(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Sun 24 August 2025 17:00, UK
Pink Floyd are a band who have had multiple different chapters. From experimental psychedelic space-dwellers to concept album maestros, from united to broken, they have a varied array of music that makes up their discography.
When the band first got going, the mad genius Syd Barrett was leading the charge on all songwriting fronts, and while this managed to earn them a big ‘ol fanbase, it also resulted in some of their more outlandish and experimental work.
It goes without saying that it was this experimentation that drew people in, and as psychedelic rock was still finding its feet and the mainstream was adapting to it, the more out-there work was a good way for people to understand the possibilities of the genre. However, once Barrett was forced out of the group in something of an acid-soaked cloud, the other members agreed that they wanted to pursue a style that veered away from those early Barrett-led escapades.
There was a five year gap between Barrett leaving and Pink Floyd producing their commercial smash Dark Side of the Moon. These years were spent working out what they wanted their sound to be, taking initial ideas and expanding upon them, playing with themes and releasing records such as Atom Heart Mother and Meddle, good tracks, both of which were a reflection of Roger Waters favourite time in the band.
He didn’t name the aforementioned records as his favourite by the band, but he said the period when they were making them was when he felt Pink Floyd were their most unified. Waters remembered that during that time, they were “a band,” and “agreed about the same things.”
(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
While the memories are fuzzy, he recalls that the majority of them being fond. “It’s hard to remember that far back. But I think probably pre-Dark Side Of The Moon. In those days, it was a band. I’m sure that at that point we all agreed about the same things, like, we’ll only play the new material,” he said, “We won’t play any of the old material anymore. We’ll only do this album and the one before, and that’s it. There was a certain integrity and what was important was the work. And that is still exactly how I feel now, although I do confess I do old tunes onstage now.”
Nick Mason disagreed slightly, as while the creation of Dark Side of the Moon might have marked the beginning of the end of Pink Floyd as the creative friction really started to rub after that album, it was still one of their best records. When talking about the best albums by the band, he said he’d like to make Dark Side of the Moon a bit longer and The Wall slightly shorter, but even with those minor amendments, the former represents the band at their very best.
“I’d choose Dark Side — it’s the most complete album,” said Mason. “There’re lots of others I like, but Dark Side has a lovely mix of everyone contributing to it. It’s got some great songs, and [the now-departed] Roger [Waters]’ lyrics are extraordinary.”
Finally, David Gilmour and Rick Wright’s favourite album both came a couple of years after Dark Side of the Moon. While they enjoyed the structure of their earlier concept albums, they also liked the records where the band was able to cut loose a lot more freely, and one of the records where they both felt as though the band did that best was Wish You Were Here.
Representing a period of vulnerability and transition for Pink Floyd, the album saw each member put forward different ideas and the band’s honesty throughout the album pierced through. Gilmour said he loved the record because it showed each member “Working on all cylinders,” and Wright was inclined to agree.
The versatility that Pink Floyd have always championed means it can be difficult choosing which of their records is the greatest, even the individual band members can’t seem to decide.
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