In the pantheon of great British rock bands, the Who probably rate third in the so-called Holy Trinity, right below the Beatles and the Stones. Unlike those two groups, however, the Who were part of what has been termed the second wave of the British Invasion. In fact, the band didn't even form until 1964, releasing its first single ("I'm The Face") that same year--and they didn't score a British hit until they recorded "I Can't Explain" and the anthemic "My Generation" the following year. Soon thereafter, they released a quickly-recorded debut LP, which wasn't released in the U.S. until 1966. (As a matter of fact, Who leader Pete Townshend has frequently credited the first-wave British Invasion band the Kinks with being his initial influence for composing "I Can't Explain," while "The Kids Are Alright" would be unthinkable without the influence of the Beatles and their Merseybeat sound.)
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