole Scene Going where he is interviewed by young people in the audience. He talks about how ugly The Who members are, how they are "blocked up" all the time on pills and how he and John recently listened to the backing tracks of a Beatles album and consider them "flippin' lousy" at playing their instruments. Asked if he meant the line in "My Generation," "hope I die before I get old," he answers emphatically "yes!".
January 1967
New music releases: The Doors - The Doors; More of The Monkees - The Monkees; "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" - The Doors; "There's a Kind of Hush" - Herman's Hermits
The Who fly off to Hamburg, Germany on the 15th to perform on the TV show Beat Club. They mime to "I'm a Boy," "Heat Wave" and "Happy Jack".
January 1968
New music releases: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding; The Graduate - Original Soundtrack; "Love is Blue (L'amour est bleu)" - Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra; Lady Soul - Aretha Franklin
On the 27th, The Who plays Centennial Hall in Adelaide, South Australia, the last date of the tour on the continent. However, they are not to escape Australia so easily. A 7am flight to Melbourne (after a night of partying) turns nasty when an air hostess, serving drinks to passengers, refuses to serve the groups. When they demand to know why, she reports them to the pilot and by the time they reach Melbourne, there are two lines of police to escort the group off to a VIP lounge. The pilot of their connecting flight to Sydney refuses to take them onboard and the tour ends up on a chartered plane accompanied by two Department of Civil Aviation officers who keep an eye on them all the way to Sydney. From there they fly to Auckland, New Zealand arriving sixteen hours after they left Adelaide. The next day's Australian press has a field day shouting good riddance to long-haired English rubbish. According to Steve Marriott, as soon as they disembark, Pete grabs a news photographer's camera and smashes it to the ground. Pete quickly announces that he will never set foot in Australia again, a promise he keeps for the next thirty-six years.
January 1969
New music releases: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin; Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears; "Proud Mary" - Creedence Clearwater Revival; Bayou Country - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Rolling Stone carries the article: "Who finishing rock opera" on the status of "Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy." Pete mentions that he has hired International Times art director and fellow Meher Baba follower Mike McInnerney to design the album cover and booklet for Tommy.
January 1970
New music releases: Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel; Moondance - Van Morrison; Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits - Barbra Streisand; "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel
Having begun the "opera house" tour at the London Coliseum in December, The Who take their new opera to the Theatre des Champs Elysses in Paris on the 16th and 17th, the first rock act allowed to perform in this home for French opera. The second night is broadcast live on Europe 1 as part of a Musicorama special.
January 1971
New music releases: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" - Creedence Clearwater Revival; Pearl - Janis Joplin; "Proud Mary" - Ike and Tina Turner; "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" - The Temptations
On the 13th, Pete holds a press conference at the Young Vic theatre to announce the Life House project, his long-awaited follow-up to Tommy. "We shall not be giving the usual kind of Who rock show. The audience will be completely involved in the music, which is designed to reflect people's personalities. We shall try to induce mental and spiritual harmony through the medium of rock music...I'll act as a computer and everything will be fed into me and processed, then put back out again. The effect is something that will come from everyone and the aim is that each person will get a better understanding of themselves. It will be the best music we've ever produced."
January 1972
New music releases: "Heart of Gold" - Neil Young; "Changes" - David Bowie; Paul Simon - Paul Simon; Jackson Browne - Jackson Browne
The Who are off group duty until May, their first long break since they started their road to international success over seven years before. Pete takes off for his first trip to India on the 29th, a bit hungover after celebrating his father's 56th birthday the night before.
January 1973
New records: Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player - Elton John; Aerosmith - Aerosmith; Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ - Bruce Springsteen; "Daniel" - Elton John
On the 3rd, The Who tape an appearance on Russell Harty Plus at London Weekend Television Studios. After The Who mime (with live vocals) their way through their new single "Relay," Pete "accidentally" tips over his speaker stack and the fun begins as Keith and Pete, with some help from Roger Daltrey and John, quickly take over the interview. Host Harty later says he learned that "if your body should become a battleground, it is better to lie back and enjoy it." Clips from this show help enliven the movie The Kids Are Alright while "Relay" later appears on the Who's Better Who's Best laserdisc and VCD.
