The Who, Britain’s most solid rock group — both musically and personally — plays the Coliseum at 8 Sunday night.

The four members of the group — Pete Townshend, John Entwhistle, Keith Moon and Roger Daltrey — are the same four who formed the High Numbers in 1964. No other group in rock can boast so long a relationship without personnel changes. Nor has any group, including the Rolling Stones, been able to attract new fans without loosing its old ones better than The Who.

In its salad days, the group was a popular local band around London known for its outlandish stage act which included Pete Townshend, dressed in a suit made from a Union Jack, smashing his guitar on the ceiling of the club.

This musical demolition derby attracted the attention of the rock world even before The Who’s music. But when the music did catch on — in 1965 with “Can’t Explain” and “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” — guitar smashing was abandoned.

The Who first attracted America’s attention with the album and single, “Happy Jack,” in 1966.

A year later the Who made its first visit to America. Incredibly, the group toured as a warm-up band for Herman’s Hermits.

“The Who Sell Out” was also released in 1967. This clever and musically brilliant concept album, which included commercials and radio jingles between songs, remains a gem in rock music.

The Who’s opera “Tommy,” released in 1969, is a story too often told but the work’s importance cannot be overrated. In June, 1970, the group performed “Tommy” in the New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, in 1972 the London Symphony Orchestra recorded an orchestrated version of the work and this year Ken Russell’s movie version was released.

Subsequently, “Who’s Next,” “Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy,” “Quadrophenia,” “Odds and Sods,” and, most recently, the album “The Who by Numbers,” have kept The Who in the highest ranks of rock music. Each member of the band has also released solo works.

When Townshend, bassist Entwhistle, drummer Moon and Daltrey take the stage Sunday “By the Numbers” and “Quadrophenia” will probably dominate the show.

The band will be fresh — Memphis is the third stop on the tour — and will no doubt deliver the same high energy, high decible show, accented by Townshend’s leaps, which has become their trademark.

And by the way, you need not be concerned about Townshend’s frequent crashes onto the stage. Hidden beneath his jumpsuit are two very thick knee pads.