Page updated December 1, 2025. This is a highly abridged version of all the things that happened to and around The Who in December. Click for access to the full history.
December 1956
New music releases: Hymns - Tennessee Ernie Ford; "Young Love" - Tab Hunter; "The Garden of Eden" - Frankie Vaughan; "Day O (The Banana Boat Song)" - Harry Belafonte
On Christmas Day, Pete's Grandmother Denny gives him a guitar. Pete later describes it as the sort of cheap guitar one would see decorating the wall of an Italian restaurant. Despite calling this his first guitar early in his career, he will reveal in 2007 that his mother had earlier given him a 1936 Radiotone guitar (left) that belonged to his Uncle Jack. He will give this guitar to Rachel Fuller (later Mrs. Townshend) to auction for charity and then provide its backstory in 2007.
December 1958
New music releases: The Star Carol - Tennessee Ernie Ford; Flower Drum Song - Original Cast; "Petite Fleur" - Chris Barber's Jazz Band; "Donna" - Ritchie Valens
On the 6th, John and Pete's trad jazz band The Confederates (so named because the official school band was called The Union) have their first paying gig at the Congo Club at the Congregational Church in Acton. The audience is about ten people.
December 1962
New music releases: "Hey Paula" - Paul & Paula; The Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass; The Glorious Sound of Christmas - The Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy; "The End of the World" - Skeeter Davis
At Ealing Art College, Pete attends a lecture by the Austrian artist Gustav Metzger. The title of the lecture is "Auto-Destructive Art, Auto-Creative Art: The Struggle For The Machine Arts Of The Future." Metzger argues that the act of destroying a machine can be a valid artistic statement. He illustrates by smashing a bass violin.
December 1963
New music releases: "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys; Volume 2 - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass; "Hippy Hippy Shake" - The Swingin' Blue Jeans"; "Dead Man's Curve" - Jan and Dean
The St. Mary's Hall, Putney show on the 22nd is a watershed for Pete as The Detours open for the Rolling Stones. Pete gets to meet the Stones through an introduction brokered by his friend Glyn Johns, then the lead singer for the group The Presidents. Brian Jones and Mick Jagger are quite friendly to a star-struck Pete. Standing backstage, he sees Keith Richards swinging his arm in a circle as a warm-up before the curtain is raised on the Stones' performance. Within the next week, Pete takes that motion and makes it part of his stage act; spinning his arm furiously while crashing his fingers against the strings of the guitar, a move called "the windmill" that becomes his trademark.
December 1964
New music releases: "My Girl" - The Temptations; Beatles '65 - The Beatles; Beatles For Sale - The Beatles; "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" - Dean Martin
On the 12th, Billboard magazine has the first U.S. press mention of The Who in an article on Decca Records declaring that "I Can't Explain" backed with "Bald Headed Woman" will be "coming out this week". Four days later the first review appears in Variety followed by Cash Box on the 19th. Variety calls "I Can't Explain" a "typical rocking entry with a good sound." Cash Box gets confused, assuming "Bald-Headed Woman" is the A-side, and dismisses "I Can't Explain" as "an attention-getting shuffle-rock'er." It is unclear whether the single has its national release at this time but producer Shel Talmy said December 19 was the U.S. release date in a 2022 post on Facebook.
December 1965
New music releases: Rubber Soul - The Beatles; "California Dreamin'" - The Mama's & The Papa's; A Charlie Brown Christmas - The Vince Guaraldi Trio; "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" - Nancy Sinatra
On the 3rd, after almost a year of delays, The Who finally manage to release their first album, My Generation. It will go to mythic status years later; its angry cover and loud, thrashing music providing the spark to the garage-rock and punk-rock movements to follow.
December 1966
New music releases: "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield; "Sugar Town" - Nancy Sinatra; "Hey Joe" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience; Here Where There Is Love - Dionne Warwick
On the 19th, The Who assemble in costume as burglars at their managers' office in Caroline House in London for the shooting of the "Happy Jack" promotional video. The Monkees-style short is directed by Ready Steady GO! director Michael Lindsay-Hogg and premieres three nights later on BBC-1 TV.
