The Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd released The Dark Side of the Moon on March 1, 1973, through Capitol Records in the US and Harvest Records in the UK. This eighth studio record grew from their live shows into a tight collection of ten tracks that examined life under pressure. The band moved away from long instrumental jams to focus on conflict, greed, time, death, and mental illness, partly inspired by the struggles of former member Syd Barrett. Recording took place at EMI Studios with engineer Alan Parsons, who helped shape the sound using multitrack tape loops and analogue synthesizers like the EMS VCS 3.

Session singer Clare Torry delivered an improvised vocal performance on The Great Gig in the Sky, while road crew interviews added raw texture to songs like Money. Storm Thorgerson created the iconic prism cover art after Richard Wright asked for something simple yet bold. Promoted by singles including Money and Us and Them, the album became a commercial juggernaut. It spent 996 weeks on the Billboard chart and has sold over 45 million copies worldwide. In 2012, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation due to its cultural significance. [edit]