You Won’t Believe the REAL Reason Pink Floyd’s Albums Are So Iconic

Without a doubt, Pink Floyd stands as one of the most impactful bands throughout history. Spanning over six decades, they have significantly shaped the world of album production, produced iconic tunes that define eras, and left indelible anthems in our collective memory.

Originating in 1965, this band progressed within the psychedelic rock era, earning recognition for their intricate live shows and groundbreaking concept albums, which eventually morphed into films due to their captivating narrative elements.

David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright rose to prominence as titans of the British music industry during their heyday in the late 70s and 80s, although some band members departed throughout this significant period.

Four of the five members reunited for Live 8 in 2005.

Here’s a full list of the band’s releases – and the impact they made on British music.

Pink Floyd albums in release date order

The band’s full studio album releases are:

• The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
• A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
• More (1969)
• Ummagumma (1969)
• Atom Heart Mother (1970)
• Meddle (1971)
• Obscured by Clouds (1972)
• The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
• Wish You Were Here (1975)
• Animals (1977)
• The Wall (1979)
• The Final Cut (1983)
• A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
• The Division Bell (1994)
• The Endless River (2014)

This does not include live recordings, compilation albums, greatest hits releases or re-releases.

In 1999, Dark Side of the Moon was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Pink Floyd albums: Tracklists, hit singles and successes

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

Tracklist:

1. Astronomy Domine
2. Lucifer Sam
3. Matilda Mother
4. Flaming
5. Pow R. Toc H.
6. Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
7. Interstellar Overdrive
8. The Gnome
9. Chapter 24
10. The Scarecrow
11. Bike Lyrics

The first and only album spearheaded by lead vocalist Syd Barrett, a psychedelic masterpiece, was produced at Abbey Road Studios after they had gained prominence as live performers.

The album reached the sixth position on the UK’s chart of albums, and they decided not to issue any singles from this particular album.

Prior to the release of their album, they had already put out two successful singles titled “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play”.

A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)

Tracklist:

1. Let There Be More Light
2. Remember a Day
3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
4. Corporal Clegg
5. A Saucerful of Secrets
6. See-Saw
7. Jugband Blues

In the process of forming “A Saucerful of Secrets,” Barrett departed from the band as his mental state deteriorated, leading to the recruitment of David Gilmour into the group.

Contrasting the initial record, every participating member from the band took part in song composition for this release, with both Barrett and Gilmour contributing as well.

It reached number nine in the UK Charts.

More (1969)

Tracklist:

Side One

1. Cirrus Minor
2. The Nile Song
3. Crying Song
4. Up the Khyber (instrumental)
5. Green Is the Colour
6. Cymbaline
7. Party Sequence

Side Two

1. Main Theme
2. Ibiza Bar
3. More Blues (instrumental)
4. Quicksilver (instrumental)
5. A Spanish Piece
6. Dramatic Theme (instrumental)

Essentially, “More” is a movie soundtrack that narrates the tale of a traveler who develops a drug addiction during wild parties in Ibiza, where he also falls in love with another addict. The film was helmed by director Barbet Schroeder.

The album received mixed reviews upon its release.

Ummagumma (1969)

Tracklist:

1. Astronomy Domine (Live)
2. Careful with That Axe, Eugene (Live)
3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (Live)
4. A Saucerful of Secrets (Live)
5. Sysyphus
6. Grantchester Meadows
7. Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict
8. The Narrow Way
9. The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party

Ummagumma presents a unique approach to an album release. It consists of two discs, with the initial half featuring live recordings drawn from their planned concert setlist for upcoming shows.

The second gives each member time to shine with solo compositions.

Although it received favorable feedback initially, band members subsequently referred to Ummagumma as a “catastrophe.” Nick Mason, in particular, stated that the concept demonstrated how the collective was superior to its individual components.

Atom Heart Mother (1970)

Tracklist:

Side One

1. Atom Heart Mother

The 23-minute song is divided into six sections: Father’s Outburst, Liquid Nourishment, Mother’s Call, Groovy Soil, Attention Requested and Return.