December 1967
New music releases: Axis: Bold As Love - The Jimi Hendrix Experience; "Sunshine of Your Love" - Cream; John Wesley Harding - Bob Dylan; "Everlasting Love" - Love Affair
On the 15th, The Who Sell Out LP is released. Pete's tinkering driven by his dissatisfaction with some of the album's songs followed by the need to get permission from all the companies mentioned in the commercials is responsible for the delayed release. While getting the rights for the commercials, someone forgets to secure the rights for the Radio London jingles and a lawsuit erupts. Those who rush out to buy the first copies of the album in the U.K. find a psychedelic poster designed by Adrian George inside. Good condition original posters are now one of the most sought-after Who artifacts.
December 1968
New music releases: "Touch Me" - The Doors; "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones; Beggars Banquet - The Rolling Stones; Elvis TV Special - Elvis Presley
On the 11th, filming for The Rolling Stones' Rock 'n Roll Circus begins. The Who record three takes of their mini-opera "A Quick One While He's Away" and, despite being one of the first acts filmed, they don't come on until after 4pm. The Stones don't come on until after 1am, performing a set before a tired audience. Once the Stones see the film of their low-energy act back-to-back with The Who's road-tested, white-hot performance, they cancel the special.
December 1969
New music releases: "Spirit in the Sky" - Norman Greenbaum; "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & The Family Stone; Grand Funk - Grand Funk Railroad; Okie From Muskogee - Merle Haggard and The Strangers
On the 14th, The Who play their opera at The Coliseum in London's Covent Garden. The entire concert is recorded and filmed but rejected as the lack of proper film lighting produces a very dark image. The footage is re-discovered years later by Jeff Stein while seeking Who film for The Kids Are Alright and "Young Man Blues" is included in that movie. The entire concert is released in 2008 on the DVD The Who: Kilburn 1977.
December 1970
New music releases: Pendulum - Creedence Clearwater Revival; Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson; "I Really Don't Want to Know" - Elvis Presley; Love Story (Original Soundtrack) - Frances Lai
On the 30th, The Who appear on BBC1's Top Of The Pops Into '71 programme set to air on New Year's Eve. Pete wears a Cockney "Pearly King" outfit while Roger apparently wears the cover off the family room sofa. Keith plays his new transparent drum kit. The Who mime to two as-of-then-unreleased songs, "I Don't Even Know Myself" (in its rare "N-word" version) and "Naked Eye."
December 1971
New music releases: Hot Rocks 1964-1971 - The Rolling Stones; "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" - John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band; America - America; Carole King Music - Carole King
On the 12th and 13th, The Who head up the coast to San Francisco's Civic Auditorium. On the first night Keith overdoses on pills and begins to pass out halfway through the show. His minder Dougal Butler and a free-clinic doctor have to sneak up behind Keith while he is playing and inject cortisone shots into his legs to keep him upright. The night of the 13th is recorded and tracks later officially released: "Baby Don't You Do It" on the b-side of "Join Together", and more in the 1980s and 1990s until the entire concert is officially released on the Who's Next / Life House boxset in 2023.
December 1972
New music releases: Hot August Night - Neil Diamond; Made in Japan - Deep Purple; Separate Ways - Elvis Presley; "Love Train" - The O'Jays
On the 9th, Tommy is presented with the London Symphony Orchestra in two live performances at the Rainbow Theatre in London. The production was originally planned for the LSO's regular venue at the Royal Albert Hall, but the Hall's management refuses because rock stars would be involved and because they consider Tommy to be "unsavory." Roger performs the title role, John is Cousin Kevin, Keith is Uncle Ernie and Pete sings the narrator. Rod Stewart, Peter Sellers, Stevie Winwood, Richie Havens, Sandy Denny and Merry Clayton round out the cast.
