I don't know if people actually hate the song as much as they hate the "pinball wizard" cliche you often hear when someone finds out you're into pinball.

I don't think Pinball Wizard makes my top 10 Who songs, but it's a good song.

Some deaf, dumb and blind kid plays pinball way better than I can?
That pisses me off.

THIS!!

Every stinking time an acquaintance not in the hobby finds out I'm into pinball that exact cliche comes out......it does get old....

Honestly, it is not that great of a song.

I like it.

Flame suit on...

The song sucks. It’s not even catchy in the slightest. It’s a disjointed mess.

I tried listening to it over Labor Day weekend and it’s just awful. But they also had a commercial for The Who at Fenway Park and I must admit, every song in the montage they played was pretty awful. They just don’t have a solid catalog. Talented, I’m sure. But their hits suck.

Also, yes it’s infuriating when any news or person outside hears about pinball and “pinball wizard” is the only association they can make.

If someone asks me if I’m a pinball wizard, I cast a spell on them and walk away.

Yeah, but I've seen you play, you can get away with it........me, not so much!!

I like the song...

Yes.....I cringe every time I hear the song now. Everyone discovers you enjoy pinball...and the next thing you know, everyone sends you a link to the song, or you gives you a new nickname...like that person is sooooo clever.

Edit: Whats even better, is when you start getting pachinko "pinball" referrals for sale. "Hey, knew you liked pinball....thought you would like this...."

For the same reasons actual nerds hate The Big Bang Theory.

My eyes want to roll when someone’s over to play my pins and thinks they’re being very clever pulling out their phone and playing the song. It’s just like when I’m working tuning a piano and someone says “You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish.” (I usually tell them, “REO Speedwagon”, and they don’t know what I’m talking about.)

I still love the song, in part because "Tommy" (the album) was a seminal influence in my youth.

If someone asks me if I'm a pinball wizard, I just say "yes".

People who hate it say so loudly and repeatedly. Those who don't rarely comment.

It's probably not as hated as you think.

I hereby declare “Boris the Spider” to be the new pinball anthem.

Yes, Always hated it. Same goes for Pac Man Fever

As already pointed out it’s the cliche.....as people you meet find out you are into pinball they instantly call you or ask if you are a pinball wizard....co-workers are the worst.....then they find out you own one......and that leads to them asking how much does one cost and they would like to get one. I tell them good used machines are 3-5K and newer machines 5-15K. That usually bursts their bubble quick and ends that. Only a few out of well over a couple hundred have actually had CASH and were serious on buying a machine......I still love the reaction from people when you tell them how much games cost....that never gets old.

It's the "I am your father." for people named Luke. I really don't mind it, I've just heard it so many times that it's more clever and original to those saying it then it is to me.

Love the song! But yes the term wizard gets overused.

My wife and I used to work with a breed of Italian hunting dog called Spinone Italiano. I got really sick of people saying that Spinone (pronounced Spin-own-ee) sounded like an ice cream. Same thing here.

double clicked

I'm with the group of people indifferent to the song, but just hates the god damn cliché "you like pinball therefor you must A.) love that song B.) be a pinball wizard"

The song is OK. I just get sick of reading articles where players are referred to as "pinball wizards." It's old.

Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball

From Brighton down to Soho, I must've played them all

Now try getting that unstuck from your head....

Love the song and it's great when it's on during a multi ball

I don’t mind the ONE time question/joke from people- “Are you a Pinball Wizard?”

But the assholes who continuously call me “Pinball Wizard” get really old.

If I had a dollar for everytime I fake laughed to the pinball wizard thing I could buy an L.E.

It’s the “wizard” cliche that grinds my gears too.

The song is interesting in that it doesn’t really mean much or have an impact when taken on its own as a “hit” single, but in the context of the full album it’s a brilliant moment and crucial to the story.

The Who's Pinball Wizard is a great tune, imho.

Heck, I almost hate to say it ... but I'm thinking of getting a t-shirt. It was made in the year I was born; '74.

You all just have to practice more and maybe you can wear the t-shirt too!
Pinside.2019_OTTOgd_Tshirt2 (resized).jpg

Sure. They make those T-shirts. They also make Cue-Ball Wizard T-shirts for guys who have gone bald.

I wish someone would redo the song and fix the shitty chorus. I love the verses to be honest. Like everything inbetween the chorus with the excellent guitar is pretty cool, but then they breakdown the flow of the song and in my opinion it’s not as good as the rest of it.

I’d rather hear Behind Blue Eyes, much better song.

"Only reason I bought a Tommy so I could add a pinsound board, pinsound speakes and the additional Who music" quote the Pinball Lizard.
Claasic Rock Pin and just a really cool pin in a larger size collection.

Ive never understood how anyone can like that show. And im not a nerd like that haha.

That show sucks. Watched an episode and didn't find it funny.

Just saw this article pop up today:
Be a pinball wizard: New arcade, skill games place opens in Waynesboro
https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/2019/09/12/pinball-wizard-new-arcade-skill-games-place-opens-waynesboro/2262744001/

"Pinball wizard, immortalized in The Who's classic song, is a cringe-inducing cliche for these players." Link below.

Indeed, if I had a dime for every time. . .

I imagine that surfers endure a similar pain when coworkers learn of their surfing hobby and crack a joke about the hit song: Wipe Out by The Surfaris. Cliche is the opposite of clever and never funny.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/features/associated-press/wanna-be-pinball-wizards-keep-the-silver-ball-rolling/

Who cares.

I’d be happy to never hear a Who song ever again. I feel that way towards many classic rock songs.

What? No love!

1BDB9A1E-8152-43DC-A2FE-6977D44A23F6 (resized).jpeg

Just a big Backstreet Boys fan or New Kids on the Block?

The song is pretty catchy even if the lyrics are silly. It was very lucky for Bally as that one throw-away line in the song started them on the road to becoming #1.

The movie Tommy, however, is so aggressively bad that it is unwatchable unless you are deep into some serious mind altering substances. I watched it a few years back and although I really, really tried, I just couldn't make it all the way through to the end. What a load of crap...

Yes, because I’m gay. that is your brilliant joke, right?

Guys that critique what other people choose to listen or not listen to, have issues.

I’m interested in listening to new music and not rehashing the past. If you wanna hear the same songs over and over again, cool.

You don’t even like “squeeze box”?

I really can't stand The Who's music (not sure why, just not a fan at all, although one song I can endure is "Bargain"), but I actually kind of like this rendition.

Pinball jizzard

I never heard of anyone not liking this song, even non pinball players like this song.

I crank it up every time I hear it. But then, I am also a guitar player so my opinion might be a little biased.

It peaked at #4 on the UK charts, so apparently a lot of people liked it.

I prefer to be called a “pinball gigilo”

Evidently, there are pinball people here that are not great fans of the song. To each their own.

I always associate it with people people patronizing me and making it seem like I'm immature. The "oh so your a pinball wizard just like that Who song and you have no life because your really good at pinball because you spend all your time at a kiddy arcade". This leads to "arcades have lots of kids....didn't you grow up....are you a pedo".

No I just happen to like pinball, fixing them, the artwork, etc. I still watch football, drink beer and do other "adult" stuff. It's that patronizing element that grinds my gears. Then que the news anchor trying to play. They flail a bit and watch the ball go to the center and give up and roll their eyes and just say "well you know what your doing because you clearly have no life pinball wizard". I mean this is the epitome of it:

I must say though recently it has been getting much better. This came out 3 years ago: