History YMMV / Tommy

* GrownTheBeard: Before this album, TheWho were considered a [[FifteenMinutesOfFame flash-in-the-pan]] BritishInvasion act known mostly for joke songs and [[RockersSmashGuitars destroying perfectly good musical instruments]]. Then along comes this record, really the first of it's kind, featuring rock n roll songs with tight composition and performance and a sophisticated overarching story, sending the band's popularity skyrocketing to the rock legends they are today.

** "Fiddle About" has Tommy's [[CreepyUncle Uncle]] {{E|vilUncle}}rnie [[{{Shotacon}} molesting]] him. Arguably, it's turned into a very dark SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} by [[CrazyAwesome Keith Moon]], the band's drummer, in TheMovie.
*** Made ''so much worse'' in the London Symphony Orchestra recording. Whose idea was it to cast [[RingoStarr the Beatle who sang all the cute kid's songs]] as Uncle Ernie? (Warning: may lead to constantly having to lift the needle off The White Album before it gets to "Good Night".)

**** The chorus of "We're Not Gonna Take It" has the line '"We'll forsake you, gonna rape you, let's forget you better still," that the angry mob sings to Tommy. It's pretty disturbing to say the least.

**** The chorus of "We're Not Gonna Take It" has the line '"We'll forsake you, gonna rape you, let's forget you better still" , which the angry mob sings to Tommy. It's pretty disturbing to say the least

**** The line '"We'll forsake you, gonna rape you, let's forget you better still" from the chorus of "We're Not Gonna Take It" where the angry mob sings this to Tommy is pretty disturbing to say the least

**** The line ''We'll forsake you, gonna rape you, let's forget you better still'' from the chorus of "We're Not Gonna Take It" where the angry mob sings this to Tommy is pretty disturbing to say the least

** Just about the entire soundtrack, really.

* WTHCastingAgency: For TheMovie, you have Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret, Music/EltonJohn, Tina Turner, Music/EricClapton, Keith Moon, [[CreatorCameo John Entwistle, Pete Townshend]]...[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers and]] JackNicholson. [[TropesAreNotBad He does a pretty good job, for not being a singer.]]

* GrownTheBeard: Before this album, TheWho were considered a [[FifteenMinutesOfFameflash-in-the-pan]] BritishInvasion act known mostly for joke songs and [[RockersSmashGuitars destroying perfectly good musical instruments]]. Then along comes this record, really the first of it's kind, featuring rock n roll songs with tight composition and performance and a sophisticated overarching story, sending the band's popularity skyrocketing to the rock legends they are today.

** [[FridgeLogic Though if that's one of the reasons they hate it, then why don't they complain about most of the rest of the movie's changes?]]
*** [[UnfortunateImplications Because Pete isn't gay.]]

** Tommy [[FauxSymbolism baptizing]] his mother after singing "I'm Free" in the movie.
* HarsherInHindsight: "Sally Simpson," where a girl is injured during a riot at a speech by Tommy. A real 1979 Who concert had several people killed outside the venue when people rushed to get in.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: For some reason, a good percentage of the Tommy {{Fandom}} (or perhaps FanDumb) seems to treat the Local Lad (''especially'' the Music/EltonJohn version) like he's a SissyVillain simply for being Tommy's rival when it came to being a champion at {{Pinball}}. As an unfortunate result, he occasionally ends up being treated like either TheScrappy or an AssholeVictim.

* TheWoobie: Tommy might be the most epic example of this trope in music.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Uncle Ernie as a following, despite being a child molester.

** In the movie the [[OnlySaneMan Doctor]] was [[Literature/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest played by]] [[Film/TheShining Jack]] [[SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker Nicholson]].

* IAmNotShazam: A common mistake even among the fans is to call the character who sings "Pinball Wizard", well, the Pinball Wizard (or, [[IAmNotLeonardNimoy in the movie's case]], Music/EltonJohn). He's actually called the Local Lad, according to the scripts (and in the lyric sheet for the original album.)

*** Made ''so much worse'' in the London Symphony Orchestra recording. Whose idea was it to cast [[RingoStarr the Beatle who sang all the cute kid's songs]] as Uncle Ernie? Warning: may lead to constantly having to lift the needle off The White Album before it gets to "Good Night".

*** Made ''so much worse'' in the London Symphony Orchestra recording. Whose idea was it to cast [[RingoStarr the Beatle who sang all the cute kid's songs]]?

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: "Sally Simpson," where a girl is injured during a riot at a speech by Tommy. A real 1979 Who concert had several people killed outside the venue when people rushed to get in.

* IAmNotShazam: A common mistake even among the fans is to call the character who sings "Pinball Wizard", well, the Pinball Wizard (or, [[IAmNotLeonardNimoy in the movie's case]], Music/EltonJohn). He's actually called the Local Lad, according to the scripts.

* CompleteMonster: Uncle Ernie and Cousin Kevin.
** In the film, we have Frank, Tommy's [[WickedStepmother stepfather]].

* EnsembleDarkHorse: Uncle Ernie, if you can believe it, has a whole host of fans.