Not sure where you're coming from here -- The Who has been massively popular in the US ever since Tommy/Woodstock (even if they never really had the hit singles on the radio to go with the sold out arenas -- "I Can See For Miles" peaked at #9, and that was the only time they ever had a top 10 hit!) They're definitely part of the "big 4" of the American Classic Rock 70's (with Zep, Floyd and the Stones.)
Suspect maybe a bit of that British-feeling-slighted-by-hometown-bands thing Ian referred to below? (I can't imagine Townshend was disagreeable to doing huge profitable tours in North America!)
As for Quadrophenia -- well, that record is awfully specific to a subculture that simply doesn't exist over here (or at least didn't in the 1970's; I daresay most of what Americans know about "mod" comes directly from Quadrophenia and all those latter-day documentaries about The Who!)
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