Today in Music (1967): The Who Sell Out

Sell Out The Who

Released: December 16, 1967 Peak: 48 US, 13 UK, 160 CN, 8 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.06 UK Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Click on a song titled for more details. Armenia City in the Sky [3:48] Heinz Baked Beans [1:00] Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand [2:28] Odorono [2:34] Tattoo [2:51] Our Love Was [3:23] I Can See for Miles [4:44] I Can’t Reach You [3:03] Medac [:57] Relax [2:41] Silas Stingy [3:07] Sunrise [3:06] Rael 1 [5:44] Rael 2 [1:29] Total Running Time: 39:22 Also from This Era: The Last Time Under My Thumb The Players: Roger Daltrey (vocals) Pete Townshend (guitar, vocals) John Entwistle (bass) Keith Moon (drums)

Rating: 4.231 out of 5.00 (average of 27 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album “Pete Townshend originally planned The Who Sell Out as a concept album of sorts that would simultaneously mock and pay tribute to pirate radio stations, complete with fake jingles and commercials linking the tracks. For reasons that remain somewhat ill defined, the concept wasn’t quite driven to completion, breaking down around the middle of side two (on the original vinyl configuration).” AM “Nonetheless, on strictly musical merits, it’s a terrific set of songs that ultimately stands as one of the group’s greatest achievements. I Can See for Miles (a Top Ten hit) is the Who at their most thunderous; tinges of psychedelia add a rush to Armenia City in the Sky and Relax; I Can’t Reach You finds Townshend beginning to stretch himself into quasi-spiritual territory; and Tattoo and the acoustic Sunrise show introspective, vulnerable sides to the singer/songwriter that had previously been hidden. Rael was another mini-opera, with musical motifs that reappeared in Tommy.” AM “The album is as perfect a balance between melodic mod pop and powerful instrumentation as the Who (or any other group) would achieve; psychedelic pop was never as jubilant, not to say funny (the fake commercials and jingles interspersed between the songs are a hoot).” AM Reissue The 1995 CD reissue added 9 bonus tracks: “Glittering Girl,” “Melancholia,” “Someone’s Coming,” “Jaguar,” “Early Morning Cold Taxi,” “Hall of the Mountain King,” “Girl’s Eyes,” “Glow Girl,” and an alternate version of “Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand.” The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Armenia City in the Sky The Who

Writer(s): Speedy Keen Lead Vocals: Roger Daltrey, Speedy Keen Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.98 streaming

Heinz Baked Beans The Who

Writer(s): John Entwistle Lead Vocals: Keith Moon, John Entwistle, and Pete Townshend Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.36 streaming

Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend Released: B-side of “I Can See for Miles” (US, 9/18/1967), single (2/2/1968), The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) B-side: “I Can’t Reach You” Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.73 streaming About the Song: This was released as a single in the Netherlands.

Odorono The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Pete Townshend Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.26 streaming

Tattoo The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Roger Daltrey with Pete Townshend Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.59 streaming

Our Love Was The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Pete Townshend Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967), Magic Bus (compilation, 1968) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.25 streaming

I Can See for Miles The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Roger Daltrey Released: single (US, 9/18/1967), single (UK, 10/13/1967), The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967), Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy (compilation, 1971), Hooligans (compilation, 1981), Who’s Better Who’s Best (compilation, 1988), My Generation: The Very Best of (compilation, 1996), The Ultimate Collection (compilation, 2002), Then & Now (compilation, 2004), Greatest Hits (compilation, 2009), Hits 50! (compilation, 2014) B-side: “Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand” (US), “Someone’s Coming” (UK) Peak: 9 BB, 8 CB, 3 GR, 10 HR, 3 CL, 10 UK, 4 CN, 20 AU, 4 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 34.37 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: It’s a trivia question most people would likely get wrong: what was the biggest hit by the Who in America? While people might logically go with songs like “My Generation,” “Pinball Wizard,” or “Won’t Get Fooled Again” because of their now-legendary status, the correct answer is “I Can See for Miles.” The Who were criminally overlooked on the charts in the United States with “Miles” being their only top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. “My Generation” wasn’t even a top-40 hit. Still, Pete Townshend called “this psychedelic hard-rock single” TB “the ultimate Who record.” TB “it certainly sounds like it was intended that way. Despite the sparse arrangement there is a grandness about the sound and the vaguely science-fiction-like lyric. Keith Moon’s drums sound absolutely gigantic and Townshend’s fretboard slashings are epic.” TB

I Can’t Reach You The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Pete Townshend Released: B-side of “Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand” (2/2/1968), The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967), Magic Bus (compilation, 1968) Peak: 27 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.23 streaming

Medac The Who

Writer(s): John Entwistle Lead Vocals: John Entwistle Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.39 streaming

Relax The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.33 streaming

Silas Stingy The Who

Writer(s): John Entwistle Lead Vocals: John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.42 streaming

Sunrise The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Pete Townshend Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.05 streaming

Rael 1 The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Roger Daltrey Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.28 streaming

Rael 2 The Who

Writer(s): Pete Townshend Lead Vocals: Pete Townshend Released: The Who Sell Out (12/16/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.10 streaming

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Richie Unterberger TB-S Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 93. Related DMDB Pages: First posted 4/5/2008; last updated 9/5/2025.