January 1974
New music releases: Elvis: A Legendary Performer, Vol. 1 - Elvis Presley; Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell; The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand; "Come & Get Your Love" - Redbone
On the 12th, Kenney Jones is brought in as a replacement for an unavailable Keith Moon for a warm-up jam in preparation for the Tommy soundtrack. Pete and John both find themselves delighted to play with a less erratic, more steady drummer.
January 1975
New music releases: Blood On The Tracks - Bob Dylan; "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel; "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" - Freddy Fender; "Shining Star" - Earth, Wind & Fire
John Entwistle's solo band Ox continue their University tour of the U.K. playing Edinburgh University on the 10th, Leeds University on the 11th, Plymouth Guildhall on the 14th, Exeter University on the 15th, Brunel University, Uxbridge on the 17th, Liverpool University on the 22nd, the University of East Anglia on the 24th, and Leicester University on the 25th. Unicorn is the opening act at all the shows.
January 1976
New music releases: Chronicle, Vol. 1 - Creedence Clearwater Revival; Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton; Desire - Bob Dylan; "Love Really Hurts Without You" - Billy Ocean
At the beginning of 1976, Keith Moon attempts to go cold turkey on all the booze. The result is that on the 6th, he is admitted unconscious to St. Stephen's Hospital in Earl's Court having gone into seizures. He will suffer from alcoholism-induced seizures for the rest of his life.
January 1977
New music releases: Animals - Pink Floyd; "Rich Girl" - Daryl Hall & John Oates; "Southern Nights" - Glen Campbell; 20 Golden Greats - The Shadows
On the 20th, The Who's lawsuit against ex-managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp is settled with negotiations between Pete and Stamp at an office on Poland Street. Pete receives a $1-million settlement of his U.S. copyrights to date and The Who gain rights to all their recordings from "Substitute" on. After the settlement Pete and Chris Stamp go clubbing at The Speakeasy. Pete runs into Paul Cook and Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols. Mistaking them for Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, Pete huddles with them at their table and tells them The Sex Pistols will have to carry the "rock 'n' roll banner" as The Who are finished. Instead of the snarled response he expects, the two Pistols express their admiration for The Who and declare they don't want them to break up. Pete and the Pistols are snapped by a New Musical Express photographer who has punches thrown at him by a very inebriated Pete. Pete then tears up his million-dollar check, leaves The Speakeasy and passes out in the gutter where a policeman who recognizes him brings him around. The bobby explains that if he can get up and go home, he won't have to arrest him. Pete will later write the events of this night into the first verse of the song "Who Are You."
January 1978
New records: "Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra; Ten Years of Gold - Kenny Rogers; "Dust in the Wind" - Kansas; Infinity - Journey
On the 7th, Keith Moon is reported to be a member of the cast of Graham Chapman's film The Odd Job. Keith has flown out to Barbados to entertain Chapman and his fellow members of Monty Python's Flying Circus as they write the script for their new movie Life of Brian. Keith is written into the script as a "fire-and-brimstone preacher." Commitments to the recording of the Who Are You album will keep him from either movie.
January 1979
New music releases: "Don't Stop Me Now" - Queen; "Heart of Glass" - Blondie; Armed Forces - Elvis Costello & The Attractions; We Are Family - Sister Sledge
Early in the month, The Who, now with Kenney Jones on drums and John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards, go into the studio to record new material for the Quadrophenia Soundtrack. Ultimately released are "Get Out And Stay Out" and Pete's 1968 song "Joker James." "Four Faces," a track recorded in 1973 and left unfinished, is completed with Pete, Roger and John layering new material over a previously recorded Keith Moon drum track.
January 1980
New music releases: "Call Me" - Blondie; Permanent Waves - Rush; "I'd Love to Lay You Down" - Conway Twitty; "Together We Are Beautiful" - Fern Kinney
On the 16th, Variety reports The Who have left their U.S. record label MCA and signed to Warner Brothers Records for $12 million dollars.
