Pink Floyd Essentials

Pink Floyd are notable not only for what they popularised (immaculate hi-fi production, elaborate concept albums, planetarium laser shows) but for what they negated: Their sense of mystique proved they didn’t need to mug for the camera to become one of the world’s most famous rock bands. Which is ironic, given that they were initially led by the charismatic Syd Barrett, whose madcap genius spawned 1967’s psychedelic triumph The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. After Barrett’s 1968 exit, the band entered a new era, led by Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, and embraced expansive progressive rock. But with 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Floyd refined their experimental ethos into a cohesive masterpiece. Anchored by songs like “Time”, “Us and Them” and “Money”, the album spent 14 years on the Billboard charts. Waters’ lyrical depth took centre stage on 1975’s Wish You Were Here (which featured the mildly funky “Have a Cigar” and the Barrett tribute “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”) and 1977’s politically charged Animals. Their colossal 1979 rock opera The Wall solidified their legacy as cultural icons with tracks such as “Hey You” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2”.