Pink Floyd - Wikipedia. 06- 1969- Ummagumma - Live Album Waiting. 07-1970- Zabriskie Point Waiting. 08-1970- Atom Heart Mother Waiting. 09-1971- Meddle Waiting. 10-1971- Relics Waiting. 11-1972- Obscured By Clouds Waiting. 12-1973- Dark Side Of The Moon.
Pink Floyd, a household name in music. Everyone knows the name of this band, if you don’t, you’ve been living under a rock. No excuses for not knowing one of the most popular and greatest bands of all time. Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason took the world by storm when they released their influential album The Dark Side Of The Moon, which is to this day one of the greatest albums of all time, and a classic of its genre and music alike. Before that, they were less well known, but albums like Meddle and Atom Heart Mother showed a creativity which was yet unheard of; and the Piper at the Gates of Dawn (with Syd Barrett still), is a classic of the psychedelic genre.
In the year where three of the band’s albums celebrate its anniversaries, we have engaged on an enormous difficult task to rank the group’s astounding work. See below our list of Pink Floyd albums ranked by the quality of showcased material.
Please note that these are our opinions, and that you may or may not agree with them. What is the best for us, for you may be the worst.
- Pink Floyd – “Wish You Were Here” (1975) There’s never been much doubt as to what Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” is all about. Yes, it’s an album soaked alienation.
- Is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Pink.It was released on November 12, 2010 by Jive Records, in celebration of Pink's first decade on the music scene.The album features Pink's biggest hits from all her studio albums. Its track list differs depending on region, with four new tracks, only two of which are included in the North American edition.
- Amazon's Choice for pink floyd greatest hits cd. The Best of Pink Floyd - A Foot In The Door. By Pink Floyd Nov 8, 2011. 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,430.
15. The Endless River (2014)
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One of the most unbelievable and shocking pieces of news we received back in 2014 is certainly the one about the release of the last album that the remaining members of Pink Floyd, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, announced.
Many fans and enthusiasts of the band were very excited about it, but some of them were also frightened that The Endless Riverwould be a complete mess and a shame among an almost completely brilliant discography, which has not changed for the past twenty years, yet now, suddenly, it is ready to greet “a new member”. So, were those fears grounded?
It is clear that the closing track of The Division Bell, “High Hopes,” was a hymn that seemed to bring forever to a conclusion one of the most important chapters of contemporary music. It was the most perfect farewell, a song which looked into the band’s past (when “the grass was greener”), acknowledged the present and tried to leave “high hopes” for an endless future full of exquisite music, a promise that was never kept until July 2014, when this record was announced.
“There are a lot of things left unsaid”: this is how the album begins, before projecting you into the deep atmospheres of Side One. It is not easy at the beginning, but eventually you understand that this album is meant to be instrumental (apart from the closing track “Louder than Words”) because after 20 years it’s too hard to find the right words to justify such a long silence. The tracks, despite being selected from a twenty-hour-long set of demos recorded during The Division Bell sessions, flow one after the other creating an unexpected solid compilation of ambient sounds, experimental works and unmistakable quotations from almost every previous release. It’s impossible not to notice a similarity between “It’s What We Do” and some parts of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” as they both share very similar synth works and guitar parts. It’s also easy to recognise a sort of reprise of “Run Like Hell” in “Allons-Y (1)” and the speed drumming and psychedelic guitar improvisations in “Skins” sound like the ones on A Saucerful of Secrets.
These little, sometimes almost imperceptible, tributes to older songs make this record seem like a “real” Pink Floyd album, even if just for a few moments, then again, since it is now immersed in a totally different context, it appears to be a little anachronistic or, if you want, outdated.
The Endless Riveris a must-listen for every die-hard fan and it is recommended for anyone who wants to find out a little bit more about Pink Floyd’s musical horizons; still, it is far from becoming a timeless classic.
14. A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
The first Pink Floyd album not to feature founder and bassist Roger Waters, A Momentary Lapse of Reason represented a definite transition to a new phase in the band’s long history. It came in the midst of a tumultuous period of lawsuits and name-calling between Waters and his former band mates, led by vocalist and guitarist David Gilmour. Waters officially left the band in December 1985 and tried to officially “dissolve” the Pink Floyd name with his departure, but Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason wanted to continue with new projects by the then-two-decades-old band. Later in the A Momentary Lapse of Reason sessions, former band keyboardist Richard Wright was brought on to give the album “more legitimacy” as a Pink Floyd album (although Wright was not re-instated as an official band member until later).
