Pink Floyd discography

Pink Floyd discography
A black and white photo of four men performing onstage.
Pink Floyd performing
The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973
Studio albums15
EPs3
Live albums6
Compilation albums12
Singles27
Box sets5

The discography of the English rock group Pink Floyd consists of 15 studio albums, six live albums, 12 compilation albums, five box sets, three EPs, and 27 singles. Formed in 1965, Pink Floyd earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, later, their progressive rock music.[1] The group have sold over 250 million records worldwide,[2][3] including 75 million in the United States.[4]

Pink Floyd achieved success in London's underground music scene, led by the singer and guitarist Syd Barrett.[5] They signed a management deal with Peter Jenner and Andrew King (Blackhill Enterprises) in October 1966,[6] and recorded a demo shortly afterwards to attract record label interest.[7] In 1967, they signed with EMI Columbia and released their first single, "Arnold Layne",[8] followed by the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.[9]

Barrett left following mental health problems in 1968, and was replaced by the singer and guitarist David Gilmour. Both appear on Pink Floyd's second album, A Saucerful of Secrets,[10] the first of several to feature cover artwork by Hipgnosis.[11] In 1969, Pink Floyd released a soundtrack album, More, and a combined live and studio album, Ummagumma.[12] Atom Heart Mother (1970) was a collaboration with Ron Geesin, featuring an orchestra and choir.[13] Meddle and the Obscured by Clouds soundtrack followed in 1971 and 1972.[14][15]

Pink Floyd's eighth album, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), sold more than 30 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums of all time.[16][17] It has been reissued as a Quadrophonic LP and 5.1 surround sound Super Audio CD.[18] The Dark Side of the Moon was followed by Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979); all except Animals reached number one in the US, and The Wall is the highest-certified multiple-disc album by the Recording Industry Association of America.[19][20] Pink Floyd released few singles after Barrett's departure, though "Money" was a US top-20 hit, and "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" reached number one in the UK and US.[21]

The bassist and singer Roger Waters became Pink Floyd's dominant force from the mid-1970s. He departed in 1985, declaring Pink Floyd "a spent force",[1] and unsuccessfully sued to dissolve their partnership and retire the name.[22] The remaining members, led by Gilmour, continued recording and touring as Pink Floyd, releasing A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987), The Division Bell (1994)[23][24] and The Endless River (2014).[25]

In 2010, Pink Floyd sued EMI for unpaid royalties payments and for publishing their back catalogue on streaming services without their consent. A settlement was reached the following year, with the publication of the individual tracks on iTunes, and re-releases of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.[26] In 2016, Pink Floyd established a record label, Pink Floyd Records, and launched an extensive reissue programme of their work on vinyl and CD, and a box set The Early Years 1965–1972 containing a significant amount of previously unreleased material.[27][28] In 2022, they released a one-off single, "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!", featuring the Ukrainian artist Andriy Khlyvnyuk, in protest of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[29]

  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pink Floyd – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Pink Floyd Reunion Tops Fans' Wish List in Music Choice Survey". Bloomberg. 26 September 2007. Archived from the original on 12 August 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Pink Floyd's a dream, Zeppelin's a reality". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 28 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Gold & Platinum: Top Selling Artists". Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  5. ^ "The UFO club, Pink Floyd". Theufo.org. 5 August 2007. Archived from the original on 23 January 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  6. ^ Blake 2011, p. 63.
  7. ^ Blake 2011, p. 67.
  8. ^ Blake 2011, p. 75.
  9. ^ Blake 2011, p. 90.
  10. ^ Blake 2011, pp. 109, 114, 116.
  11. ^ Blake 2011, p. 128.
  12. ^ Blake 2011, p. 137.
  13. ^ Blake 2011, p. 154.
  14. ^ Blake 2011, p. 166.
  15. ^ Povey 2007, p. 344.
  16. ^ Blake 2011, p. 3.
  17. ^ Jude, Dan (4 December 2008). "Wear your art on your sleeve". Disappear Here. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
  18. ^ Povey 2007, p. 163.
  19. ^ Povey 2007, pp. 344–347.
  20. ^ "The Best Selling Albums of All Time in the USA". Neosoul.com. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  21. ^ Povey 2007, pp. 346–347.
  22. ^ Mabbett 2010, p. 19.
  23. ^ Povey 2007, pp. 349–351.
  24. ^ Mabbett 2010, pp. 19, 21.
  25. ^ Petridis, Alexis (6 November 2014). "Pink Floyd: The Endless River review – a fitting footnote to their career". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  26. ^ Blake 2011, p. 416.
  27. ^ "Pink Floyd to Launch Massive Vinyl Reissue Campaign". Rolling Stone. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Pink Floyd Detail Massive 27-Disc 'Early Years' Box Set". Rolling Stone. 28 July 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  29. ^ Cite error: The named reference hhru was invoked but never defined (see the help page).