Meta Description: Discover why Roger Daltrey is considered a rock legend. Explore his impact with The Who, his views on the music industry, and his admiration for contemporary bands like Spin Doctors.
Roger Daltrey is undoubtedly one of the all-time greatest rock ‘n’ roll singers. From the stuttering delivery of ‘My Generation’ to the penetrating wails of ‘Love, Reign O’er Me’, he has demonstrated range in both energy and octave. Since The Who are considered a titan of heavy rock music, Daltrey is frequently compared with the likes of Robert Plant, Jim Morrison, and Freddie Mercury.
Historical rivalries aside, Daltrey and The Who were mostly in mutual appreciation of their contemporary rock musicians. To have been a part of the British rock wave during its golden era, surviving progenitors like Daltrey, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Robert Plant appear eternally grateful. Daltrey, for one, has few regrets about his long and illustrious career.
Roger Daltrey’s Rock Legend Status Amidst The Who’s Highs and Lows
It is well documented that The Who had their ecstatic peaks and catastrophic lows. Principally, Daltrey and bandleader Pete Townshend never quite saw eye to eye and kept the band on its feet for the greater good, regarding one another more as business partners than friends. Through the various flare-ups and Keith Moon’s tragic death in 1978, the pair overcame challenges and remained dutiful to The Who’s strong global fanbase.
Though The Who lost momentum in the late 1970s and early 1980s before their first hiatus, this nadir seemed inevitable in the wake of loss and moving into a new era for pop music wherein rock lost a degree of power. Throughout the final two decades of the 20th century, The Who continued to celebrate their years of crucial influence in sporadic live engagements. As a rock star, Daltrey was relieved when guitar-driven rock music began re-entering the pop charts in the 1990s.
Daltrey’s Perspective on the Evolving Music Industry
Speaking to Marc Allan in 1994, Daltrey revealed his thoughts on the current state of the music industry. While he had very little to say about the synth-pop craze of the previous decade, he felt there were a few good contemporary acts worthy of investment. “I’ve heard some good things. I wouldn’t like to put my money on anything at the moment, the way the music business is so bloody corporate.”
The Who legend then took a swipe at the industry, which, even in 1994, was in an unsightly decline. “It’s so much different than it was when we came up in it. I don’t really understand it anymore,” he said, reflecting on the comparatively heady ‘60s. “When we came up, it was anything you could do to help another artist, you’d do, and it was camaraderie. It seems to me today it’s the camaraderie of the bank balance, which is very strange.”
Admiration for Contemporary Bands and the Spirit of Rock
Daltrey’s sentiment would be reflected soon by the rise of Britpop, in which Oasis and Blur went head-to-head in a media-goaded rivalry. It was a bitter and fabricated pastiche of the friendly rivalry rumored between The Rolling Stones and The Beatles in the 1960s. Although Daltrey would have winced at the Britpop rivalries, he has always had great things to say about Oasis and called for the band’s long-rumored reunion in 2023.
In his conversation with Allan, Daltrey reflected on a recent performance on the David Letterman Show, during which he was backed by the contemporary rock group Spin Doctors. “They’re a great band,” he beamed. “They remind me so much of how it used to be. And it was wonderful to play with them, just to be reminded of where I come from. Time seems to make you take a lot for granted unless you’re constantly reminded of where you’ve been. That’s why I can’t get to grips with all these people that have plastic surgery all the time. I mean, it must be very strange looking in the mirror and continually looking like you were when you were 19.”
Spin Doctors, formed in New York City in 1988, were prolific throughout the 1990s before their first disbandment in 1999. Led by singer Chris Barron, the band dealt in a primarily upbeat style of alt-rock flavored with funk sensibilities. While parallels to The Who aren’t immediately apparent, Daltrey clearly saw his former self in the optimistic showmanship of Barron and his bandmates.
