The Who are frequently cited among the greatest rock bands ever. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Despite Moon’s death in 1978 and Entwistle’s in 2002, Daltrey and Townshend have continued to perform under The Who name.

The group’s contributions to rock include “perfecting the “power chord”, windmill strum and the use of non-musical instrument noise such as feedback. The band influenced fashion from their earliest days with their embrace of pop art and the use of the Union Jack for clothing. The guitar-smashing incident at the Railway Hotel in 1964 is one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock ‘n’ Roll”. 

The Who’s loud, explosive live shows helped shape hard rock and heavy metal. They were a key influence on proto-punk, punk, and alternative rock bands like the MC5, the Stooges, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Pearl Jam, Green Day, and the Melvins. Queen’s Brian May called them one of his favorite bands, and their mod style inspired groups like the Jam. They also influenced Guns N’ Roses, Britpop bands like Blur and Oasis, and even pop rock acts like Panic! at the Disco.