Side Two

1. If
2. Summer ’68
3. Fat Old Sun
4. Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast (Rise and Shine / Sunny Side Up / Morning Glory)

For the first time, the band’s debut album reached the top position in the UK charts. Interestingly, this album was divided once more, with the second half emphasizing the individual contributions of its members.

Meddle (1971)

Tracklist:

1. One of These Days
2. A Pillow of Winds
3. Fearless
4. San Tropez
5. Seamus
6. Echoes

The band’s album, Meddle, was actually produced during their tour across the UK. Like its predecessor, this album also included a 23-minute track titled “Echoes,” which serves as the closing number and occupied the entirety of side B when it was initially released on vinyl.

Obscured by Clouds (1972)

Tracklist:

1. Obscured by Clouds
2. When You’re In
3. Burning Bridges
4. The Gold It’s in The…
5. Wot’s… Uh the Deal?
6. Mudmen
7. Childhood’s End
8. Free Four
9. Stay
10. Absolutely Curtains

Collaborating with Barbet Schroeder for a second time, Obscured by Clouds is the soundtrack to the film La Vallée. This cinematic masterpiece traces the journey of Viviane, the wife of a French consul, as she embarks on an expedition with a team of explorers, delving deep into the dense jungles of New Guinea in search of an enigmatic hidden valley.

In sound, the band mainly used acoustic guitar.

It has achieved gold status in The UK, The US and Germany since its release.

The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

Tracklist:

1. Speak to Me
2. Breathe (In the Air)
3. On the Run
4. Time
5. The Great Gig in the Sky (feat Clare Torry)
6. Money
7. Us and Them
8. Any Colour You Like
9. Brain Damage
10. Eclipse

Among the most iconic albums ever made, “Dark Side of the Moon” is easily identified by its distinctive dark cover featuring a triangle emitting a spectrum of colors, or as an alternative description, it’s recognized for its black cover adorned with a triangle releasing a rainbow.

The album draws inspiration from various aspects of human emotion and experience, such as strife, melancholy, tedium, and madness – with these themes partly stemming from the personal experiences of the original lead singer, Barrett.

Each album side seamlessly flows as a single, uninterrupted musical composition, transitioning effortlessly from one song to the next without any pause.

The initial part concludes with The Great Gig in the Sky, symbolically representing death and transitioning to the hereafter.

In 2020, this album was ranked as the 55th greatest album ever made, and it consistently features in lists of top albums of all time. Currently, it holds a 16 times platinum certification in the UK.

It’s been suggested for quite some time that a particular album syncs up with the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” when played simultaneously, yet the group has consistently stated that this correlation wasn’t deliberate.

Wish You Were Here (1975)

Tracklist:

1. Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Pts 1-5
2. Welcome to the Machine
3. Have a Cigar (feat Roy Harper)
4. Wish You Were Here
5. Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts 6-9

Wish You Were Here” serves as a critique of the music scene during that period, with much of it being a tribute to their ex-bandmate, Barrett.

The song “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” was again inspired by him, and Barrett actually paid a visit during the recording phase.

Again, it has been named one of the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone.

Animals (1977)

Tracklist:

1. Pigs on the Wing (Part One)
2. Dogs
3. Pigs (Three Different Ones)
4. Sheep
5. Pigs on the Wing (Part Two) Lyrics

In their tenth studio release, the band explored political themes, reflecting the turmoil and political situation in Britain at the time. Drawing inspiration from George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” this concept album depicts various social strata using animal characters.

Roger Waters, the band’s bassist, created most of the tracks.

The album’s recording was challenging, leading eventually to the departure of keyboardist Richard Wright from the group.