The album’s music originated from sessions for a new Gilmour solo album in 1985, which were recorded primarily on Gilmour’s converted houseboat, called Astoria, anchored on the River Thames. Gilmour changed his mind in 1986 and decided to use the material for a new Pink Floyd album when Mason joined the project.
There is no doubt that part of the “Pink Floydization” of the album was to nod back to previous song names, themes, and structures. This is evident in the song titles “A New Machine” (a song “Welcome To the Machine” appeared on 1975’s Wish You Were Here and “Dogs of War”, which is a quasi-sequel to the Roger Waters Animals track “Dogs.” Co-written by Anthony Moore, “Dogs of War” suggests the silent hand behind all war is money, describing political mercenaries in particular.
Mason played a big role in the opening track, “Signs of Life”, by adding some synthesized effects and spoken word in the background. It sets the houseboat scene beautifully with the underlying sound of a boat rowing down a calm river, which was an actual recording of Gilmour’s boatman rowing across the Thames. The result is a cross between the early Pink Floyd experimental sound collages like “Speak to Me”, and the mood-setting long intro to “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. “Signs of Life” serves to set up the listener for the sudden and sharp contrast of “Learning To Fly”, where the rock n roll portion of the album really begins.
After the release of A Momentary Lapse of Reason Roger Waters derided his old bandmates’ material on this album as “third rate.” A bit of a rivalry ensued through the subsequent year when both acts toured and sometimes ended up in the same city at the same time. Waters continued his fight on this front by threatening to sue several promoters if they used the Pink Floyd name. In the end, the overwhelming fan response to the Pink Floyd tour, which sold out several large stadiums, re-established the new, truncated lineup of this long established band as an entity, which would carry on for several more years.
13. The Final Cut (1983)
There’s no denying Roger Waters’ prowess in the recording studio. As practical ringleader of Pink Floyd throughout it’s glory days of the 1970’s, he clearly displayed all the hallmarks of a great rock composer, and even proved to be a keen conceptualist, with his work on albums such as the eternally revered Dark Side of the Moon and 1977’s Animals still boasting themes and ideas relevant today. It was 1979’s The Wall though, that would begin the slow decline of the band members’ relationships, and which would see Waters’ eventual disbandment from the group. His ultimate departure would have to see through one more chapter though, and this is Waters’ last swansong – The Final Cut.
The record includes some of the more thrilling compositions you’d find over their career, with rock numbers “Not Now John” and the highly infectious “The Hero’s Return” providing the material you’ll be tapping your feet to. However, these songs comprise just two of twelve (thirteen if you have the recently re-mastered version), which leaves a whole lot of melancholic meandering and a whole lot of ballads to wade through before the decidedly anti-climactic finale.
Considering the gloomy subject matter, it shouldn’t be too surprising to discover that most of the album operates on slow moving ballads, with large orchestral support working in the background—for added melodrama. Second track “Your Possible Pasts” for example, is simply too quiet and unassuming to bare any remarkable qualities at all. Waters’ lyrics pale over an understated acoustic guitar, and when the drums finally kick in, it’s simply too late. Chances are your thumb would have already graced the skip button, with the confidence you had in your new musical purchase seriously waning. This same account applies to utterly forgettable track “Paranoid Eyes,” which does little to raise the pulse at all. Considering the fact The Final Cut is essentially a pop album, the subtlety that proved beneficial in their previous work – which was distinguished by it’s impressive flamboyancy – proves detrimental here.
12. More (1969)
If you only have Echoes: Best Of, chances are you’ve never heard of this Floyd album. Why? Because Pink Floyd don’t even regard as an actual Pink Floyd album, you’ll notice More doesn’t really fit in with the musical path Pink Floyd were taking at the time. After Syd Barrett left the band less than 12 months from the psychedelic classic debut Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the new Pink Floyd (with Gilmour) were struggling to find a new way to go on. 1968-1970 signalled a Floyd transition, members of the band even called it a creative downtime. In that time Pink Floyd released their sophomore release (A Saucerful of Secrets), this soundtrack, the half live half solo project Ummagumma, and the unwanted child of the Floyd albums Atom Heart Mother. All four, were experimental, progressive and pretentious to a certain point. Still, many songs off More were miles away from ASOS and Ummagumma.
More wasn’t part of Pink Floyd‘s transition, it was seen more of a side project. The actual movie bombed, just another “we’re hippies, let’s do drugs” 60/70s type of movie. The director asked Pink Floyd to make a soundtrack that wasn’t their style and in a small amount of time. They went for it and came up with this, half of it instrumental. Most of the instrumentals so clearly intended for the movie that they don’t stand on their own.
