One of the most influential and successful bands in history, Pink Floyd is undeniable. Their record sales exceeded 250 million globally, they have one of the most recognisable album covers ever created. They have also sold out stadiums in almost every nation on Earth.
In the past, there is no single factor that led to Pink Floyd’s success. Various creative leaders have led the band over the years, including Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Syd Barrett. All three of them would argue that they carried the majority of the heavy lifting, but they were all able to contribute to the iconic sound that made the band famous.
Creative minds collaborating for an extended period inevitably lead to consequences. These issues would eventually lead to the band’s breakup, but before that, they collaborated on a number of masterful songs.
Syd Barrett founded the band, but he was also the first to leave. Barrett became unstable and unreliable after struggling with mental health issues. It became worse by his use of psychedelic drugs. So, David Gilmour was brought in to help. Despite the additional assistance, his condition did not improve. The band tried hard to make things work and considered bringing Barrett on board as a non-performing songwriter. However, it didn’t work out. As a result, the band fired him, and Gilmour took over the band’s lead vocals.
Pink Floyd did not disband after Barrett’s departure. Instead, they thrived with Roger Waters at the controls. Many of their best albums came out during this period. The band evenly distributed the writing credits among its members. Dark Side of the Moon, their most successful and commercially successful album, arrived during this time period and remains one of the most triumphant albums ever made.
However, problems would reoccur. Waters left the band in 1985 due to creative differences, which resulted in brutal lawsuits and unbelievable financial consequences. He immediately attempted to sue the band to prevent them from using Pink Floyd’s name and using any of their material.
“Roger is a dog in the manger and I’m going to fight him”. David Gilmour said of the case, adding, “No one else claimed that Pink Floyd was entirely them.” Anyone who does so is extremely arrogant.”
Things eventually calmed down, and Gilmour took control of Pink Floyd, producing his own music. It did well, but not as well as the band’s previous work. Naturally, the band’s relationship and everything that had happened between him, Syd Barrett, and Roger Waters inspired a lot of the later music, particularly the song “Poles Apart.”
Gilmour’s girlfriend reacted to the song, revealing the significance of the lyrics. She stated that the first line, “Did you know… it was all going to go so wrong for you,” was about Barrett. The second line, “And did you see it was all going to go so right for me,” was directed at Waters from Gilmour’s perspective.
It’s a shame Pink Floyd ended the way it did, but there was a lot of ego and creativity in the mix, which don’t always mix well. However, it gave birth to some of the best music of the last few decades, and the split only served to inspire Gilmour when he took over the band.
