Top 25 Pink Floyd Songs

Pink Floyd Songs

Photo: PinkFloyd1973.jpg: TimDuncanderivative work: Mr. Frank / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

Our Top 25 Pink Floyd Songs list initially attempted to choose only ten Pink Floyd songs that we believed truly represented the band’s best songs. That turned out to be an impossible task to complete for a band such as Pink Floyd. Even using the word songs seems somehow not justifiable in labeling their music. Many of their pieces run over ten minutes long, some close to twenty minutes. It’s always troubling for progressive rock bands to label their music as songs. Do you call the great piece “Close To The Edge” by Yes, which runs over twenty minutes a song? How about Pink Floyd’s seventeen-minute epic “Dogs?” Or the entire “Shine On You Crazy Diamond Suite?”

Pink Floyd members liked composing a piece of music and placing it on albums in parts often interrupted by other songs. So, how do you choose one particular part or the entire suite?

After multiple tormenting sessions, we decided to pick twenty-five great Pink Floyd songs and list them in order of our favorites and simply what we think are the best ones. We figured that by having access to twenty-five, we would be able to make sure that none of the classics were left out. However, after reviewing the band’s catalog of over two hundred songs, twenty-five was not an extensive enough list. There are so many great ones. But we had to draw the line.

The article’s primary focus is to serve as a great introduction to Pink Floyd’s music for younger fans just beginning to learn about the band. It was essential to cover all of the band’s periods. However, because their string of albums released in the 1970s was so legendary, we could not select a song from every Pink Floyd album. There were too many great tracks from Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall that we could not leave off this list.

The origins of Pink Floyd began as a rhythm and blues cover band. Syd Barrett chose the band’s name by combining the names of two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. The group’s live performances, however, stretched the boundaries of R&B and began to flourish into long experimental jams and psychedelic performances. The group had named themselves the Pink Floyd Sound based on the group’s originality. Those performances began to attract the attention of record companies. The band signed a deal with EMI Records in 1967 and released their first single entitled “Arnold Layne.”  A few months later, Columbia Records released the group’s second single, “See Emily Play.”

In August 1967, Pink Floyd released their first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The album’s lineup included Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. Later in the year, Pink Floyd added guitarist David Gilmour to the band. Eventually, there were problems between Syd Barrett and other group members that were defined by Syd Barrett’s personal issues. Those issues would result in Syd Barrett being kicked out of Pink Floyd while they were recording their second album. Their sophomore release was issued in 1968 and was entitled A Saucerful of Secrets. 

In 1969, Pink Floyd released a two-record set entitled Ummagumma. The two record sets were split between a live and studio album. The following year, in 1970, two new Pink Floyd studio albums were released, entitled Atom Heart Mother and Meddle.  Many long-time Pink Floyd fans love the early albums and singles until the Meddle album. There are many great moments on all those records. However, if the band’s career ended after Meddle, we would not discuss a band called Pink Floyd in 2020. The legend of Pink Floyd was cemented in 1973 with the release of the album Dark Side of the Moon. It’s easily in the top five of the greatest albums ever.

Pink Floyd followed the album Dark Side of the Moon with three more classic records. In 1975, the band released the album Wish You Were Here. That album was followed up with the Animals record in 1977. Pink Floyd finished their remarkable 1970s run of classic albums with the release of the two-record set The Wall in 1979.

The classic Pink Floyd era ended with The Wall album. Roger Waters and David Gilmour were disagreeing with the band’s musical direction. The feud resulted in the band’s next album being a mixed bag of leftover songs from The Wall album with some new material. Richard Wright had been fired from the band, so Pink Floyd’s twelfth album, The Final Cut, was only represented by David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Roger Waters. After releasing four masterpiece albums in a row, the album The Final Cut was a huge disappointment. The Final Cut would also be the last Pink Floyd album that Roger Waters would ever appear on.

David Gilmour continued with the Pink Floyd name, releasing three more studio albums. David Gilmour and Nick Mason would release the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987. Seven years later, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright would return as Pink Floyd with the album The Division Bell. 

David Gilmour and Nick Mason would release one more album under the Pink Floyd name. Syd Barrett had passed away in 2006, and Richard Wright had died in 2008. Both former Pink Floyd legends had lost their lives to cancer. David Gilmour and Nick Mason’s 2014 Pink Floyd album The Endless River was a tribute to Richard Wright in which the two utilized old recordings that Wright had played on. As of this writing in 2020, The Endless River is the last studio album released to bear The Pink Floyd name.

