The Who: Cherry Bomb Bang
The Who has several “firsts” that they can claim. They made the first bass solo in a major rock single; they were the first band to be called “the loudest in the world,” and, most important, they were the first band to regularly smash their equipment onstage. The band was known for their wild antics on the stage, but the explosive incident of 1967 stands out.
Photo by Chris Morphet / Redferns / Getty Images
While the band had already planned on smashing their instruments, nobody knew that Keith Moon loaded ten times the “normal” amount of cherry bombs into his bass drum. So, when the explosion hit, it was big – so big that Pete Townshend, who stood right next to the drum, permanently lost his hearing in one ear.