January 1981
New music releases: "In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins; Paradise Theatre - Styx; "Romeo & Juliet" - Dire Straits; Captured - Journey
On the 25th, The Who open their Face Dances tour at Leicester Granby Hall. This year's set features little of The Who's 60s repertoire with new additions "The Quiet One," "Don't Let Go The Coat," "You Better You Bet," "Another Tricky Day," and "Twist and Shout." Another major difference is inspired by John's girlfriend Maxene who convinces him to go on stage with his natural dark-blond hair undyed.
January 1982
New music releases: "Open Arms" - Journey; "A Country Boy Can Survive" - Hank Williams, Jr.; "Town Called Malice" - The Jam; "Golden Brown" - The Stranglers
By mid-month, Pete flies to Dr. Meg Patterson's neuroelectric therapy clinic at Corona del Mar, California to end his addictive use of alcohol, heroin, Ativan and crack cocaine. While there he writes more songs for his upcoming solo album and short stories that will ultimately end up in the Horse's Neck book. As for The Who, Pete contacts Roger back in London and says that as soon as he's clean and sober, he'd like to record another Who album and follow it with one final major tour.
January 1983
New records: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson; Pyromania - Def Leppard; "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" - Journey; "Amarillo By Morning" - George Strait
Rolling Stone reports that The Who's 1982 tour was the year's most financially successful, garnering $23 million in 39 shows.
January 1984
New music releases: 1984 - Van Halen; Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture - Various Artists; "Time After Time" - Cyndi Lauper; "Footloose" - Kenny Loggins
Rolling Stone carries the news of last month's announcement by Pete that he was ending The Who under the headline: "Townshend to Who: drop dead."
January 1985
New music releases: Songs You Know By Heart - Jimmy Buffett; Centerfield - John Fogerty; 40-Hour Week - Alabama; "How Soon Is Now" - The Smiths
On the 5th, Record Mirror interviews John as his cassette course teaching bass has come out. On the breakup of The Who: "We finally split over policy differences. We couldn't agree on anything. I can't see us getting back together. Maybe there'll be a reunion in three years, but certainly not in the near future."
January 1989
New music releases: "One" - Metallica; Skid Row - Skid Row; The Raw and The Cooked - Fine Young Cannibals; Electric Youth - Debbie Gibson
Pete flies to New York to induct the Rolling Stones into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Backstage, he is repeatedly asked when The Who are going to tour again. According to one source, Bono from U2 corners Pete and says he owes it to fellow band member John Entwistle to go out on the road with The Who to ease John's debt burden. Pete, however, later says it was enduring the flight back home economy class and getting off the plane with an aching back that caused him to decide to become wealthy enough to always fly first class. Whichever of these enticements was the reason, Pete soon changes his mind and agrees to accompany Roger and John on a 25th anniversary Who tour.
January 1990
New music releases: The Best of Van Morrison - Van Morrison; "U Can't Touch This" - MC Hammer; The Very Best of Cat Stevens - Cat Stevens; "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor
On the 17th, The Who are at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York as they are inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame by the members of U2. Mandy Moon is also on the stage during the award ceremony representing her father. She points out to the crowd that daddy Keith Moon couldn't be there that night partly because he had been banned from the Waldorf-Astoria. Pete, speaking about rap music, states, "it's not up to us to try to understand it, it's not even up to us to buy it, we just have to get the f*** out of the way." Afterwards they perform "Substitute," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Pinball Wizard" with Pete on acoustic guitar.
January 1993
New music releases: So Close - Dina Carroll; "I'm Every Woman" - Whitney Houston; "I'm So Into You" - SWV; 12 Inches of Snow - Snow
On the 15th, Roger is a guest on Howard Stern's radio show in New York. The following day Roger appears at the Paramount Theatre Benefit Concert for the CityKids Foundation of New York.
January 1994
New music releases: "C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)" - Wu-Tang Clan; Kickin' It Up - John Michael Montgomery; Jar of Flies - Alice in Chains; Under the Pink - Tori Amos
Pete tries to back out of his promise to perform at Roger's upcoming orchestral rock Carnegie Hall concert. Roger, in Pete's words, "goes ballistic" and Pete quickly backs down. It is the start of what will be one of the roughest years between the two bandmates.
