The Psychedelic Pied Pipers

Today in Music History: November 26, 1988

Along with the songs and music comes the presentation, the showmanship. Often, tickets purchased for a performance pay for the show just as much, if not more so, for the music. Heavy costumes, skimpy costumes, colorful strobing lights higher than normal intensity bring motion to the stage pulsating with action. Then, the music sends fans jumping out of their seats screaming to the top of their lungs.

Pink Floyd in January 1968, from the only known photo-shoot of all five members. 

Clockwise from bottom: Gilmour, Mason, Barrett, Waters, Wright

Pink Floyd the psychedelic Pied Pipers of the “London underground” scene

In the 70s, Pink Floyd became one of the most influential bands of all time. They brought psychedelia - hallucinatory presentation of lights and music - to the music scene in the U.K. Pink Floyd forged an unsettling but provocative combination of science fiction and social commentary. Over a 40 year span of time Pink Floyd moved from massive to almost mystic standing. The band underwent several personnel changes, experienced numerous musical phases, earning a place on the ultimate roll call of rock, alongside The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.

Their 1973 release Dark Side of the Moon hit Number One on the Billboard charts and ultimately broke all records by remaining on the Top 200 album charts for 741 weeks. Dark Side of the Moon did not drop off Billboard’s Top 200 album chart until 1988. The album signaled rock’s willingness to move from adolescence into adulthood, conceptually addressing such subjects as aging, madness, money and time. From its prismatic cover artwork to the music therein, Dark Side of the Moon is a classic-rock milestone. [Source: Pink Floyd Biography]

1988 Russian cosmonauts aboard SoyuzTM- 7 took into space a cassette copy (minus the cassette box for weight reasons) of the latest Pink Floyd album Delicate Sound Of Thunder and played it in orbit, making Pink Floyd the first rock band to be played in space. David Gilmour and Nick Mason both attended the launch of the spacecraft. The tape was left on Mir when the mission crew returned to Earth.

What about the name, Pink Floyd? Is that one person?

Roger 'Syd' Barrett, cool and charismatic son of a university don was the original creative force behind the band (which he named after the Delta bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council). His vision was perfect for the times, and vice versa. He would lead the band to its first precarious fame, and damage himself irreparably along the way. And though the Floyd's Barrett era only lasted three years, it always informed what they became. [Source: Pink Floyd | The Official Site]

What mark has Pink Floyd left on the music industry?

As a point of historical comparison, the Monkees had the No. 1 album in America when Piper at the Gates of Dawn entered the chart at No. 196 on Dec. 2, 1967. And while the Monkees certainly enjoy plenty of nostalgia for their singles, it's safe to say that particular Monkees album -- Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. -- has long faded from the public's memory. But 47 years later, Pink Floyd is No. 3 on the Billboard 200, Piper is recognized as a classic, Dark Side is one of four albums to be certified at 20-times platinum, and their catalog is essential listening for any rock fan. [Source: Billboard]

More on this day...

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  1958 Johnny Cash, made his debut on the US country chart when ‘Cry! Cry! Cry!’ made it to number 14. His next seven singles would all make the country top 10, with ‘I Walk the Line’ and ‘There You Go’ both hitting number 1.
  
  

• 1962 The Beatles recorded their second single ‘Please Please Me’ in 18 takes and ‘Ask Me Why’ for the flip side at EMI studio’s London. When released in the US on the Vee-Jay label, the first pressings featured a typographical error: The band's name was spelled "The Beatles".

• 1967 The promotional film of The Beatles 'Hello, Goodbye' was aired on The Ed Sullivan show in the US. It was never shown at the time in the UK due to a musician's union ban on miming.

1989 The Rolling Stones played a concert at Death Valley Stadium in Clenson, South Carolina to help raise money for the victims of Hurricane Hugo.

1990 The inaugural Billboard Music Awards were held in Santa Monica, California. Janet Jackson was the main winner of the night, winning in eight categories, including Top Pop Album, Top R&B Album and Top R&B Artist.

1991 US Country singer Garth Brooks asked fans to bring 10 cans of food to a grocery store in exchange for a lottery envelope, some of which contained tickets to see Garth at a forthcoming show. Over 10,000 cans were donated to charity.

1994 The Eagles started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Hell Freezes Over.' The album name is in reference to a quote by Don Henley after the band's breakup in 1980; he commented that the band would play together again "when Hell freezes over."

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...