Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere guitar solo

The Who, 1965, from Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere. Solo by Pete Townshend.

This 1965 single captures Townshend treating the guitar as a source of noise as much as notes. The break is full of feedback, stuttering effects and scraping, rhythmic chaos, all packed into a short pop song. At a time when most British bands still played tidy solos, it was a bold statement of intent and an early template for the mod and garage rock sound. The Rickenbacker's jangle turns into a raw, stuttering howl in places, hinting at the art-school experiments to come. Listen for the section where the guitar abandons melody entirely, squealing and sputtering over the rhythm section before the vocal returns and the song snaps back into shape.

Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere by The Who is ranked #145 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Pete Townshend and the song was released in 1965. It appears on 2 lists, placing as high as #15 (uDiscover Music).

In our lists

The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #22
The 25 Greatest Rock and Roll Guitar Solos — #8
The Pioneers: 1950s & 60s — #23
Whammy, Fuzz & Feedback — #12
Short & Perfect — #11
Hidden Gems — #6
The Best The Who Guitar Solos — #4
The Best Pete Townshend Guitar Solos — #4
Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1965 — #1

Sources

Who played the guitar solo on Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere?

Pete Townshend played the solo on The Who's Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (1965).

What guitar was used on the Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere solo?

A rickenbacker, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#145 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 80 published lists; it appears on 2 of them.