Quadrophenia is a concept album based around the rock opera genre. The album is actually based on the film Quadrophenia, the musical journey to which was performed by The Who. This double album, released in 1973, has been the group’s second rock opera album. The first one was Tommy that too got released as part of a concept play. Like Tommy, Quadrophenia too focuses on the psychological and social developments of a young boy who is constantly under the pressure to perform and fit into designated social roles. The entire concept album reminds the listener of important works of fiction such as Catcher in the Rye, Look Back in Anger and even, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Overall the situation of the young social anarchist who aches to fit in but cannot cope up with the adult and intensely political life around him is the running vein of the album.
The title is the incorrect pronunciation of the mental disease of schizophrenia. The theme is of course schizophrenia left undiagnosed, or rather misunderstood. The very fact that schizophrenia has mostly been misunderstood by people, it comes to the fact that it is society who is at fault to have been unable to deal the young adults who have been under subjugation to this. Individualistic psychological disorders, at the less damaging states, are the diseases of the mind that are largely subjective to various underlying social threats and pressures.

The protagonist of the opera, Jimmy, has been said to be down with schizophrenia or multiple personality or even split personality disorder. However the four different sides of the boy also represent the differing as well as converging systems of anarchy in society that may be shared through in a singular individual person. The four members of the band take their share of the multiple personality play. The “quartet” of Jimmy’s feature are supposedly the resemblances of the loony characteristics of the four members that form The Who. The title is also a symbol of the introduction of the Quadrophonic sound at that age.
The album was initially introduced as an LP with two sets having a fabulous butterfly jacket ensemble to go with it. Pete Townshend revealed that the idea had evolved from their co-created band autobiography, Rock is Dead — Long Live Rock. Especially if one looks into the two of the most singularly popular tracks from this rock opera, then the two songs “Is It in My Head?” and “Love Reign O’er Me”, then one understands that these were solo releases from The Who back in 1972. Overall the rock opera album enjoys one of the premier positions as a concept album in the history of rock music. It enjoyed the No.2 position in U.S. Billboard chart for a considerably long time and has been the source of inspiration for many latter works for the generations following it. We can even hear one of the greatest covers made of “Love Reign O’er Me” by Pearl Jam, and this being one among the many prestigious tribute covers made to The Who.