Baba O'Riley
original song written and composed by Pete Townshend; first performed by The Who
"Baba O'Riley" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by Pete Townshend. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenage wasteland". The song's title comes from this combination of the song's philosophical and musical influences: Meher Baba and Terry Riley.[4]
"Baba O'Riley" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Who | ||||
from the album Who's Next | ||||
B-side | "My Wife" | |||
Released | October 1971[1] | |||
Recorded | May 1971 | |||
Studio | Olympic, London[2] | |||
Genre | Hard rock[3] | |||
Length | 5:00 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Pete Townshend | |||
Producer(s) | The Who | |||
The Who singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio | ||||
"Baba O'Riley" on YouTube |
Personnel
changeThe Who
change- Roger Daltrey – lead vocals and harmonica (live versions only)
- Pete Townshend – Lowrey organ, piano, electric guitar and co-lead vocals
- John Entwistle – bass
- Keith Moon – drums
Additional personnel
change- Dave Arbus – violin
Charts
changeChart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 80 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] | 13 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] | 11 |
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
France (SNEP)[8] | 200 |
UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 55 |
Certifications
changeRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Italy (FIMI)[10] | Platinum | 50,000 |
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Platinum | 600,000 |
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone |
References
change- ↑ "Baba O'Riley". ung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ Who's Next 1995 Remastered Liner Notes Page 17
- ↑ Atkins, John (1 February 2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998. McFarland. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-7864-4097-9.
- ↑ The Who: The Ultimate Collection, page 12
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Who" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ↑ "The Who – Baba O'Riley" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ↑ "The Who – Baba O'Riley" (in French). Les classement single.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "Italian single certifications – The Who – Baba O'Riley" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 19 June 2020. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Baba O'Riley" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- ↑ "British single certifications – Who – Baba O'Riley". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 June 2020.