This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side Of The Moon. This is the eighth studio album by the British rock band Pink Floyd, recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London between May 1972 and January 1973, and released on March 1, 1973. The album broke ground in terms of sound quality and recording technology, under the expert supervision of Alan Parsons from Abbey Road Studios.
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The Dark Side Of The Moon is among the most highly esteemed albums in history and is considered a milestone in the rock genre, both musically and commercially. For many years, it has been one of the best-selling albums worldwide, with estimated sales exceeding 45 million copies. It’s Pink Floyd’s most commercially successful album.
On the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side Of The Moon, we revisit the story behind one of the greatest and best-selling rock albums of all time, and the long journey Pink Floyd took to get there—transitioning from an obscure band to mainstream popularity.
Before becoming one of the greatest and most successful rock bands in the world, and before Roger Waters and David Gilmour took the reins, Pink Floyd was essentially Syd Barrett’s trip. He was the man and the vision, the creative force that initially led the band. But after just one album, everything changed—Barrett’s mental condition deteriorated, and his bandmates had to make a painful decision, one that would shape the music of Pink Floyd for years to come.
No one in Pink Floyd’s circle believed the band could survive without Syd Barrett. However, Roger Waters, the architect, began taking command, and the band embarked on a journey of musical exploration. They dabbled in film scoring, burned countless studio hours on improvisations and sound experiments, and delved into visual stage setups. A single note broke the spell and led Pink Floyd to write one of their greatest works—one that would bring David Gilmour center stage.
Just before entering his fourth decade, Roger Waters wanted to detach Pink Floyd from its space-rock image. In a meeting at drummer Nick Mason’s kitchen, he presented his bandmates with his new idea—a concept album that would tackle the stresses and anxieties of the modern world. The new songs were written in a short time, and during a tour initially intended to promote their album Meddle, Pink Floyd began playing their new album in its entirety—more than a year before it reached stores.
After several months of performing The Dark Side of the Moon live, the time had come to enter Abbey Road Studios to record the album. The audience is taken on a musical journey through the stories behind the songs. It’s a journey through the stages of life—from the first breaths of air in this world until life ends in an eclipse.
