The Who, the iconic British rock band that is one of the remaining working groups of its generation, took the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami, Fla. and delivered a solid if expected medley classic rock hits.
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Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend, the two surviving members of the original quartet, appeared on a circular stage in center of Sun Life Stadium in Miami, and played a nearly 12-minute set that included all or parts of five Who classics: “Pinball Wizard,” “Baba O’Reilly,” “Who Are You?,” “See Me, Feel Me” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Townshend revealed the set list exclusively to Billboard during rehearsals two weeks ago.
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The annual Superbowl half time concert has become one of rock’s highest profile gigs, with U2, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Prince, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney each taking the stage in recent years. The medley format is not unusual for artists with such a deep catalogue – Springsteen and Prince took a similar approach.
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As in years past, the band was matched with an impressive light show, including a wide array of lasers and several blasts of pyrotechnics. The Who performed on a huge circular stage that played on the band’s recognizable bulls-eye logo, although this year, no fans were allowed on the field.
If the past is any indicator, The Who’s halftime hits medley will give the band a big sales boost. Last year, Bruce Springsteen used his appearance to mark the release of “Working on a Dream,” which hit stores the week before the big game. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on the week culminating with Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 1, 2009), and stayed at No. 2 the following week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.