Below is a list of our favorite Pink Floyd songs in order of preference. While we firmly believe Pink Floyd’s most crucial work was released between 1973 and 1979, we have attempted to include the other periods for historical purposes and simply because there was still great material released during those other periods. Every song on this Pink Floyd songs list is defined by the year it was released and its issued album. The songwriter and lead vocals on each track will also be listed.  We will reserve commentary on these songs because of the grand scale of the music. The songs speak for themselves.

# 25 – Hey You

We open up our Top 25 Pink Floyd songs with this great track from the 1979 album The Wall.  Most of the entire album was written by Roger Waters, with a few exceptions. The song “Hey You” was written by Roger Waters. The lead vocals were performed by David Gilmour and Roger Waters.

The Wall was primarily recorded between April and November 1979, with “Hey You” being one of the tracks in this period. The recording primarily occurred in Britannia Row Studios in London, Super Bear Studios in France, and CBS 30th Street Studio in New York. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, and Roger Waters, with James Guthrie serving as the co-producer and engineer.

“Hey You” opens the second disc of the double album, setting a somber and reflective tone. Have you noticed that this song does not have a chorus but instead revolves around verses that build on the sense of isolation the song defines? This one gives me chills

# 24 – What Do You Want from Me

This great track, “What Do You Want from Me,” was released on the 1994 Pink Floyd album The Division Bell. It is the only track from the album on this Top 25 Pink Floyd songs list. The song was written by David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Polly Samson.

# 23 – Pigs (Three Different Ones)

Released in 1977 on the Animals album. Roger Waters wrote the song, and the lead vocals were performed by Roger Waters. The entire Animals album is presented on this list. It’s one of the best rock albums ever released. I will never forget buying this album the day was released. Only a few months later, I was witnessing the concert.

# 22 – Careful With That Axe, Eugene

This song was initially released as the B Side to the single “Point Me at the Sky” in 1968. It has been issued on various Pink Floyd compilation albums. Songwriting credit for the songs went to David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason.

# 21 – Goodbye Blue Sky (The Wall, 1979)

“Goodbye Blue Sky” is a hauntingly beautiful track from Pink Floyd’s seminal 1979 album, The Wall. It’s an acoustic-driven piece with a melancholy melody that reflects on the aftermath of war and the loss of innocence.  We love this one because “Goodbye Blue Sky” features a gentle yet somber acoustic guitar progression by Gilmour, underscored by Wright’s synthesizers, creating a serene yet sorrowful atmosphere.

The vocals begin with a short, eerie segment of a child’s voice asking, “Look, mummy, there’s an aeroplane up in the sky,” followed by Waters’ poignant vocal delivery. The song encapsulates the thematic essence of The Wall, focusing on the psychological destruction and desensitization caused by war. This one is both haunting and majestic at the same time. Roger Waters wrote the song. David Gilmour performed the lead vocals.

# 20 – Free Four 

This great song was released on the 1972 Obscured By Clouds album. The song was written by Roger Waters, who also performed the lead vocal on the track. Some may not realize that the album served as the soundtrack to the French film La Vallée. It was primarily recorded in Château d’Hérouville, France, in a span of two weeks in February 1972.  The band produced the album alongside engineers John Leckie and Peter Bown.

“Free Four” is one of the more distinctive tracks on Obscured by Clouds, primarily because it was the first Pink Floyd song to receive significant radio airplay in the U.S. The track is notably more upbeat. You wouldn’t recognize it as Pink Floyd from the introduction. It’s interesting because the music has such a happy feel, but the song is about the inevitability of death. The song features Roger Waters on lead vocals and bass guitar, David Gilmour on guitars, Richard Wright on the organ, and Nick Mason on drums.

# 19 – Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

“Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”  was from their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, released in 1968. It was one of the last Pink Floyd albums to include Syd Barrett and also the first to feature David Gilmour, marking a period of transition for the band. The album was produced by Norman Smith, known for his work with early Pink Floyd and The Beatles. “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” is written by Roger Waters and is one of the few Pink Floyd songs to be performed by all five members of the band – Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason, and David Gilmour. We love the atmospheric depth and experimental approach of the song. This is the Ponk Floyd we would all fall in love with.

# 18 – Mother

“Mother” is such a poignant track from Pink Floyd’s 1979 concept album, The Wall. It, at times, can be challenging to listen to because of its lyrical intensity. “Mother” stands out in the album as a ballad that explores the overprotective nature of the protagonist’s mother and its impact on his life, contributing to his mental isolation and the metaphorical wall he builds around himself. Roger Waters wrote the lyrics, which are delivered with a mix of softness and a building intensity that reflects the increasing overbearing influence of the mother character. Waters and Gilmour share the vocal duties on the track, with Waters singing the verses (representing the son) and Gilmour singing the refrains (representing the mother).