December 1973
New music releases: Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings; "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" - Wizzard; Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath; "Seasons in the Sun" - Terry Jacks
Rolling Stone carries their article on The Who tour, "Who's spooky tour: awe and hassles." Pete and Roger comment on the friction between them during the recording of Quadrophenia. Pete says the band tried to accomplish too much and admits that the lack of audience reaction was not what he expected.
December 1974
New music releases: "Some Kind of Wonderful" - Grand Funk; "Lonely This Christmas" - Mud; Stormbringer - Deep Purple; New & Improved - The Spinners
On the 8th, John premiers his solo group The Ox at the City Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne. Only 300 people show up. John and The Ox play only one more U.K. date, appearing at the City Hall in Sheffield on the 17th. A planned date at the Odeon Theatre in Southport on the 13th is cancelled. On the 14th, Chris Charlesworth reports on the band in Melody Maker in an article entitled "Entwistle's £25,000 hobby."
December 1975
New music releases: "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" - The Four Seasons; We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'n Roll - Black Sabbath; "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" - Paul Simon; "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" - AC/DC
The audience at The Pontiac Silverdome on the 6th is the largest crowd of the tour, numbering 76,000. Some of the attendees are later reported injured in the crush to get inside. The Who use 50 tons of equipment for the show and project it on a 30-by-40-foot video screen. The show is videotaped and "Roadrunner" and part of "My Generation Blues" appears later in the movie The Kids Are Alright. More of the medley, including "Join Together" appears on the film soundtrack.
December 1977
New music releases: Running On Empty - Jackson Browne; "Stayin' Alive" - The Bee Gees; "Lovely Day" - Bill Withers; "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
On the 15th, The Who perform a set at the 2000-seat Gaumont State Theatre in the London suburb of Kilburn. The audience is made up of those lucky enough to have heard an announcement that morning on Capitol Radio. Jeff Stein, director of The Who documentary The Kids Are Alright, set up the show because he had found no good footage of The Who performing their hits "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." The show turns into a full-length concert with the only live complete performance of "Who Are You" with Keith on drums.
December 1978
New music releases: Minute By Minute - The Doobie Brothers; Destiny - The Jacksons; Incantations - Mike Oldfield; "Shake Your Groove Thing" - Peaches & Herb
On the 27th, Roger is interviewed by members of the Who's News fanzine. He says that Pete has already signed his solo contract with Atlantic but that The Who haven't decided on a new label (he would prefer CBS). He says Kenney Jones is "the fourth member of the band from now on" but that this is just for studio work; other drummers (or multiple drummers) will be used live. He says The Who "are like an open wound; we need to seal it up."
December 1979
New music releases: Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross; Gold & Platinum - Lynyrd Skynyrd; The Rose - Bette Midler; London Calling - The Clash
Chet Flippo writes a lengthy report on the Cincinnati tragedy for Rolling Stone . He reveals that various citizens and city officials had warned that something like this was going to happen at Riverfront Coliseum as early as three years before. In another article, promoter Larry Magid calls the tragedy a "symptom of society" that could happen again.
December 1980
New music releases: "Back In Black" - AC/DC; Arc of a Diver - Steve Winwood; The Best of Bowie - David Bowie; Live - Fleetwood Mac
On the 8th, John Lennon is murdered outside The Dakota in New York City. Record Mirror on the 13th, records many British music celebrities' reaction: "Pete: "I can’t describe how I feel... there are just no words to say." Roger adds: "It's terrible. My heart goes out to his wife, his family and his friends."
December 1981
New music releases: Hits...Hits...Hits - Various Artists; O Holy Night - Luciano Pavarotti; The Best of Manhattan Transfer - Manhattan Transfer; "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Pete resumes work on his LP All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes. To add to his own personal miseries, he also begins smoking crack cocaine.