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11. Ummagumma (1969)
Ummagumma, within its essence, is an exploratory odyssey. One in which Pink Floyd discover new musical realms and take themselves to even stranger dimensions. This is certainly one of their least appreciated efforts, and it’s far from being a classic, but it was a necessary step in their career. This was the road that Pink Floyd had to take to not only discover themselves as musicians, but to develop a unique sound that would separate them from the rest of their contemporaries. Ummagumma provides an enriching experience not just because of the more artistic route of the music, but because we get to see Pink Floyd evolve as a band. Witnessing as we follow them through the directions they took that helped them grow into the legendary group they are remembered as to this very day.
10. Obscured by Clouds (1972)
Although Meddle is generally regarded as the transition from Floyd‘s experimental, and sometimes directionless music to the ‘classic’ Pink, Obscured By Clouds also does its share. Its overall sound is very much similar, going from the organ driven relaxation with an undertone of powerful emotion “Mudmen” resembling “Us & Them,” to the straightforward rocker “The Gold, It’s in the…” approximating “Money.” Unlike older Floyd albums, Obscured by Clouds flows smoothly all the way through, never going out of balance. And though we all wish Pink Floyd would make another watery 23 minute trip likes “Echoes,” this has relatively standard length tracks.
Obscured by Clouds shows a lot of what was classic rock, mostly thanks to Gilmour. His signature guitar is very prominent throughout the album, but not to the point where one begins to wonder if this is Pink Floyd or one of those loud rock and/or roll bands mother disapproves of. Most noticeably is the cheery “The Gold, It’s in the…,” driven by an almost cheesy guitar riff and Gilmour’s voice.
09. The Division Bell (1994)
The discussion about The Division Bell turns to “Roger Waters isn’t there, it sucks” pretty much immediately. A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the first post-Roger Waters album, was pretty bad, and Gilmour bringing in tons of guest musicians didn’t help that album’s case very much in the first place. However, The Division Bell was a bit different, as Nick Mason and Richard Wright have a massive influence on the album, and this album actually sounds like Pink Floyd. Much like many bands, greatness comes from the chemistry between the band members. Waters, Gilmour, Mason, and Wright together had the uncanny ability to pretty much craft perfection. Roger Waters couldn’t do it alone (The Final Cut), and David Gilmour can’t do it his own (A Momentary Lapse of Reason), however, ¾ of that successful group teamed up on The Division Bell, and this album ends up being about ¾ perfect.
The compositions, atmospheres, and musicality of The Division Bell is as excellent as it always was. The lyrics, themes, and vocals aren’t-and that’s the album’s flaw. “High Hopes,” the album’s closing masterpiece is one of Floyd’s best tracks and “Take it Back” is one of the most enveloping Floyd performances on record. And while The Division Bell lacks lyrically and thematically, Gilmour’s prowess at creating beautiful atmosphere and songs is at top game. Its laid back, deep, layered, and has a very airy, spacey theme throughout the entirety of the album. “Marooned,” the Grammy winning instrumental from this album, is truly an experience through headphones. Wright’s keyboards are thinly layered in a lush backdrop as Gilmour’s piercing guitar moves through the track. All the tracks are very poppy and reliant on the ambience Wright’s keyboards create. And, outside of Gilmour’s bitter “What Do You Want From Me,” the songs rarely rise to levels that could be considered loud. This, could be another reason The Division Bell was so highly debated.
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08. Atom Heart Mother (1970)
Despite the band’s dislike, Atom Heart Mother isn’t as bad as it’s painted by various sources, and is certainly not the worst Pink Floyd album.
Atom Heart Mother was released in 1970, Pink Floyd still in their experimental prime and ready to tinker even more with modern music. After Barrett’s departure, Pink Floyd found it hard to construct solid albums and to match the success of their debut and the singles formed by Barrett. Releasing increasingly experimental and sprawling avant-garde works, Pink Floyd were struggling for a new sound but testing stuff out at the same time. So Pink Floyd released an album with their wackiest songs to date and with more mature songs. Oh those crazy kids.
