The rock legends returned after thirteen years with a heavy, nostalgic, and aging heart

History · Published 7 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2019, the Who released their twelfth studio album, marking their first new material since 2006. Far from a mere retread of the past, the record explores the heavy, sometimes crotchety reality of being an elderly rock musician in the 21st century.

Released on 6 December 2019, the album 'Who' arrived as a significant milestone for the duo of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Following a thirteen-year hiatus from studio recordings, the project blended 'classic Who-ish' rock with experimental electronica and dark ballads. While critics like Kory Grow of Rolling Stone described it as 'classic rock comfort food,' the album's lyrical depth explored themes of inevitable decline and the struggles of aging, particularly in tracks like 'I Don't Wanna Get Wise.'

The album's visual identity is as layered as its sound. Designed by pop artist Peter Blake—famed for his work on the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'—the cover is a 25-square patchwork. It serves as a visual archive of the band's history, featuring symbols such as a red AEC Routemaster bus, a pinball machine, and a 'Detour' sign referencing their original name. Even the track 'Ball and Chain' connects to Townshend's solo history, being a re-recording of his 2015 song 'Guantanamo.'

Despite its commercial success, reaching number two on the US Billboard 200, the album faced nuanced criticism. Some reviewers, such as Matthew Taub, found certain tracks like 'Detour' to be poorly conceived or overly generic. However, the release also unearthed lost history; deluxe editions included 1966 demos like 'Sand' and 'Got Nothing to Prove,' the latter of which was originally rejected by manager Kit Lambert for lacking emotional resonance.

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