January 1965: The Who's first single I' Can't Explain' released.



ARTIST NAME: Robin Gnista

MEET THE ARTIST: Robin Gnista is a graphic designer who specialises in connecting music and visual arts. He creates album cover art, poster art and tour merchandise, designed with a distinctive, bold approach. His work for the 60th Poster Series builds on the early 60's advertising techniques for a retro-mod feel. In addition to The Who, Robin has created artwork for Bob Dylan, John Lennon’s estate, The Hives, The War On Drugs, and more.

MEANING BEHIND THE DESIGN: "The track [I Can't Explain] has this sense of immediacy and direction, this energy. It's powerful and unruly but hyper-focused at the same time. And the poster? That’s what the poster is about. It’s that energy, in poster form.

Robin Gnista

September 1967: The Who appear on the US TV show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

ARTIST NAME: Tom Walker

MEET THE ARTIST: Tom Walker is a Pop Culture Artist from Liverpool, UK. He blends an old-school vibe with modern technology and specialises in alternative movie and gig posters. Tom has created official licensing work for Disney, Marvel, Universal, Legendary, TOHO, ACDC, Mötley Crue, The Smashing Pumpkins, Wu-Tang Clan and many more.

MEANING BEHIND THE DESIGN: This poster started as a homage to the art of the 60's action movie posters. The Bond movies, Westerns and Hitchcock's catalogue were big inspirations in creating this artwork. Placing the band members in their familiar heroic poses with the exploding drum kit is just a tiny part of the overall image. This was until I showed my father-in-law (the biggest WHO fan I know) a rough sketch and he immediately said, "The star of the show should be the explosion!" And that lit a creative spark that transformed the image into what it is today. Far more action-packed than I could have created if I used the band member's likenesses.

Tom Walker

May 1969: The Who's legendary Tommy album is released.

ARTIST NAME: Matt Needle

MEET THE ARTIST: Matt Needle is a designer and illustrator working from just outside Cardiff, Wales (UK). He works mainly within the Film, Music and Editorial industries. Matt has been working for clients worldwide for the past 17 years, creating minimalist and surreal collage-driven work inspired by everything from movie posters to pop art. He has exhibited worldwide and featured in several books and publications. His previous clients include: AC/DC, Alice In Chains, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Blue Skies, Disney, Marvel, Searchlight Pictures, Stevie Nicks, The Who, The Beatles, Orville Peck, Pixar, Uniqlo, Lionel Ritchie, BFI, Waxwork Records, Luke Combs, Curzon films, Penguin, Sony, Warner Bros and many more.

MEANING BEHIND THE DESIGN: This piece is a surreal, collage-style reimagining of a scene from Tommy, inspired by the bold visual language of the late 60s and early 70s band artwork and film posters. Drawing on my editorial and movie poster background, I deconstructed key elements from the film to create a striking, recognisable portrait that feels both nostalgic and uniquely mine.

Matt Needle

February 1970: The Who play at Leeds University and the subsequent recording, Live At Leeds is released in May.

ARTIST NAME: Maarten Donders

MEET THE ARTIST: With a deep love for (underground) music, Dutch artist Maarten Donders has worked for bands, festivals and artists alike making mostly concert posters, album covers and shirt designs that are steeped in psychedelia, surrealism and a love for the natural and supernatural. Maarten’s focus is on handmade work, mixing traditional and digital techniques to make sure his work has a natural, expressive feel. Not unlike vintage concert posters and records from the '60s and '70s, which he loves to collect. Maarten has created artwork for artists like Sturgill Simpson, Billy Strings, Tyler Childers, Ween and Phish, as well as Chelsea Wolfe, SUNN O))), Graveyard, Rival Sons and Opeth.

MEANING BEHIND THE DESIGN: The 60s and 70s were a mythical time for rock music and live concerts, and when you think about the Who, you think about the stories of thunderous and powerful live shows with crushing guitar riffs and walls of amps, and a frantic group of amazing musicians. I wanted to show the unpredictable energy of the band and the personalities of each member. With a flaming wall of amps as a backdrop to seal the deal!

The Maarten Donders