The Prism That Split Rock Wide Ope

Born from a shortlist of universal anxieties — time, money, madness, death — compiled in Nick Mason’s kitchen, The Dark Side of the Moon became one of the most extraordinary albums ever committed to tape. Sprinkled with studio fairydust in the form of gospel vocals, explosive solos, and meticulously crafted sound effects, the album perfectly soundtracked a cynical era when Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War had finally killed off whatever remained of the Sixties spirit. Pink Floyd, individually anonymous yet vastly influential, had produced their masterwork.

A Stateside million-seller on the strength of the band’s legendary live reputation, the album went truly interstellar when Capitol turned “Money” into a rare Floyd hit, exposing the record to an audience that had never encountered anything quite like it. “The Great Gig In The Sky” is a breathtaking vocal showcase, “Brain Damage” builds to a genuinely unnerving climax, and the suite of “Breathe” into “Time” into “Breathe (Reprise)” remains one of rock’s great sustained passages. Tuneful, rousing, and timelessly brilliant — for Floyd virgins, this is always the place to start.

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)