Commercial success has never been the prevailing aim of rock and roll rebellion, but when a single as utterly perfect as The Who's era-defining 'My Generation' can't reach the top of the singles chart, serious questions about the validity of such charts must be raised.
From the underground R&B clubs of England's capital to the dizzying heights of the global rock hierarchy, Pete Townshend and gang were responsible for some of the most iconic rock records of all time, capturing the anarchic voice of Britain's post-war youth. Their rebellious rock and roll and roots in arms with mod subculture cemented them as heroes among the harbingers of evil to the nation's establishment.
Their iconic debut single, 1965's I Can't Explain', set the tone for the period, expertly captured in their sharp rock mastery. As Townshend's songwriting matured, the band was allowed Tommy and Quadrophenia, which single-handedly established the landscape of 'rock operas' and are among the greatest concept albums of all time. And, despite it all, the pinnacle of the pop charts ever eluded The Who
Of this, the band's in good company, with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix as some legendary names who've never topped the singles charts. Still, for a rock outfit as enduring and iconic as The Who to have never bagged this accolade seems ludicrous, given the fact that they were creating hits right out of the gate, finding their debut single at number eight.
'My Generation' was the closest that the band ever came to achieving a number-one single, and it is easy to see why. It was a succinct and infectious anthem for the birth of Britain's doomed youth; its revolutionary nature is still palpable 60 years on. So, who dared butt heads with the era-defining song of the masses?
The answer to that rather regrettable question comes in the form of Aussie folk favourites, The Seekers, and their defining single, 'The Carnival Is Over'. A distinctly more mellow, easy-listening track versus the youthful abrasion of 'My Generation', the song was penned by Tom Springfield, on whose musical career his sister was casting a fast shadow at the time, based upon a 19th-century Russian folk ballad.
Now, there is nothing particularly wrong with 'The Carnival Is Over', and it is easy to realise that the inoffensive, gentle content verses the brashness of The Who's soundscape roped in a wider demographic. Regardless, it is hard to deny the clear quality of The Seekers' performance on the single that spent three weeks at number one.
Still, the fact that this middle-of-the-road folk effort denied one of the greatest rock songs of all time from taking its rightful crown at the top of the charts is a bitter pill to swallow. 'My Generation' might have lost the battle for the top spot, but in terms of influence and longevity, it won the war against easy-listening forgetting.