If you describe Atom Heart Mother with one word, well, the point is you wouldn’t be able to. Though the album is considered to be very experimental, it contains calm, bare songs like “If.” “If” is surprisingly the only Roger Waters song on the album, it’s a quietly sung song starting the mostly acoustic theme on the album. Roger‘s voice is much more grounded and proper than the goofy singing the bass player made on earlier songs. The gloomy guitar solo doesn’t add a whole lot to the song, Gilmour plays a much better, perhaps one of his best, in “Fat Old Sun.” “Fat Old Sun” is also a quiet acoustic song, but not nearly as interesting or melodious as “If.” Those songs aren’t varied at all, but rest assured, Atom Heart Mother has some wack shiznit, perhaps even wackier than its title.
Like 1971′s Meddle, Atom Heart Mother stands out for a single song. That song is the monstrous, pretentious, perplexing, “Atom Heart Mother.” Compiled of 6 parts and totaling 23 minutes, you can expect a spectacle, love it or hate it. To love it or hate it, this is many times the case when it comes to Floyd fans’ opinions of this song. With subsections with names like “Breast Milky” and “Funky Dung,” you may ask yourself how out of it were Pink Floyd at this time. The music might just answer that question for you. Whether it’d be writing songs compiled mostly of noise making or just straight up Rock, you never knew what Pink Floyd were going to do. They get a little help from their friends here, getting an entire orchestra and an avant-garde compose to make this scattered epic. Driven mainly by what’s been described as a “recycled Western movie theme” by the members, “Atom Heart Mother” begins with a very catchy chord progression lead by the horn sections. But the whole concept of keeping a 23 minute song lead by one chord progression is quickly chucked out; “Atom Heart Mother” changes rather suddenly and awkwardly throughout the song, making the song less enjoyable and seems even more directionless.
07. A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
We can really see Roger Waters beginning to assume the role as leader of the band in A Saucerful Of Secrets. Most of the music was written by him, and already we can see him venturing into the familiar territories of his subsequent works. “Corporal Clegg” is perhaps the biggest example, as its the first Pink Floyd song to address issues of war, a theme which would recur throughout his career as one of the primary songwriters for the band. As for Syd Barrett, only one of his contributions made it to the album, the finale, “Jugband Blues.” It was an interesting choice in placing this piece for the closing track.
“Jugband Blues” is a window into Syd Barrett‘s state of mind at the time, expressing not only his point of view of everything that is happening around him, but his farewell to us all. I have to admit, I find this song to be one of the most lamenting works in the history of music. His words reflect such genuine sorrow, because whether he was mentally ill or not, he knew that this would be his final moment as a member of Pink Floyd. The lyrical content of this song is perhaps the closest we’ll ever get to understanding Syd Barrett, as he leaves us one last ambiguous message to decipher; “What exactly is a dream, and what exactly is a joke?“
06. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn never transcends psychedelia, but instead laps delightedly at the genre’s confines. This album could have been made in no time but the late 1960s, and yes, it’s preposterously dated. In anyone else’s hands, it could have been dreadful. But the sheer creativity of the band, as well as Barrett‘s undeniable pop chops and the sinister vocal duo of Barrett and keyboardist Richard Wright, makes this music immensely listenable.
That Barrett never relies on cliches is key to this. He sits on unicorns, follows gnomes, recites Chinese text with a straight face, travels through space, and pens a slightly annoyed, mundane ballad about his cat that’s also the album’s best pop song. The album’s titular reference to The Wind In The Willows and the I Ching recital (on “Chapter 24″) suggests an inspiration in contemporary media, or at least what he was into at the time. It’s pure, wide-eyed fandom, similar to what Black Sabbath did with monster movies or Zeppelin with Tolkien.
Piper‘s psychedelia is often daft, but it’s hard to pinpoint any moments on it where the music is actually bad. This is an essential album, and is as deserving of the Floyd name as any of their more ubiquitous work.
05. Meddle (1971)
Meddle marks the beginning of Pink Floyd’s prime. In many ways the record is similar to masterpieces such as the Dark Side of the Moon, but is somewhat inferior. This 45-minute piece is a typical progressive record in which has only 6 tracks, four of which exceed 5 minutes. The 23 and a half minute “Echoes” is one of the band’s greatest accomplishments to this day and their longest track ever recorded.
This record has a tremendous contrast in atmosphere, from the spacey and powerful “One of These Days” to the soothing “A Pillow of Winds.” In fact, the transition from the high-energy opener into “A Pillow of Winds” is brilliant, and a complete change in mood. “One of These Days” serves as an incredible opener complete with a perfect buildup. The track begins with wind-like sounds and a powerful bass line, and is complemented by engine-sounding leads by Gilmour. As the noise grows louder and stranger, drummer Nick Mason exclaims, “One of these days, I’m going to cut you into little pieces!” The track proceeds with thumping bass, wailing guitars, and Mason beating his drums to a pulp. “One of These Days” is extremely significant, for it illustrates the sheer originality that is associated with Pink Floyd.
