Animals (Pink Floyd album)

Animals
An image of the Battersea Power Station in England, where a giant pig can be seen flying between its left chimneys.
Cover design by Hipgnosis
Studio album by
Released21 January 1977 (1977-01-21)
RecordedApril–December 1976
StudioBritannia Row, London
GenreProgressive rock[1]
Length41:40
Label
ProducerPink Floyd
Pink Floyd chronology
Wish You Were Here
(1975)
Animals
(1977)
The Wall
(1979)
Alternative cover
Cover of the "2018 Remix" box set

Animals is the tenth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 21 January 1977,[2] by Harvest Records and Columbia Records. Pink Floyd produced it at their new studio, Britannia Row Studios, in London throughout 1976. The album continued the long-form compositions that made up such previous works as Meddle (1971) and Wish You Were Here (1975).

A lyrical departure from Pink Floyd's previous albums, Animals is a concept album that focuses on the sociopolitical conditions of mid-1970s Britain. Tension within the band during production culminated in the firing of the keyboardist, Richard Wright, two years after the album's release. The cover, conceived by the bassist and lead songwriter, Roger Waters, and designed by their long-time collaborator Storm Thorgerson, shows an inflatable pig floating between two chimneys of Battersea Power Station.

Pink Floyd released no singles from Animals but promoted it through the In the Flesh tour. Waters' agitation with audiences during this tour inspired their next album, The Wall (1979). Animals reached number 2 in the UK and number 3 in the US. It initially received mixed reviews, but gained more favourable reviews in later years, and is considered one of Pink Floyd's best works.

  1. ^ Greene, Andy (16 August 2013). "Weekend Rock Question: What Is the Best Prog Rock Album of the 1970s?". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Pink Floyd | The Official Site". www.pinkfloyd.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2022.