January 1995
New music releases: "Children" - Robert Miles; Balance - Van Halen; Leftism - Leftfield; "When I Come Around" - Green Day
Pete meets a man named Oleg who says he is collecting money for a new orphanage in Russia to fill the gap between State and criminal facilities. Pete will try to help, but an Internet search for information about Russian children exposes him to the then-vast Internet market for pictures of child sexual abuse. Pete, who had already seen the effects of child sexual abuse on women helped by him and his wife's charity work for Chiswick Women's Aid, vows to do something to bring attention to the issue.
January 1996
New music releases: Time Marches On - Tracy Lawrence; "1979" - Smashing Pumpkins; Boys for Pele - Tori Amos; "Spaceman" - Babylon Zoo
On the 21st, The John Entwistle Band begins the "Left For Dead" tour of small venues in North America with a private party at Tramps in New York. On the 24th, John performs some Who songs with the house band on NBC-TV's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
January 1999
New music releases: ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears; "My Name Is" - Eminem; 14:59 - Sugar Ray; Live at Luther College - Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
On the 20th, In her "Ask Camille" column in Salon, intellectual Camille Paglia states: "I would cite the Who's magnificent, rumbling "Eminence Front" (from the 1982 It's Hard album), with its penetrating insights into psychology and politics, as an example of what an evolved punk can and should achieve. Anarchism is glorified thumb-sucking. Off with the diapers, and on to business! Construction, not destruction, is the name of the human game."
January 2001
New music releases: "Drops of Jupiter" - Train; J. Lo - Jennifer Lopez; I Need You - LeAnn Rimes; "Whole Again" - Atomic Kitten
On the 3rd, Pollstar places The Who at #21 for the previous year's concerts with a total of $21,100,000 earned in the U.S.
January 2002
New music releases: "Don't Know Why" - Norah Jones; Drive - Alan Jackson; The Essential Barbra Streisand - Barbra Streisand; "Toxicity" - System of a Down
On the 16th, Pete posts a long diary message called A Different Bomb about the dangers of child pornography on the Internet. "When you are a child - possibly the victim of a war, maybe just an orphan or foster child - and sexual abuse follows, it could be said that what drops on you is '...a different bomb'. I believe that the internet is a latent bomb factory for the children of the future." After the blowup about his research on this issue in 2003, Pete is forced to stop plans to continue writing what was meant to be a exposé book and this document is all that is ever published.
January 2003
New music releases: "In Da Club" - 50 Cent; "Bring Me to Life" - Evanescence; "Get Busy" - Sean Paul; "Superman" - Eminem
On the 11th, the Daily Mail is the first to publish information from a U.S.-led investigation known as "Operation Ore." A list of names of people who had used their credit cards to access a pornographic website that contained child pornography in a section was given to British police for further investigation. However, very shortly after the list arrives in the U.K., it is sold to the tabloids. The Mail mentions that on the list is the name of a well-known British rock star. That afternoon, Pete holds a press conference admitting that he is the rock star, says he is not a paedophile, has been a long-time campaigner against child pornography on the Internet, never downloaded any images, and gives the police full access to investigate the charges. The police seize Pete's computers and he is questioned but not charged with a crime.
January 2004
New music releases: "Yeah!" - Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris; "Toxic" - Britney Spears; "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand; "The Reason" - Hoobastank
On the 21st, an interview with Roger appears in the Evening Standard. Of the previous year he says, "It was very painful. [Pete and I] both re-evaluated our lives after that. I have watched a friend being brutalized for making what I think was a very stupid mistake - and I think there was nothing more to what he did than that. That was all very painful."
January 2006
New music releases: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - Panic! at the Disco; High School Musical - Original Soundtrack; Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys; "Pump It" - The Black Eyed Peas
On the 4th, Pete Townshend's December diary about the damage done to his ears by headphones makes the international news when it links to current concerns about the dangers of earbuds that have recently become popular while using iPods.