# 17 – Have A Cigar

We wonder how many people ever knew that it was not a member of Pink Floyd who sang lead vocals on this classic song. Released in 1975 on the Wish You Were Here album. Roger Waters wrote the song, but Roy Harper performed the lead vocals.

# 16 – Astronomy Domine

This old-time Pink Floyd song “Astronomy Domine” was written by Syd Barrett. This is Syd Barrett’s fascination with space and cosmic themes. The song initially appeared on Pink Floyd’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The album was released in 1967. Syd Barrett and Richard Wright performed the vocals on the track.

# 15 – Lucifer Sam

Lucifer Sam was another Pink Floyd track written by Syd Barrett. The song initially appeared on Pink Floyd’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The album was released in 1967. Syd Barrett performed the vocals on the track. The song’s introduction always reminded me of the song “Secret Agent Man.”

# 14 – Welcome to The Machine

I can never get enough of the part in this song when David Gilmour sings the tagline, and the band explodes into a furious instrumental in which it sounds like some crazed machine is eating you. Welcome To The Machine was released in 1975 on the Wish You Were Here album. Roger Waters wrote the song.  David Gilmour performed the lead vocals.

# 13 – The Great Gig In The Sky

“The Great Gig in the Sky” is a dynamic track from Pink Floyd’s iconic 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. We love this song because of its hauntingly beautiful instrumental arrangement and the powerful, wordless vocals. Initially titled “The Mortality Sequence,” it evolved significantly during the recording process. Richard Wright, the band’s keyboardist, composed the track’s rich and emotive piano part, which serves as the song’s foundation.

The most distinctive feature of “The Great Gig in the Sky” is the vocal performance by Clare Torry, a session singer invited to contribute to the album. Her improvisational, soulful singing, which was reportedly done in a single take, expresses a range of emotions and adds a profound depth to the piece, interpreting themes of life and death without the use of words. Her performances stands as one of the greatest moments ever recorded on a Pink Floyd album.

# 12 – See Emily Play

“See Emily Play” is one of Pink Floyd’s early singles. The song was recorded in May 1967 at Sound Techniques in Chelsea, London. Written by Syd Barrett,  “See Emily Play” is characterized by its whimsical lyrics, catchy melody, and innovative use of studio effects, including reversed tapes and echo. The song encapsulates the whimsical, free-spirited essence of the summer of love and the psychedelic era. It wasn’t just happening in the US.

It features Barrett on lead vocals and guitar, Roger Waters on bass, Richard Wright on keyboards, and Nick Mason on drums. The song’s structure and sound were a departure from the conventional rock music of the time, featuring a prominent keyboard part, a dreamy melody, and a whimsical, almost childlike quality in its lyrics and delivery. How could you not love this one? It remains one of Pink Floyd’s most beloved tracks from their early period. The song reached number six on the UK Singles Charts

# 11 – Echoes

You will need to set aside some time to listen to this one. The track “Echoes,” was released on the Meddle album in 1971. The song was written by Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason. The lead vocals were performed by David Gilmour and Richard Wright.

# 10 – Time

“Time” was released on Pink Floyd’s 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. Of course, if you are a Pink Floyd fan, you already know that. Do you remember when the sound effects of the clocks probably knocked you off your feet the first time you heard them? I could not believe how loud they were. Pink Floyd set that up so well. The engineering was magnificent.

Once those clocks rang, the song transitioned into a powerful drum solo by Nick Mason,  before leading into David Gilmour’s and Richard Wright’s vocal parts. The song features Gilmour’s stirring guitar solos, Wright’s prominent keyboard work, and Waters’ thematic and philosophical lyrics. “Time” is one of Pink Floyd’s most powerful and significant songs.

# 9 – Breath

Continuing with our Top 25 Pink Floyd Songs, we merge into another classic form, the 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon. The song was written by Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Richard Wright. David Gilmour performed the lead vocals. The Dark Side of the Moon, album was unprecedented. It also was immensely successful, charting at number one on the US Billboard 200 Album Charts and remaining on the charts for an unprecedented 950 weeks altogether.

# 8 – Sheep

Released in 1977 on the Animals album. Roger Waters wrote the song; the lead vocals were performed by David Gilmour and Roger Waters. Sheep was the companion piece to “Dogs.” While we love so many Pink Floyd albums, I really think that Animals is our favorite.