December 1982
New music releases: December - George Winston; "Electric Avenue" - Eddy Grant; The Distance - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; Raiders of the Pop Charts - Various Artists
Finally, The Who reach what was then believed to be the end of the line; their last two concerts of the tour at the Maple Leaf Garden in Toronto. The show on the 17th is shown live in theaters around the world and pay-per-view on cable television. Professionally recorded and videotaped, the concert, missing three songs, is later released on home video as Who Rocks America and on CD and DVD in 2006 as Live From Toronto.
December 1983
New music releases: "Jump" - Van Halen; "Walking on Sunshine" - Katrina & The Waves; Greatest Hits Vol. II - Barry Manilow; Balls to the Wall - Accept
On the 16th, Pete releases a statement declaring he is breaking up The Who. "I will not be making any more records with The Who. It's already been stated that our tour of America in 1982 was our last, and I can now add that I will not perform live again anywhere in the world with The Who." Roger, John and Kenney have nothing to do with the statement and afterwards express shock and anger at Pete's decision and the idea that he could break up the group on his own. "It was a wonderful Christmas present," Roger tells the press, sarcastically.
December 1985
New music releases: 10 From 6 - Bad Company; Les Misérables - Original London Cast; "Manic Monday" - The Bangles; "Superbowl Shuffle" - Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew
On the 2nd, Roger Daltrey begins his first solo tour with a sellout audience at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey. His backup band is Russ Ballard on lead guitar, Mark Williamson on keyboards and backing vocals, John Seigler on bass, Stuart Elliott on drums, Clem Clempson on guitar and Alan Shacklock additional keyboards. The 4th sees them at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., then Tower Theater in Philadelphia (5th), Boston (8th), Madison Square Garden (9th) and the Palace Theater in Albany, New York (12th). The Boston show is played on the King Biscuit Flower Hour and is later bootlegged as Summertime Blues. Roger later admits that touring without the other members of The Who was an unpleasant experience.
December 1986
New music releases: "Ocean Front Property" - George Strait; Live Magic - Queen; Life, Love & Pain - Club Nouveau; Hot, Cool & Vicious - Salt 'n Pepa
The Who plan a one-off reunion concert this month at The Marquee in London. Just to be ready Who manager Bill Curbishley books them on a U.S. tour. When Pete hears about the U.S. bookings he pulls out of the Marquee show.
December 1988
New music releases: "Driving Home for Christmas" - Chris Rea; "Can You Stand the Rain?" - New Edition; "She Drives Me Crazy" - Fine Young Cannibals; "Baby Don't Forget My Number" - Milli Vanilli
On the 5th, Pete, Roger and John appear from London on the U.S. television show Today promoting the new Who's Better Who's Best compilation. The tapings done, the three and Who manager Bill Curbishley meet to discuss the 25th Anniversary tour. John says he has found new bass equipment that will allow him to play quieter. Roger says he has written some new songs. Things are going well until Curbishley brings up possible dates for the tour. As the reality of the tour sinks in, Pete has a panic attack and abruptly leaves.
December 1996
New music releases: "2 Become 1" - Spice Girls; "In My Bed" - Dru Hill; "I Believe in You and Me" - Whitney Houston; "All By Myself" - Celine Dion
The Who and friends return Quadrophenia to London with live shows at Earl's Court in London on the 6th and 7th. They then take it to Manchester's NYMEX Arena on the 11th. These shows introduce P.J. Proby taking Gary Glitter's place as The Godfather.
December 1999
New music releases: "Otherside" - Red Hot Chili Peppers; ...And Then There Was X - DMX; Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter - Jay-Z; Songs from the Last Century - George Michael
On the 22nd and 23rd, the new edition of the five-man Who makes its British premiere as The Who play their home ground at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. The later release The Blues to the Bush has "I Can't Explain" and "My Wife" from the first night and "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere," "Baba O'Riley," "I'm a Boy," "The Real Me," and "My Generation" from the second night. All these tracks except "My Generation" feature studio overdubs.