January 2007
New music releases: "Glamorous" - Fergie featuring Ludacris; "Don't Matter" - Akon; "Grace Kelly" - Mika; "Famous Last Words" - My Chemical Romance
On the 24th, Pete reveals on his website that he and Roger had a business meeting the day before and decided on a European tour for May followed by a winter tour of Japan, Australia and Hawaii. He also discusses a recent French author's view that soon all music will be available for downloading for free: "iTunes are getting away with murder, and the French want to stop them. Oh! I warned you all back in 1986 and no one listened."
January 2011
New music releases: 21 - Adele; "Party Rock Anthem" - LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock; "Someone Like You" - Adele; "All of the Lights" - Kanye West featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi
On the 13th, The Who headline a "Killing Cancer" charity gig at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London. At one point in their set, Jeff Beck replaces Pete Townshend for a cover of "I'm A Man". Opening acts Bryan Adams and Debbie Harry join The Who at the end for a performance of "Join Together".
January 2012
New music releases: Born to Die - Lana Del Rey; "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" - Kelly Clarkson; "Drive By" - Train; "I Won't Give Up" - Jason Mraz
On the 25th, a press release announces that Pete has sold his interest in his entire song catalog to the Spirit Music Group. Spirit CEO Mark Fried says in a later interview that he and Pete spent close to three years throwing ideas back and forth seeking to find a way to increase the number of Pete's songs used in commercials, films and sports programs. Estimates claim Pete was paid $50-$60 million for his song catalog.
January 2013
New music releases: "Demons" - Imagine Dragons; "When I Was Your Man" - Bruno Mars; "Pompeii" - Bastille; "Wagon Wheel" - Darius Rucker
On the 24th, Roger Daltrey joins with Steven Tyler to perform at the Raise Your Voice benefit in Los Angeles. The event is in honor of Dr. Steven Zeitels whose techniques gave new life to both singers' voices.
January 2014
New music releases: "Let It Go" - Idina Menzel; "Rather Be" - Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne; "2 On" - Tinashe featuring Schoolboy Q; "Na Na" - Trey Songz
Pete Townshend talks about his as-yet-unproduced musical Floss in the new issue of Uncut magazine: "The solo album I'm working on at the moment is so dark I'm hoping that when people have finished listening to it they'll kill themselves. It's called FLOSS. It's going to be a very serious, very long opera. I'm pretending to be Sting. There won't be any lutes. No, it's not dark, really. It's just very, very focused and serious."
March 2015
New music releases: "See You Again" - Wiz Khalifa fteaturing Charlie Puth; "Lean On" - Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MØ; "Want to Want Me" - Jason Derulo; "Hey Mama" - David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack
On the 26th, The Who are at the Royal Albert performing for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Before the show Pete and Roger receive an "official" apology for being banned from the venue 9 Dec. 1972.
January 2016
New Music Releases: "Work" - Rihanna featuring Drake; "Hymn for the Weekend" - Coldplay; "Pillowtalk" - Zayn; Anti - Rihanna
On the 11th, Pete writes an obituary for the recently deceased David Bowie. "David Bowie was my Salvador Dali. He was also one facet of my perfect Ace Face."
January 2019
New music releases: "7 Rings" - Ariana Grande; "Middle Child" - J. Cole; "Dancing with a Stranger" - Sam Smith and Normani; "One Man Band" - Old Dominion
On the 11th, Rolling Stone prints a new interview with Pete. He says that he had some difficulty getting Roger to agree to record his new songs for the WHO album: "I had to bully him to respond and then it wasn’t the response I wanted. He just blathered for a while and in the end, I really stamped my foot and said, ‘Roger, I don’t care if you really like this stuff. You have to sing it. You’ll like it in 10 years' time.’"
January 2021
New music releases: "Drivers License" - Olivia Rodrigo; Dangerous: The Double Album - Morgan Wallen; "Best Friend" - Saweetie featuring Doja Cat; "Anyone" - Justin Bieber
On the 8th, The Who's single "My Generation" receives a long-delayed Gold record from the BPI.
On the 10th, Pete is on Chris Hawkins' show on BBCRadio6 talking about his late friend David Bowie on the fifth anniversary of his death.
On the 31st, A blue boiler suit and caftan worn by Pete in two 2019 shows are auctioned off for $11,520. The money goes to the MusiCares charity.
