Tommy  by The Who

Tommy by The Who, which was released in May 1969, is considered the first complete rock opera in music history. It was recorded at IBC Studios in London from September 1968 to March 1969. The group's manager, Kit Lambert, who encouraged Pete Townshend to incorporate classical elements, took on the production of the album. Tommy was the band's fourth studio album.

The album's twenty-four songs tell the story of Tommy Walker, a child who becomes "blind, deaf, and dumb" after a traumatic event. He then evolves into a pinball champion and a spiritual leader (a messianic figure). It includes classical operatic structures, such as the Overture and the Underture, where musical themes from the entire album are repeated. Overall, the musical style of this double album is a combination of hard rock, art rock, and power pop. The songs Pinball Wizard, Amazing Journey, I'm Free and See Me, Feel Me stood out.

Tommy reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 4 in the U.S. It has sold over 20,000,000 copies worldwide. In 1998, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The album's massive success led to an iconic performance at Woodstock in 1969 and later to a film adaptation (1975) and a musical (!)