A Brief History of Guitar Smashing, From Pete Townshend to Phoebe Bridgers

(via Mental Floss) One Tuesday night in September 1964, The Who—then performing as “The High Numbers”—arrived at London’s Railway Hotel and found that the usual platform of upside-down beer crates had been replaced with a slightly sturdier, slightly taller stage. Those few inches seemed negligible until partway through the concert, when Pete Townshend inadvertently punched a hole in the low ceiling with his guitar headstock. A hush fell over the room as the audience waited to see how he’d react. And then they witnessed what’s widely considered to be the birth of the rock ‘n’ roll guitar smash.