“Echoes” proves to be Pink Floyd’s most ambitious effort, for it is a track that defines progressive music. Bell sounds, atmosphere changes, and excellent harmonies are only several significant characteristics. As you may imagine, “Echoes” is a slow burning track that follows a bit of an A-B-A format. The song has several solo sections, which is where Gilmour’s guitar and Rick Wright’s keyboards shine. About eleven minutes into the song we are introduced to the strangest and most “boring” section of the track. The wind sounds of “One of These Days” re-occurs here, and are complemented with screeching noises. While this is the least enjoyable section of the song, the effect that is given off is brilliant, displaying that Pink Floyd is still not afraid to go out of the box. It becomes clear around the 17-minute mark that “Echoes” is building to a powerful and fitting climax as Gilmour utilizes a palm muted riff and Mason is quietly beating his drums senseless. Just as you expect the track to build to something greater, you are stunned when the track returns to the beginning once again, with Gilmour and Wright singing, “Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes, inviting and inciting me to rise.” The lyrical effect cannot be undermined, for the message of the track is truly tragic. Gilmour and Wright‘s final phrase is incredible, “And no-one sings me lullabies, And no-one makes me close my eyes, And so I throw the windows wide, And call to you across the sky.” As the wind sounds return and the track fades out, you can help but feel awed.
The band for sure had to of felt a great sense of accomplishment, for this is arguably their most underappreciated work. Meddle deserves to be mentioned along with the other outstanding Pink Floyd records and really marks the beginning of the band’s prime.
04. The Wall (1979)
Even if Pink Floyd’s The Wall had anything to do with the Berlin Wall, the concept would not be so clear-cut and obvious. In actuality, The Wall is a massive and complex concept album, spanning two discs and containing the fictional story of character Pink Floyd. While Roger Waters and David Gilmour seemed to share the songwriting duties on Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and several others, Waters had begun to take control of the band by Animals. The Wall is almost entirely Waters’ brainchild, alluding to both personal experiences and the haunting realization of the story’s possibility. Throughout the record, Pink becomes increasingly isolated from society due to a distressed childhood and an inability to cope with fame. Pink’s isolation is essentially what is piling the bricks around him, and constructing this colossal and impenetrable wall. This record in its entirety is a destructive and powerful journey, concluding with a tragic climax.
The Wall is a tremendous amount to take in, even after many listens. The concept is brilliant, but somewhat overblown and predictable from a concept album. The album seems to receive a great deal of acclaim because it is a concept record, and the stories of isolation and depression has long since been replicated. The Wall was however, a ground-breaking release for its time and has influenced budding concept writers. It may have been a stronger release had more focus been placed on the music. While great, the music doesn’t measure up to Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, or Wish You Were Here. Waters does display his tremendous talent for songwriting, but unfortunately his disputes with band members is what lead to the downfall for Pink Floyd. The Wall while flawed, is still an incredible completion of the band’s prime, and presents a very intriguing story.
After this last magnum opus the band began to fall apart and dissolve just like The Wall had predicted. Roger Waters‘ lyrics proved to be clairvoyant as the wall he built around himself locked him out of the band and led him to pursue a solo career of his own. But even despite that breakup (and the later reconciliation at Live 8), this album shall always be remembered for its political views, its everlasting impact on society and today’s youth, and at the time of writing, thirty-eight years since the release of this work, its message remains as important as ever. Therefore, this album belongs in every CD collection for everyone to hear.
03. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
“Breathe, breathe in the air”, Pink Floyd’s guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour quietly asks us on The Dark Side Of The Moon’s opening track, “Breathe” before we are launched into one of rock music’s true masterpieces. The bands first concept album deals with the pressures and hardships of everyday life which eventually lead to madness, while covering themes such as time, travel, money, war and death along the way. In essence, it is a metaphor for life, which any listener will relate to. Bassist and band leader Roger Waters’ beautifully crafted lyrics are just one of the numerous reasons behind The Dark Side’s success.
“Ticking away, the moments that make up the dull day, you fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way, Kkcking around on a piece of ground in your hometown, waiting for someone or something to show you the way.”
Did Pink Floyd finally find redemption and resurrection from this eighth release? And is this the album that is the longest-charting music LP in existence, the album considered to be one of the greatest, considered by some as the greatest, of all time? Yes and no. A hefty helping of The Dark Side of the Moon yields a glorious moment in music history, but also reveals something flawed, a need for improvement.