# 7 – One Of These Days

This classic Pink Floyd song was released on the Meddle album. This one defined the essence of what Pink Floyd was becoming and where they were headed for the rest of the 1970s. It’s a very pivotal song in their career.

# 6 – Money

“Money” is probably one of the most famous Pink Floyd songs ever. Released on the 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon. Roger Waters wrote the song. David Gilmour performed the lead vocals. The song is known for its distinctive bassline and7/4 time signature. The song begins with the sound of cash registers and coins clinking, setting the theme of the song’s critique of greed and consumerism. Roger Waters is the lead vocalist on the track.

The innovative sound effects on the song Money once again knocked us out as kids when we first heard them. “Money” became the band’s first hit in the United States. “Money” was released as a single, edited down to a more radio-friendly length, and it reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. But we didn’t care about commercial success or hit singles. This was just a really cool song off of a mind-blowing album that I know I have listened to at least 500 to a thousand times in my life.

# 5 – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)

Released in 1975 on the Wish You Were Here album. Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Richard Wright wrote this grand piece of music. The lead vocals were performed by Roger Waters. Parts I-V are the first half of this epic piece that takes up most of the Wish You Were Here album. I had never heard anything like this before when I first purchased this album in 1975. The Wish You Were Here album was a critical and commercial success. It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200.

# 4 – Wish You Were Here

“Wish You Were Here” is the title track from Pink Floyd’s 1975 album Wish You Were Here. This is one of the band’s most beloved and enduring pieces. Pink Floyd, which at the time consisted of David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason. The four band members produced the album with assistance from Brian Humphries.

The song begins with a radio tuning sound, leading into an acoustic guitar solo that sounds like it is being played over a radio, a deliberate effect that sets the reflective tone of the song. The intro then merges into clearer, more present guitar strums, accompanied by the full band. Do you remember how it felt the first time you heard that transformation? It was simply mind-blowing.

Roger Waters wrote the lyrics about the absence of former band member Syd Barrett, whose deteriorating mental health had led to his departure from the band years earlier. David Gilmour and Waters share the vocal responsibilities on this track, with Gilmour’s soulful voice leading and Waters joining in the second verse, creating a sound that my words just can’t describe.

# 3 – Comfortably Numb

For many Pink Floyd fans, this one stands as Pink Floyd’s best. From that opening beat od doom, this one is simply captivating.  Released in 1979 on the album The Wall. Roger Waters and David Gilmour wrote the song. The lead vocals were performed by David Gilmour and Roger Waters. The song contains one of the greatest guitar solos in all of classic rock history by David Gilmour.

The recording of The Wall took place over various sessions between April 1978 and November 1979, primarily at Britannia Row Studios, London, Super Bear Studios, France, and CBS 30th Street Studio in New York. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, and Roger Waters, with James Guthrie serving as the co-producer and engineer.

# 2 – Dogs

Released in 1977 on the Animals album. The song was written by Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason. David Gilmour and Richard Wright performed the lead vocals. “Dogs” is often considered the standout track on the Animals album. It is to us. The song was recorded between April and December 1976 in Britannia Row Studios, a studio owned by the band in London.

To us, “Dogs” is one of Pink Floyd’s most complex and ambitious compositions, clocking in at over 17 minutes. The song features Gilmour and Waters sharing lead vocals, with Gilmour’s guitar work and Wright’s keyboards driving much of the musical narrative. The song begins with an acoustic guitar paired with synthesizers, gradually building into an extended instrumental section featuring Gilmour’s electric guitar solos and complex time changes. A VCS3 synth created the sound of the Dogs barking. Lyrically, “Dogs” is a cynical take on the cutthroat nature of the business world and societal corruption, with the dog metaphorically representing humans’ aggressive, survivalist instincts.

# 1 – Us and Them

In the number one spot on our top 25 Pink Floyd songs is the daunting Pink Floyd classic Us and Them. This is a beautiful piece of music the band composed 50 years ago. I will never forget watching the band perform the song in a delayed encore at their Madison Square Garden show on July 3, 1977. Released on the 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon. Roger Waters and Richard Wright wrote the song. David Gilmour performed the lead vocals.

The “Us and Them” recording took place at Abbey Road Studios in London between May 1972 and January 1973. The song was produced by Pink Floyd, with engineering and mix assistance by Alan Parsons. Dick Parry, who was a prominent session musician, played the saxophone part.

 

Top 25 Pink Floyd Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024

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