Pete Townshend recently reflected on his band's legacy in the liner notes of his new box set, ‘The Studio Albums.’ He admitted, "I handed the stadium stage to Queen and U2, and of course to Bruce Springsteen. That wasn’t a bad thing. But we should have been a part of that Post-Punk legacy act resurgences that those acts enjoyed." When asked by Rolling Stone to elaborate, Townshend explained, "The Who invented Stadium Rock. We gave it away. Our timing was terrible. When we did Live Aid, we could barely play. Queen were in the middle of a tour, walked out there, took the whole thing, and turned it into an advert for themselves."
Pete confessed that he never really appreciated what Queen was about, despite being a fan of ABBA. He acknowledged his admiration for Bruce Springsteen and U2, expressing happiness for their success in taking the stadium mantle. "But with songs like 'Won’t Get Fooled Again' and 'Baba O’Riley,' I nailed it. There’s no question. And I gave that instrument away. But it would be wrong to say that I regret it, because I don’t. I have to look back and say, 'Well, what is, is.' But where it really bit for us all was financially, because that moment was one where instead of playing places like the Fillmore and the occasional arena, the big acts were playing consistently huge venues."
Roger Waters might have a different perspective on the matter. In 2022, Waters claimed responsibility for all the over-the-top concert productions, stating, "The [Rolling] Stones were the first big band to copy it all and then everybody did. So, without being stupid, I'm sort of the granddaddy of all of that. It all started with Pink Floyd. All the big rock shows started with the Animals tour in 1977." Waters emphasized that rock and roll shows in arenas are a blend of theater and spectacle, a concept that Pink Floyd mastered during their Animals tour and later with The Wall tour in 1980 and 1981.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]