The Who To Play Medley of Hits For Super Bowl Set
By Seraphina L.
If there are any people betting on which songs the half-time band will be playing this year at the Super Bowl, we’re not sure if there’s a point anymore. The Who‘s Pete Townshend has already revealed some of the set list to Billboard in an interview. We’re not sure if he meant to do it. We’re not sure if he’s telling the truth, but his answer is pretty predictable for a band of their era.
Most music acts who perform for half-time do their major hits so the crowd can feel comfortable enough to get crazy and sing along to songs they already know. Some have minor accidents (ahem, Janet and Justin), but some have used the highly sought spotlight to promote new material, such as Bruce Springsteen did during last year’s game.
The Who, according to the band’s guitarist, Pete Townshend, will be playing every one’s favorite songs. Yes, they’ll be doing all the ones you know. They will not only be performing one favorite but multiple favorites. Yes, they’re going to be doing the all-mighty cheesy but crowd pleaser… medley.
Townshend tells Billboard,
“We’re kinda doing a mashup of stuff. A bit of ‘Baba O’Riley,’ a bit of ‘Pinball Wizard,’ a bit of the close of ‘Tommy,’ a bit of ‘Who Are You,’ and a bit of ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.’ It works — it’s quite a saga. A lot of the stuff that we do has that kind of celebratory vibe about it — we’ve always tried to make music that allows the audience to go a bit wild if they want to. Hopefully it will hit the spot.”
We can’t say we blame them. It’s a smart move to revive the love of all those die-hard fans of The Who, a band who has sold over 100 million records since their formation in 1964. The Who hasn’t released a studio album since 2006′s Endless Wire, but it couldn’t hurt to boost the sales of their past catalog.
According to Billboard, Bruce Springsteen’s album, Working On A Dream, was released one week before last year’s Superbowl. The album debuted at No. 1 upon release and only slipped to No. 2 a week after.
What do you think of The Who doing a medley? Would you prefer a few of your favorite and unknown songs instead?
