No band is built to last forever. While playing music with friends can be a dream, keeping everyone aligned creatively for years is nearly impossible.
Someone inevitably gets bored or tries to take the music in a different direction. For Pink Floyd, that someone was Roger Waters.
By the 1980s, Waters felt the band had reached its end.
Yet, under Waters’ guidance, Pink Floyd crafted some of their best music. His voice may not have been legendary like Freddie Mercury’s, but his vision was key.
Albums like Wish You Were Here and Animals were thematic masterpieces, tightly woven with concepts that made them more than just collections of songs.
But if The Wall represented the peak of Waters’ creative dominance, The Final Cut marked the start of the band’s decline.
An extension of The Wall in concept, The Final Cut was composed largely of leftover material, and it didn’t resonate with many fans.
While some production choices were interesting, the album as a whole felt disjointed. David Gilmour would later refer to it as one of Pink Floyd’s weakest efforts.
Though no one expected Pink Floyd to break up, they were in for a shock when Waters decided to part ways with the band.
Why Did Roger Waters Leave Pink Floyd?
After The Final Cut’s release, it was clear something had to change.
Waters had led the band through the creation of The Wall, but now, the band felt more like his personal project, with the rest of Pink Floyd acting as little more than session musicians.
He had even fired Richard Wright, and tensions with Gilmour were high.
Waters believed The Wall was the pinnacle of Pink Floyd’s achievements, and he thought the band should quit while they were ahead.
His plan was to leave the band’s legacy intact and move on to new ventures. But the rest of the band disagreed.
This led to legal battles over the Pink Floyd name, with Gilmour and Nick Mason eventually continuing without Waters.
What Happened to Pink Floyd After Waters Left?
Replacing a key figure like Waters is no easy task.
The band had already endured Syd Barrett’s exit due to mental health struggles, and now, with Waters gone, Gilmour had to take the reins alongside Mason.
The first post-Waters album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, felt like Gilmour’s attempt at his own Final Cut, but it paved the way for Pink Floyd’s resurgence.
With Richard Wright back on keyboards, the band found their signature sound again on albums like The Division Bell.
They even experimented with new ideas, such as building songs from jam sessions, as heard on Marooned and The Endless River.
While the group briefly reunited with Waters for a one-time performance at Live 8, a full reunion seems unlikely. Pink Floyd’s legacy, however, remains indelible.
