Woodstock wasn’t just a music festival-it was a sonic explosion. Over 400,000 people packed a muddy field in upstate New York in August 1969, and the sound didn’t just fill the air-it shook the ground. But when you ask who was the loudest band at Woodstock, the answer isn’t as simple as picking the biggest name. It’s about decibels, gear, timing, and sheer chaos.
The Who Set the Decibel Record
The Who played on Sunday morning, right after sunrise, around 6:00 a.m., after hours of rain and delays. Their set was the last major performance before Jimi Hendrix closed the show. They brought their full rig: two Marshall stacks per guitarist, a 100-watt combo for Pete Townshend’s rhythm, and a massive 1200-watt sound system for Roger Daltrey’s vocals. Their amps were pushed past their limits, and the crowd was still thick, soaked, and wired.
Sound engineers recorded levels hitting 120 decibels during their performance. That’s the same as a jet engine at 100 feet. One technician later said, "You could feel your teeth rattle even from the back of the stage." Their version of "My Generation" didn’t just play-it exploded. Feedback screamed through the speakers. Keith Moon’s drums sounded like artillery. No other band at Woodstock came close to that level of raw, unfiltered volume.
Why Jimi Hendrix Didn’t Win the Loudness Crown
Jimi Hendrix closed the festival at 9 a.m. Monday, after a full night of rain and exhaustion. His performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is legendary. But volume wasn’t his weapon. He used tone, feedback, and control-not brute force. His rigs were powerful, yes: 100-watt Marshalls, custom pedals, and a Stratocaster that sang like a living thing. But Hendrix knew how to make silence scream. He didn’t need to blast everyone into submission. He made the crowd lean in. The Who made them cover their ears.
Sound checks from the festival’s audio logs show Hendrix’s peak at 115 decibels. That’s still painfully loud-enough to cause hearing damage after 15 minutes. But it was 5 decibels quieter than The Who’s peak. In sound engineering, every 3-decibel increase means double the acoustic energy. So The Who weren’t just louder-they were twice as powerful at their peak.
Other Contenders: Santana, Creedence, and the Noise That Got Lost
Santana played Saturday afternoon, and their percussion-heavy set was intense. But Carlos Santana’s amps were set for warmth, not volume. His tone was lush, layered, and controlled. Creedence Clearwater Revival, on the other hand, was a different story. John Fogerty’s guitar tone was thick, his amps cranked, and his voice cut through like a chainsaw. Their set was one of the most energetic of the weekend. But they played earlier, when the crowd was still spreading out. Their peak levels? Around 112 decibels.
Jefferson Airplane and Janis Joplin brought soul and fire, but their gear was more traditional. Joplin’s band used Fender amps, not Marshalls. Their sound was big, emotional, and powerful-but not engineered for sonic domination. The Grateful Dead? They were still finding their sound in ’69. Their rigs were messy, their amps inconsistent. They didn’t even have a proper monitor system. Their volume was unpredictable, not intentional.
The Gear That Made the Difference
The Who’s volume wasn’t luck. It was engineering. Pete Townshend and guitarist Pete Frampton (who played with them briefly in ’69) used custom 100-watt Marshall stacks-twice the power of what most bands used. Moon’s drum kit had double the cymbals and oversized toms. The sound engineer, Bill Hanley, had to redesign the entire PA system on the fly because The Who’s amps were overloading the existing setup.
Compare that to Hendrix, who used a single 100-watt Marshall stack and a 1968 Fender Twin Reverb. His setup was elegant, not excessive. The Who’s rig weighed over a ton. Hendrix’s? Less than 500 pounds. The Who didn’t just play loud-they brought a mobile sound factory.
Why It Matters
It’s not just about who made the most noise. It’s about what that noise meant. The Who’s set was a statement. They were angry, loud, and unapologetic. They didn’t play for the crowd-they played over it, through it, and into the sky. Their performance was a rebellion in sound. That’s why it’s remembered not just as loud, but as defining.
Woodstock was about freedom. But freedom had volume. The Who turned it up to 11 before anyone even knew what 11 meant. They didn’t just play music-they broke the rules of what a stage could handle. And no one else came close.
The Aftermath
After Woodstock, The Who’s reputation as the loudest band in rock was cemented. Their next tour included custom-built sound systems just to match what they’d done in Bethel. Hendrix, who died just weeks after Woodstock, never got to top it. But he didn’t need to. His legacy was in emotion. The Who’s was in power.
Today, modern festivals use digital limiters and sound monitoring to keep levels below 105 decibels for safety. Back then? No rules. No limits. Just amps, drums, and a whole lot of mud. The Who didn’t just play Woodstock. They rewrote the definition of live sound.
Was The Who really the loudest band at Woodstock?
Yes. Audio recordings and engineer logs from the festival confirm The Who reached peak levels of 120 decibels, the highest of any act. No other band exceeded 115 decibels. Their gear, setup, and performance style were engineered for maximum volume.
Why didn’t Jimi Hendrix’s set break the decibel record?
Hendrix prioritized tone, expression, and control over raw volume. His gear was powerful but not stacked. He used feedback creatively, not just to drown out the crowd. His peak was 115 decibels-still extremely loud, but not as intense as The Who’s 120. His genius was in subtlety, not force.
Did any other band come close to The Who’s volume?
Creedence Clearwater Revival came closest among the major acts, peaking around 112 decibels. Santana and Jefferson Airplane were powerful but used warmer, less aggressive gear. The Grateful Dead’s sound was inconsistent. No other band matched The Who’s combination of equipment, volume, and intention.
How did The Who manage to be so loud without damaging the sound system?
They didn’t-until they had to. Their amps overloaded the original PA system, forcing sound engineer Bill Hanley to rebuild the output on the spot. He added extra transformers and rewired the main speakers to handle the load. The Who’s volume literally forced the festival to upgrade its tech mid-event.
Is it safe to be exposed to 120 decibels like at Woodstock?
No. Exposure to 120 decibels for more than 15 seconds can cause permanent hearing damage. At Woodstock, people stood for hours in front of the stage. Many musicians and crew members reported ringing ears for days. Today, safety standards limit live events to 105 decibels for extended periods. Woodstock was a time before those rules existed.
Eric Etienne
The Who were loud sure, but honestly who cares? I was there and all I remember is the mud and the smell of wet sweat and pot. Loud ain't legendary, man. Hendrix made me cry. The Who made my ears bleed.