December 2002
New music releases: "X Gon' Give It To Ya" - DMX; "Sound of the Underground" - Girls Aloud; "All I Have" - Jennifer Lopez; I Care 4 U - Aaliyah
On the 10th, Cheltenham and district coroner Lester Maddrell concludes the official British inquest into John Entwistle's death: "He died from the effects of a single moderate usage of cocaine superimposed upon ischaemic heart disease caused by naturally-occurring coronary atherosclerosis." The verdict confirms the findings of the U.S. coroner from July.
December 2004
New music releases: "Numb/Encore" - Jay-Z and Linkin Park; Eye to the Telescope - KT Tunstall; Get Lifted - John Legend; "Rich Girl" - Gwen Stefani featuring Eve
On the 30th, Roger makes it onto the Queen's New Year's Honours list. He is named a Commander of the British Empire for his charity work with the Teenage Cancer Trust.
December 2005
New music releases: Curtain Call: The Hits - Eminem; "When I'm Gone" - Eminem; "Temperature" - Sean Paul; The Breakthrough - Mary J. Blige
On the 29th, another long diary entry from Pete. He discusses his hearing problems and their cause: "my own particular kind of damage was caused by using earphones in the recording studio, not playing loud on stage. My ears are ringing, loudly. This rarely happens after a live show, unless the Who play a small club. This is a peculiar hazard of the recording studio." He says he is forced to take 36-hour breaks between recording sessions to keep his tinnitus in check.
December 2006
New music releases: "The Sweet Escape" - Gwen Stefani featuring Akon; "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" - Fall Out Boy; The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani; "What Goes Around... Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake
On the 4th, Pete Townshend reports in his online diary that he offered Zak Starkey a permanent role as drummer for The Who but Zak turned him down.
December 2008
New music releases: "Dog Days Are Over" - Florence + The Machine; "Circus" - Britney Spears; The Circus - Take That; "Hallelujah" - Alexandra Burke
On the 7th, Pete and Roger attend the Kennedy Center gala with outgoing President George W. Bush and fellow honorees, Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman and George Jones. A brilliant, soulful performance of "Love Reign O'er Me" by Bettye LaVette brings tears to Pete's eyes and causes Streisand to lean over to Pete and ask "You wrote this?"
December 2009
New music releases: "Nothin' On You" - B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars; "Imma Be" - The Black Eyed Peas; "In My Head" - Jason Derulo; "Naturally" - Selenz Gomez & The Scene
Shortly before Christmas, Roger Daltrey secretly enters the Mass General Voice Center in Boston for surgery. Dr. Steven Zeitels who performs the surgery had discovered pre-cancerous growths on Roger's vocal chords. Using an experimental technique, Dr. Zeitels rebuilds Roger's vocal chords but afterwards Roger goes through a terrible two weeks before he is allowed to try them out and see if he can still speak, much less sing. "I had two weeks of silence. Silence and no drinking. How's that for a good Christmas?" Naturally, a planned appearance by Roger on Jools Holland's New Year's Hootenanny is cancelled.
December 2012
New music releases: "Sweater Weather" - The Neighbourhood; "Stay" - Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko; Unorthodox Jukebox - Bruno Mars; "Lost" - Frank Ocean
On the 12th, The Who perform a half-hour set at Madison Square Garden as part of an all-star event called "12-12-12 The Concert for Sandy Relief". The performance is shown live on television and the next day the Internet comments extensively on Roger Daltrey's 68-year-old bared chest.
December 2014
New music releases: "No Role Modelz" - J. Cole; "Earned It" - The Weeknd; 2014 Forest Hills Drive - J. Cole; "Girl Crush" - Little Big Town
The Who continue their 50th Anniversary Tour in the U.K. performing at First Direct Arena in Leeds (2nd), Capital FM Arena in Nottingham (5th), NIA in Birmingham (7th), Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle (9th), Echo Arena in Liverpool (11th), Phones 4U Arena in Manchester (13th), and Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff (15th). From there, Who activities are put on pause until March 2015.
