For one thing, the band’s infamous antics weren’t his proudest moments. As he told The Big Issue in 2019, “as the television went through the window, I would look at Keith Moon and go, what a … prat. What a waste of time.” Performing these same acts himself made him feel just the same way, and though he states that he has never regretted destroying instruments (“it is how I got you to listen to me”), hindsight is a powerful thing.

In addition, as he told the one-issue magazine The Who: The Ultimate Music Guide (via Music Feeds), he feels that a solo career would have suited him better. “I am bad at creative collaboration,” he insisted in 2011. Producing and performing by himself would have been a better fit for him, he said, “the way Brian Eno has worked. I would be less physically damaged today. My ears, right wrist and shoulder would work more efficiently.”

Of course, time is a fickle thing, and there’s no telling how a potentially Townshend-free The Who might have panned out. Whether less efficient ears and shoulders were a fair trade for giving the world “My Generation” and many more beloved hits is up for debate, too. He certainly did struggle during his time with the group, though: according to Peter Frampton (per NME), Townshend once asked him to take his role in the band. Frampton responded incredulously, “three men couldn’t fill his shoes.”