The Who Music Art Print | Discography Tube Map
Music Art prints | Studio albums are stations, musicians are transit lines | Discographies connected like never before | Researched & plotted for fans of real music.
- Regular price
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£39.00 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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£39.00
My David Bowie map is held at the V&A.
Endorsed by Billy Bragg and the Bruce Springsteen Archives.
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Why is this The Who Music Art Print a perfect gift for The Who fans?
A Who fan will own My Generation and Who's Next and still struggle to say who was drumming on the later records. On this Who art print the succession is drawn out, each credited musician on their own line from 1965 to 2019. Keith Moon's is the line to look for: it runs to the end of the 1970s, and from there you can follow the drum chair to Kenney Jones and on to Zak Starkey.
Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper, textured matte, archival and acid-free. Available in A3, A2 or A1, with US sizing at 16x12in, 24x18in and 36x24in. Each comes unframed or framed. Deeply researched and designed by me in East Sussex.
I plot these in CAD software. Every credited musician becomes a transit line, every album becomes a station, and anyone who appears only once gets a branch line of their own.
The map has 15 stations, running chronologically from My Generation in 1965 to Who in 2019: the 12 studio albums plus three film soundtracks, Tommy (1975), The Kids Are Alright (1979) and Quadrophenia (1979). A Quick One is one station, released in the USA as Happy Jack. Live albums are not on this map.
Two lines run the whole way and the rest is loss and replacement, which is far easier to see drawn chronologically than read off a tracklist.
Contributing musicians on the discography tube map
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are credited on all 15 stations. John Entwistle runs beside them from 1965 until It's Hard in 1982, after which his line ends.
Keith Moon's line runs unbroken from My Generation to the 1979 Quadrophenia soundtrack, 11 stations in all. Kenney Jones's line overlaps it on two of them, the 1975 Tommy and 1979 Quadrophenia soundtracks, so the handover is drawn as two lines side by side rather than a clean break.
Kenney Jones takes the drum chair from Face Dances through It's Hard. Zak Starkey, Ringo Starr's son, plays on the last two, Endless Wire and Who, with Pino Palladino picking up bass on Endless Wire.
John “Rabbit” Bundrick is on Face Dances and Endless Wire, and Simon Townshend, Pete's brother, appears on the last two records. Nicky Hopkins has the longest guest line, three stations from Who's Next to The Who by Numbers.
The 1975 Tommy soundtrack is the busiest station on the map, with 27 credited musicians, more than the first four albums put together. It brings in Elton John and his band, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, Arthur Brown and Nicky Hopkins. Across all 15 stations, 64 musicians are credited.
Two earlier one-offs are worth finding: Dave Arbus plays the violin on Baba O'Riley, and Al Kooper turns up on both The Who Sell Out and Who's Next.
Art Print Specifications:
Each one is a Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper with a textured matte finish, archival and acid-free, so the colours hold for years. Choose A3, A2 or A1 unframed or framed, ready to hang in a hallway, living room or studio.
| Size | UK | USA / CAN / AUS equivalent | Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | 420 x 297 mm (16 x 12 in) | 16 x 12 in | Landscape |
| A2 | 594 x 420 mm (23 x 16 in) | 24 x 18 in | Landscape |
| A1 | 841 x 594 mm (33 x 23 in) | 36 x 24 in | Landscape |
FAQ
How many albums are on the map?
15 stations, running from My Generation in 1965 to Who in 2019: the 12 studio albums plus three film soundtracks, Tommy (1975), The Kids Are Alright (1979) and Quadrophenia (1979). Live albums are not included.
How are the maps drawn?
In CAD software, plotted line by line. Every credited musician is a transit line, every album a station, and one-off contributors branch off the main routes.
Why are the film soundtracks on the map?
Because they are albums in their own right with their own credits. The 1975 Tommy soundtrack in particular brings in musicians who appear nowhere else on the map.
Who replaced Keith Moon?
Kenney Jones, who first appears on the 1975 Tommy soundtrack while Moon was still in the band, then drums on Face Dances and It's Hard. Zak Starkey plays on Endless Wire and Who.
Which station has the best-known guest musicians?
The 1975 Tommy soundtrack, with 27 credited musicians including Elton John, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood and Arthur Brown.
Who plays the violin on Baba O'Riley?
Dave Arbus, on Who's Next, and nowhere else on the map.
What are the framing options?
Unframed, or supplied framed and ready to hang.
Why is this not sold as a Who poster?
Because the detail needs better paper than a poster gives it. I print each map as a Giclée on 230gsm acid-free fine art paper with a textured matte finish. It comes in A3, A2 or A1, unframed or in a wood frame.
Explore The Who’s Discography for FREE
I am turning the research behind these maps into FREE interactive radar charts, where you pick a musician and follow their line around the albums. I have not charted The Who yet, so request it here and I will research the most requested artists first. The David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, and Steely Dan charts are free to use now.
Related Music Art Print Maps
Browse the full range of music art prints and the Music Icons collection at mikebellmaps.com.
For another British band that ran from the mid-1960s through decades of line-up changes, the Kinks Discography Map Art Print is the natural companion piece.
Read more about this tube map subject:
What people say about my tube map designs
“Brilliant idea... really like what you’ve done, Mike.”
Billy Bragg, on the Billy Bragg discography map
“It is truly amazing.”
Bruce Springsteen Archives, Monmouth University, on the Bruce Springsteen discography map
“Awesome!”
Warren Ellis, on the The Shining plot map
