To underscore the themes, Pink Floyd's concerts in support of The Wall featured a literal wall built in front of them as they performed the album-a dramatic spectacle that brought even more popularity.Īfter The Wall, growing fissures within the band became insurmountable. 2" and the soaring, dream-like "Comfortably Numb"-topped Dark Side Of The Moon in terms of sales and influence.Ī concept record driven by the emotional imprisonment and isolation of a character named Pink, The Wall describes a dystopian society oppressed by war, brainwashing education, the government, entertainment and even personal demons. Incredibly, this double album-featuring the No. Pink Floyd's visuals and musical presentations always went hand-in-hand, with dazzling light shows and elaborate stage constructions becoming a staple of their live concerts.ġ975's Wish You Were Here was preoccupied with emotional (and physical) distance and alienation, and spawned more classic songs-including the acoustic guitar-driven title track and an extended elegy to Barrett, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." 1977's Animals was more gnarled and progressive, which set the stage for the Waters-penned 1979 magnum opus, The Wall. A somber meditation on mortality, capitalism and madness, the album was at turns both defiant and emotionally bereft-polar opposites exemplified by the sleazy blues of "Money" and the saxophone- and piano-augmented emotional dirge "Us and Them." The LP became one of the defining records of the '70s (if not classic rock in general) and stayed on the Billboard album charts for nearly 15 years.ĭark Side Of The Moon's album artwork-a ray of light refracted through a pyramid-shaped prism to reveal a rainbow-also became one of the most recognizable LP covers ever. Pink Floyd hit their stride on 1973's The Dark Side Of The Moon. 1971's Meddle was a turning point, however, where the hallmarks of the band's commercially successful sound-free-floating guitars suspended in more ambient, keyboard-burnished arrangements-first coalesced. In the immediate wake of Barrett's departure, Pink Floyd kept up their meandering psychedelic ways on 1969's Ummagumma and 1970's obtuse Atom Heart Mother. Yet despite the band's reputation for trippy sprawl, Barrett also had an ear for pop: In fact, the compact, non-album singles "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne" were both U.K. With Barrett at the creative helm, 1967's The Piper At The Gates of Dawn and 1968's A Saucerful Of Secrets reflected the burgeoning London psychedelic scene, where Pink Floyd had taken up residence at the Marquee Club and other hip enclaves and events. In 1965, Barrett and Waters met drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright and formed a band. With 1973's Dark Side Of The Moon and 1979's The Wall, the band created two of the most ambitious-and best-selling-albums of all time. Post-Barrett, Pink Floyd kept the unease, menace and guitar drone from their psychedelic era, but paired it with conceptual rigor and influences from hard and progressive rock. The Barrett-era group specialized in zonked-out space rock with shuddering psychedelic overtones and ominous grooves-and had immersive, powerful concerts to match. Still, both configurations of Pink Floyd did wonders to advance rock music. He eventually released several solo albums and then retreated from the public eye. In fact, Gilmour replaced his long-time friend in the band in 1968: Barrett sadly was a casualty of the era's LSD experimentation, a brilliant songwriter and performer whose unstable behavior was becoming a detriment to the group. And although the latter two played guitar together casually for years-in fact, both were busted busking during a sojourn to San Tropez-their respective tenures in Pink Floyd barely overlapped. 1-5 - Wish You Were HereĠ4.Wish You Were Here - Wish You Were HereĠ7.The Great Gig in the Sky - The Dark Side of the Moonġ0.What Do You Want from Me - The Division Bellġ1.On The Turning Away - A Momentary Lapse Of Reasonġ3.Learning To Fly - A Momentary Lapse Of Reasonįuture Pink Floyd members Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Syd Barrett were schoolmates in Cambridge, England. 2 - The WallĠ5.The Fletcher Memorial Home - Final CutĠ7.Us and Them - The Dark Side of the MoonĠ1.Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 03.The Happiest Days of Our Lives - The WallĠ4.Another Brick in the Wall, Pt.