The Wall (1979)

Tracklist:

1. In the Flesh?
2. The Thin Ice
3. Another Brick in the Wall, Pt 1 (reached No. 1 in the UK Charts for five weeks)
4. The Happiest Days of Our Lives
5. Another Brick in the Wall, Pt 2
6. Mother
7. Goodbye Blue Sky
8. Empty Spaces
9. Young Lust
10. One of My Turns
11. Don’t Leave Me Now
12. Another Brick In the Wall, Pt 3
13. Goodbye Cruel World
14. Hey You
15. Is There Anybody Out There?
16. Nobody Home
17. Vera
18. Bring the Boys Back Home
19. Comfortably Numb
20. The Show Must Go On
21. In the Flesh (Reprise)
22. Run Like Hell
23. Waiting for the Worms
24. Stop
25. The Trial
26. Outside the Wall

An extensive album, titled “The Wall,” tells a rock opera’s tale about Pink, a fictitious musician, who recounts memories from his past, including a challenging childhood and growing dissatisfaction with the societal structure that surrounds him.

Barrett, once again, proved a huge inspiration for the central character.

The Wall, a standout album for the band, is renowned as one of the best ever produced. This classic album held the top position in the U.S. charts for 15 consecutive weeks and has been purchased approximately 19 million times globally.

1982 saw the transformation of the idea-driven album into a film musical, which garnered a BAFTA award. Fast forward to 2008, and the album was honored with induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 1982, Another Brick in the Wall won International Hit of the Year at the Ivor Novellos.

The Final Cut (1983)

Tracklist:

1. The Post War Dream
2. Your Possible Pasts
3. One of the Few
4. When the Tigers Broke Free
5. The Hero’s Return
6. The Gunner’s Dream
7. Paranoid Eyes
8. Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert
9. The Fletcher Memorial Home
10. Southampton Dock
11. The Final Cut
12. Not Now John
13. Two Suns in the Sunset

Initially planned as a complement to the film “The Wall,” The Final Cut originally reflected the band members’ growing discontent with the approaching Falklands War.

The album represents the final time Roger Waters appeared officially as part of the band, as he departed soon after its completion, contributing lead vocals to most of its tracks.

A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)

Tracklist:

1. Signs of Life
2. Learning to Fly
3. The Dogs of War
4. One Slip
5. On the Turning Away
6. Yet Another Movie
7. Round and Around
8. A New Machine (Part 1)
9. Terminal Frost
10. A New Machine (Part 2)
11. Sorrow

After Waters left the band, A Momentary Lapse of Reason signified the comeback of original member Richard Wright. The album is structured conventionally, without adhering to any specific theme or storyline.

In 1988, Learning to Fly won best concept videos at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

The Division Bell (1994)

Tracklist:

1. Cluster One
2. What Do You Want from Me
3. Poles Apart
4. Marooned
5. A Great Day for Freedom
6. Wearing the Inside Out
7. Take It Back
8. Coming Back to Life
9. Keep Talking (Ft. Stephen Hawking)
10. Lost for Words
11. High Hopes

The album was predominantly penned by David Gilmour and Richard Wright, signifying the conclusion of the band in its most recognized form. Regrettably, Wright passed away in 2008 without contributing any fresh work to the group.

It reached number one in 10 countries.

The Endless River (2014)

Tracklist:

1. Things Left Unsaid
2. It’s What We Do
3. Ebb and Flow
4. Sum
5. Skins
6. Unsung
7. Anisina
8. The Lost Art of Conversation
9. On Noodle Street
10. Night Light
11. Allons-y (1)
12. Autumn ’68
13. Allons-y (2)
14. Talkin’ Hawkin’ (feat Stephen Hawking)
15. Calling
16. Eyes to Pearls
17. Surfacing
18. Louder than Words
19. TBS9
20. TBS14
21. Nervana

Twenty years since their last studio recording, The Endless River represents Pink Floyd’s concluding album.

The composition was primarily developed from source material conceived for “Division Bell,” and it predominantly showcases instrumental music designed for the 1994 album. (Or: This creation stemmed largely from materials initially crafted for “Division Bell” and primarily consists of instrumental tunes tailored for the 1994 album.)

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2025-04-01 20:41