One of the great beauties of Pink Floyd’s career is that there are several different, brilliant chapters. Whether it be the psychedelic rock of their first period, when they were led by the genius Syd Barrett, the interesting experimentation that came after, as epitomised by More, or the more refined, prog-adjacent efforts such as Meddle – which set the scene for their famous mastery of the concept album – the band’s developmental arc is one of the most stunning in music.
Having such a clear arc has meant it’s easy for listeners to pick their favourite body of work by the group. The same can also be said for the men behind the music, and over the years, each member of the band’s classic lineup, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, have all discussed what they think ranks among Pink Floyd’s best work. As you might imagine, given the fractious nature of the group, all have their own opinion of what worked and what didn’t.
One of the reasons the band managed to hit such miraculous heights was that they were brutally honest with themselves about their art. This saw them hone sonic aspects that worked, and snuff out others that threatened to derail the whole operation. They were masters at killing their darlings.
While the period after 1969’s More was pivotal as it saw the band crystallise their sound and experiment with an expansive sonic palette – which laid the foundations for the likes of The Dark Side of the Moon – much of it the band wished they could wipe from history.
Gilmour, perhaps the most objective of the four, once said in an interview with Robert Sandall, that 1969’s Ummagumma and 1970’s Atom Heart Mother were two “blundering” albums. He maintained: “At the time we felt Atom Heart Mother, like Ummagumma, was step towards something or other. Now I think they were both just blundering about in the dark.”
Despite being open about the efforts of Pink Floyd’s that he hates, Gilmour has also been frank about what he believes are their ultimate offerings. When speaking to Billboard in 2006, he listed his favourite songs by the band, and even named his two “standout tracks”. Unsurprisingly, his favourites are ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ and ‘Wish You Were Here’, two that would feature at the top of most fans’ rankings.
Admitting “there’s lots of them” when it comes to Floyd highlights, Gilmour said: “‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ and ‘Wish You Were Here’ are standout tracks. ‘Comfortably Numb’ is another one. ‘High Hopes’ from ‘The Division Bell’ is one of my favorite all-time Pink Floyd tracks. ‘The Great Gig in the Sky,’ ‘Echoes,’ there’s lot of them.”
