LISTS: Ranking the Who

Sixth in a series of posts ranking band members on impact, originality and intangible coolness. Read the previous post here.

1. John Entwistle. Besides being a pioneering bass player, the Ox possessed a memorable nickname, matched the greatness of the rest of "Who's Next" with the track "My Wife," contributed essential horns to "Quadrophenia" and brought a sly sense of humor to the proceedings. The bass solo on "My Generation" remains one of the defining moments of rock music, showing that the instrument could be deployed in ways that had gone unheard. And yes, Entwistle died a classic rock 'n' roll death in a Vegas hotel room, accompanied by cocaine and hookers.

2. Pete Townshend. The clear leader of the band doesn't always come out on top. Townshend, for all his remarkable songwriting skills in simple forms such as "I Can't Explain" and complex ones such as "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia," can be self-absorbed and pretentious, a problem that emerges more in his solo work than in Who material. That said, the astounding accomplishment of "Who's Next" and other contributions still stand tall over his recent personal issues. The repeated reunion/farewell tours are not helping, however.

3. Keith Moon. The manic drummer embodied the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, his death a sad testament to his failed attempts to restrain himself. Although Moon's drumming lost some of its power in the last years, his work on the band's early work and through "Quadrophenia" is unsurpassed. Moon, unlike other drummers of the day, wasn't showy onstage or on record, letting his unique style speak for itself without the need for pyrotechnics and 20-minutes solos. The album cover of "Who Are You," with its photo of Moon sitting in a chair marked "Not To Be Taken Away," is still spooky.

4. Roger Daltrey. The mouthpiece for Townshend had his vocal highs ("Won't Get Fooled Again") and lows ("You Better You Bet.") The quality of his performances usually reflected the quality of the material he was given; he knew when was singing greatness and when he was not. Daltrey matured tremendously as a vocalist from the band's formation and into the 1970s, but he was often sartorially challenged, as evidenced in this video from the "Face Dances" era.

5. Kenney Jones. It's not Jones' fault that his arrival to the band came at the same time that its creativity declined. It's also not his fault that stepping in for Moon was an impossible task. His drumming was competent, but this former Face was faceless, an unfortunate contrast to his charismatic predecessor.