In the spirit of El Monstero week and December unofficially being Pink Floyd Month, the Christmas week edition of the Tuesday Top 5 ranks the top 5 Pink Floyd Albums. Please keep in mind that just because an album may not be the top ranked album it's not a great album. These 5 albums are some of my favorite albums of any genre of all time.
5) Obscured by Clouds
This is a very obscure pick to even make the rankings, but this album came from the period of time after Syd and before Dark Side that they created soundtracks for various different movies. The music from this album is very easy to listen to and prominently features David Gilmour as he is embracing his role as co-leader of the band. Unless you're a "head", you probably have never listened to this album. I challenge you to change that, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Key Songs: When You're In, Wot's...Uh the Deal?
4) The Wall
The Wall is the closest thing Pink Floyd ever did to a hard rock album. Sure there are the usual sonic experiments that are a staple of any Floyd album, but with songs like In the Flesh, Run Like Hell, Comfortably Numb, and Young Lust, this album really begs to be played loud and let loose. This is the album that basically did the band in. After this, Roger Waters wrote the last PF album to bear his stamp (The Final Cut) and he was out of the band for good. The live shows were so over the top that they could never actually tour to perform the album. The Wall is the best double album of all time and deserves to be played loud and in it's entirety.
Key Songs: In the Flesh, One of My Turns
3) Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here is less of a cohesive album and more of a collection of some really great songs. The album only has 5 songs and 2 of them make up a 25 minute love story to the great "diamond" that was Syd Barrett. The entire album is about the band moving on after essentially losing their founder and driving force. Wish You Were Here the song has turned into one of the most popular PF songs of all time, deservedly so. Have a Cigar has always been a favorite of mine because of the funky hard rock edge to the song as well as the tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Oh and who among us doesn't love to drive in their Jaguar? To top it off, the album cover is on of my favorites.
Key Songs: Have a Cigar, Shine on You Crazy Diamond
2) Animals
Most casual fans have never actually listened to Animals, probably due to the fact that most of the songs are 10+ minutes long and the thought of committing that much energy scares most away. If you're one of those who is willing to commit to listening to an entire album cover to cover regardless of song length, then you know how amazing this album is. It's book-ended by two very short acoustic songs, but is comprised of three very long songs that tell the story of farm animals taking control of their lives from some very mean dogs. The music of these three songs show the band actually working together (something they didn't excel in) as they flawlessly layer their instruments to create very beautiful pieces of music. All of the songs have the same sound and compliment each other so well that taken out of context they would just feel like they are missing something.
Key Songs: Pigs, Dogs
1) Dark Side of the Moon
What can you say about perfection? This is without a doubt the most perfect album of all time. It takes you on a 43 minute journey that starts and ends with the sounds of wind as if it were all a dream. Time and Money have stood the test of time as singles and are the driving force of the album, but the real gold is in Us and Them. This is the best 8 minutes that the band has. If you want to know what Pink Floyd is all about, don't look much farther than Us and Them as it perfectly summarizes the entire musical landscape of the album. The thing about Dark Side is that it's balance is what makes it so perfect. Just as you get comfortable with the vibe and tempo of the music picking up and getting faster, it slows down and provides just enough music in empty spaces to keep you wanting more. If you are one of the few people who does not own this album or has never listened to it cover to cover, you need to change that ASAP. Make it a New Years resolution.
Key Songs: Time, Us and Them
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