There is one thing The Dark Side of the Moon depends on if it will attempt to perfectly cover such a cover, and that’s atmosphere. The instrumentation in The Dark Side of the Moon is simply put, extraordinary. The vast majority of David Gilmour‘s guitar work deals with explosive bursts of energy mixed with slow progressions / riffs. For the time period, it was years ahead of material previously made from before. The guitar work is always a fundamental quality of an album, and Gilmour really outdid himself here. The distorted tape loops of “Money” almost constitute a theme to the entire track. The guitar solo of “Time” is incredibly well executed, and the precise flow of the lighter songs like “Brain Damage” is subtle. The bass of Roger Waters, while not a monumental role in the album, was phenomenal for its time, using the right blend of power chords and soft note progressions, and feel a lot more dominating over the moments of silence that pop up in Dark Side. Nick Mason creates his own rhythm of drumming somewhere in the album. With straightforward beats, countered by lances of fills and thumping percussion. And the synthesizers of Richard Wright are at an all-time high here: the electronic entry of “On the Run,” and the melodies of the great instrumental “Any Colour You Like.” The bliss of Dark Side of the Moon, is that there is no standout instrument: everybody shows off their strengths here.
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02. Wish You Were Here (1975)
After The Dark Side Of The Moon, Pink Floyd had reached mainstream success, attaining fame, money, and a large fan base. While this would make most anyone happy, it was extremely troubling for the band. When they went back into the studio to record a follow-up album, their songs were rigid and difficult to put together due to the pressure of following up a huge breakthrough album. Some songs lashed out at the music industry, while others were melancholic tributes to the band’s mentally deteriorating former frontman. Ironically, as they were laying the vocal dubs for one of these tracks, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, Barrett had came in the studio; the dissolving of his state of mind in front of the band may have made the album itself even more emotional.
Wish You Were Here is often overlooked for many reasons: the five track playlist, comparisons to Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall, and other factors. Wish You Were Here is far too often left behind when put up against Pink Floyd‘s classic albums.
01. Animals (1977)
Animals is Pink Floyd’s greatest album. Such a statement will be forever refuted by those who fervently admire any of Pink Floyd’s other masterpieces; it’s arguable as to which album is the pinnacle of their success. Of course, it always comes down to a matter of opinion, but with this writing I intend to ardently argue Animals’ case; not only as the greatest Pink Floyd album, not only as one of the greatest records to have ever been made, but also as a triumphant and pessimistic reflection of the world’s descent into capitalism. In addition to the musical achievement that is Animals, it is a radiant and contemptuous piece of political literature, akin to its Orwellian influence. The metaphorical value of “Dogs,” “Pigs” and “Sheep” are extensively ingrained in the criticism of the society which we take for granted, and Animals eloquently lays down a sweeping mockery of the system. In regards to the album’s position amongst Pink Floyd’s far-reaching discography, Animals is situated in a transient period; bearing marks of the band’s psychedelic and drug infused past, building on the largely tentative previous two albums, all while paving the way for The Wall’s concreted concept. It is because of this unique position that Animals holds as to why it is distinguishable from the Pink Floyd catalogue. It does not rely on musical oddities, vast soundscapes or experimentation; it is a composition perfect at its very core, from the pure genius of its songwriting, to a concept to beat all concepts in its relevance and societal value. Animals is, without a doubt, one of the greatest albums of all time.
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The profound left uprising of the 1970s is a large determinant of the ideology evident on Animals; the after effects of the Vietnam War, a stalemate between the opposing sides of the ideological spectrum, left the world in a disarray, seemingly disillusioned by the supposed sanctity of capitalism in contrast to the “Evil Empire.” Economic crises gripped Britain (along with other Western nations, but particularly Britain in respect to Pink Floyd), a pressure borne by the working class. It was these conditions and others like them that ultimately led to the deep seeded cynicism apparent on Animals. The album’s construction is purely metaphorical: “Dogs,” “Pigs” and “Sheep” represent the different tiers in the capitalist hierarchy, each song creating a representation of its respective character through ingenious lyrics and at times, musical expressions that are reflective of a particular character’s nature.
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Forty years have passed since Animals’ release. Nonetheless, its relevance has hardly subsided. A musical masterpiece, a literary work of genius, and a political tour de force, this album delves so deeply into the human psyche that it will leave you stunned. As an album, Animals is easily worth the mounds of hyperbolic claim that is given to it; a piece of genius, and a genius that will never die.