In 1969, Roger Daltrey played “the single best show in history”

Roger Daltrey later called The Who’s performance at Woodstock in 1969 “probably the single best show in history”, despite the difficult conditions and the band’s mixed feelings about the event. The performance mattered because it showed The Who as more than a hard rock group, with their newly released rock opera *Tommy* bringing storytelling and greater substance to their music.

The article describes Woodstock as muddy, exhausting and poorly timed for the band, while noting that Daltrey believed they had created something special. Pete Townshend disliked the experience, but the performance included songs such as “Pinball Wizard” and unfolded amid a festival that briefly seemed to embody its ideals of peace and love.