| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |   [1] |
Hooligans is a double compilation album by the English rock band the Who, released in September 1981 by MCA Records. It focuses on Who songs from the 1970s with only the titles “I Can’t Explain“, “I Can See for Miles” and “Pinball Wizard” from the 1960s. The album reached No. 52 on the US charts.[2]
It is most notable as the first US album to include three hard to find Who singles. The 1971 UK single “Let’s See Action” was not released in the US,[3] and for this album the title was changed to “(Nothing Is Everything) Let’s See Action”. Two other singles, “Join Together” and “Relay”, were released both in the UK and US in 1972. US releases of “Relay” were re-titled “The Relay”.[4] The version of the song on this album was edited by use of a fade that occurs about 25 seconds early.
The album title and cover design are by Richard Evans[5]
Track listing
All tracks written by Pete Townshend except where noted.
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “I Can’t Explain“ | non-album single, 1965 | 2:05 |
| 2. | “I Can See for Miles“ | The Who Sell Out, 1967 | 4:02 |
| 3. | “Pinball Wizard“ | Tommy, 1969 | 3:00 |
| 4. | “(Nothing Is Everything) Let’s See Action“ | non-album single, 1971 | 3:56 |
| 5. | “Summertime Blues” (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart) | Live at Leeds, 1970 | 3:23 |
| 6. | “The Relay” (edited version) | non-album single, 1972 | 3:28 |
| Total length: | 19:54 | ||
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Baba O’Riley“ | Who’s Next, 1971 | 5:01 |
| 2. | “Behind Blue Eyes“ | Who’s Next, 1971 | 3:40 |
| 3. | “Bargain“ | Who’s Next, 1971 | 5:32 |
| 4. | “The Song Is Over“ | Who’s Next, 1971 | 6:11 |
| Total length: | 20:24 | ||
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Join Together“ | non-album single, 1972 | 4:21 |
| 2. | “Squeeze Box“ | The Who by Numbers, 1975 | 2:41 |
| 3. | “Slip Kid“ | The Who by Numbers, 1975 | 4:30 |
| 4. | “The Real Me“ | Quadrophenia, 1973 | 3:21 |
| 5. | “5:15“ | Quadrophenia, 1973 | 4:50 |
| Total length: | 19:43 | ||
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Drowned“ | Quadrophenia, 1973 | 5:06 |
| 2. | “Had Enough” (John Entwistle) | Who Are You, 1978 | 4:29 |
| 3. | “Sister Disco“ | Who Are You, 1978 | 4:20 |
| 4. | “Who Are You“ | Who Are You, 1978 | 6:21 |
| Total length: | 20:16 | ||
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 82 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- ^ “The Who Official Band Website – Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon”. Thewho.com. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ “Let’s See Action”.
- ^ “Relay”.
- ^ Evans, Richard. “Hooligans”. Discogs.
- ^ “The Who Chart History (Billboard 200)“. Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ^ “American album certifications – The Who – Hooligans”. Recording Industry Association of America.