December 2015
New music releases: "Love Yourself" - Justin Bieber; "Cheap Thrills" - Sia featuring Sean Paul; "Panda" - Desiigner; "Faded" - Alan Walker
On the 3rd, a crowd gathers in cold temperatures outside the U.S. Bank Arena to mark the 36th anniversary of the 1979 Cincinnati concert disaster with a memorial marker. Who manager Bill Curbishley sends a message that is read to those in attendance: "Many people suffered as a result of that day and I am sure that many still do. If myself and the band can be of any assistance in the healing process going forward we are there for you."
December 2016
New music releases: "Goosebumps" - Travis Scott featuring Kendrick Lamar; "iSpy" - Kyle featuring Lil Yachty; "How Far I'll Go" - Auliʻi Cravalho; "You're Welcome" - Dwayne Johnson
Sometime during this month Pete marries for the second time to musician and partner Rachel Fuller. The ebulliant Rachel reports: "It was fabulous! It was eight minutes long and there were no guests. We had two witnesses and it was like 'Hello, I love you. Marry me. Yes, I do.' And we went to the local pub for lunch."
November 2017
New music releases: "Heaven" - Kane Brown; "You Are the Reason" - Calum Scott; Diamonds - Elton John; "20 Min" - Lil Uzi Vert
On the 11th The Mirror reports that The Who have negotiated to take over Sir Elton John's residency at the Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. They are expect to get £250,000 per night.
December 2019
New music releases: "Adore You" - Harry Styles; Fine Line - Harry Styles; "Jealous" - Eyedress; "Breaking Me" - Topic and A7S
On the 3rd more reviews come in for the new WHO album. Rolling Stone Gives it 3 1/2 stars out of 5: "But even when Townshend, who wrote the majority of Who hits, is the one ripping himself off, it sounds as authentic as it does ironic. The fact that the song, and much of the record, feels like Classic Rock Comfort Food may be why the band tiled the album simply Who — their first, official self-titled record." Paul Moody in Uncut gives it 4 1/2 out of 5: "It’s spellbinding, shiver-down-the-spine stuff, and enough to have any self-respecting Quadropheniac dusting down their scooter for one last run down to Brighton." And Will Hodgkinson in The Times goes all the way to 5 stars out of 5.
December 2020
New music releases: "Good Days" - SZA; "Without You" - The Kid Laroi; "On Me" - Lil Baby; "Black Magic" - Jonasu
To celebrate one year since the release of The Who album WHO, a 7-inch boxset edition of the album is released on the 4th. All eleven songs plus the "Yaggerdang" remix of "Beads on One String" are pressed on six singles. Also included is a bonus CD of the Live at Kingston album.
Also on the 4th, Pete announces that he will be giving away one of his gold Fender Stratocasters as part of the #ILoveLive prize drawing that benefits those who work behind the scenes in the UK live music industry.
On the 6th, Roger is one of a large group of UK celebrities who agree to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Says Roger, "My generation avoided some of the worst diseases known to man thanks to being vaccinated when we were young. We owe it to the young to prove its safety."
On the 8th, Pete's first guitar, given to him by his mother, again goes up for auction in Beverly Hills. The 1936 Radiotone cello guitar sells for $41,600.
On the 14th, Roger is interviewed by Keith Levenson, conductor of the orchestra for Who concerts during 2019 for Fustercluck, an orgainzation that benefits live music workers unemployed during the pandemic.
On the 18th, a two-disc vinyl charity album called Carfest is released featuring a performance by Roger.
Also on the 18th, Roger sends out a message to road crews during the LEVL UP Festival streamed online to raise money to support them. Roger says The Who will be back on the road as soon as they can.
On the 19th, Billboard puts the WHO album at #49 on the Top Rock Albums of 2020.
On Christmas Day, Pete joins a live streaming telethon to save the West Bank Café in New York.
On the 28th, Roger sends out a message asking for donations for The Who's charity Teen Cancer America.
