In spring 2025 the restored concert film Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII returned to cinemas and IMAX screens. In December 2025 Wish You Were Here 50 marked half a century of the 1975 classic with a new Dolby Atmos mix and rarities, and in April 2026 the band's 1975 Los Angeles Sports Arena show arrived on 4LP for Record Store Day and on 2CD.
All this follows the band's widely reported sale of their recorded music catalogue to Sony Music in late 2024. Find more legends in our rock music clothing collection.
Pink Floyd Fact File
| Formed | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock |
| Founding members | Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright |
| Classic line-up | David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright |
| Labels | EMI Columbia, Harvest, Tower, Capitol, Columbia, Parlophone, Sony Music |
| Name origin | Blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council |
| Years active | 1965-1995, with reunions in 2005, 2014 and 2022 |
Career History
| Year | Album | Label/Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Piper at the Gates of Dawn | EMI Columbia - Barrett-led debut |
| 1968 | A Saucerful of Secrets | EMI Columbia - first with Gilmour |
| 1973 | The Dark Side of the Moon | Harvest - 45 million+ sold |
| 1975 | Wish You Were Here | Harvest - UK No. 1 |
| 1979 | The Wall | Harvest - double album |
| 1987 | A Momentary Lapse of Reason | EMI - first without Waters |
| 1994 | The Division Bell | EMI - UK No. 1 |
| 2014 | The Endless River | Parlophone - final studio album |
Selected studio albums from a total of 15; release years are original UK release, and labels refer to the UK release.
The Early Years: Barrett and the UFO Club
Roger Waters and Nick Mason met as architecture students at the London Polytechnic in 1962, with Richard Wright joining them soon after. Guitarist Syd Barrett named the group after two bluesmen from his record collection, and the band built a following at London's UFO Club. Their first single, "Arnold Layne", reached number 20 in 1967. David Gilmour joined in December 1967, and Barrett left in April 1968.
Celebrate the band's psychedelic beginnings with our Pink Floyd Men's Hoodie.
The Breakthrough: The Dark Side of the Moon
In 1973 everything came together on The Dark Side of the Moon. It reached number one in the US, stayed on the Billboard chart for more than 14 years and spent 364 weeks on the UK chart, selling more than 45 million copies worldwide. Wish You Were Here, a tribute in part to Barrett, followed in 1975 and topped the UK chart.
Wear a piece of prog history with our Pink Floyd Music Icon Frame Men's T-Shirt.
The Wall and the Peak Years
Animals arrived in 1977, followed by the 1979 double album The Wall, which has sold 23 million certified units in the US alone. "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" topped the charts in the UK and US, and the story became the 1982 film Pink Floyd - The Wall, which won two BAFTAs.
Stay warm in style with our Pink Floyd Music Icon Frame Men's Hoodie.
Later Career and Legacy
After Waters left in 1985, Gilmour, Mason and Wright continued with A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell. On 2 July 2005 the classic four reunited at Live 8 in Hyde Park, their first performance together in more than 24 years. Barrett died in 2006 and Wright in 2008, and The Endless River (2014) became the final studio album. In 2022 Gilmour and Mason released "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in support of Ukraine.
Awards and Honours
Halls of Fame
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1996)
- Inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame (2005)
Music and Film Awards
- Polar Music Prize (2008)
- Grammy Award for the instrumental "Marooned"
- Two BAFTAs for Pink Floyd - The Wall, for Best Original Song and Best Sound
Away From the Spotlight
David Gilmour donated the £3.6 million proceeds of his London house sale to the homelessness charity Crisis in 2003. In 2019 he auctioned 120 of his guitars at Christie's in New York, raising more than $21 million for the environmental charity ClientEarth.
FAQs
When was Pink Floyd formed?
Pink Floyd formed in London in 1965.
Where does the name Pink Floyd come from?
Syd Barrett combined the first names of American blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
How many albums has Pink Floyd released?
Pink Floyd released 15 studio albums, from 1967 to 2014.
What is Pink Floyd's best-selling album?
The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.
Is Pink Floyd still together?
Gilmour said in 2015 that the band were done, although he and Mason reunited as Pink Floyd for a charity single in 2022.
Shop the Pink Floyd Collection
Our Pink Floyd tribute designs are fan-made hoodies and tees, printed to order in the UK.
Pink Floyd Men's Hoodie
£39.99
Pink Floyd Men's T-Shirt
£29.99
Explore more legends in our rock music clothing and bands collections, or make it personal with our custom name hoodie.
Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: Led Zeppelin Career Story and David Bowie Career Story.
0 commentaire