(Credits: Far Out / TIDAL)
Though they may still be largely defunct, Pink Floyd continues to be one of the most influential bands in the world. Through the immense power of their music, the group appeals to people of all ages despite being uncompromisingly prog rock, a genre not known for being the most accessible.
As well as being widely regarded as pioneers of rock, Pink Floyd ranks among the most fascinating acts in music. They had an oscillating career and gradually metamorphosed from being an outwardly psychedelic rock band when led by original frontman Syd Barrett into one that would produce several incredibly refined and cerebral albums that were well ahead of their time.
Bringing this assorted nature into question, Pink Floyd is the band that produced 1967’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and 1969’s Ummagumma, as well as 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon and 1979’s The Wall. The sheer mention of all four titles displays just how ever-changing they were creatively. Pink Floyd has covered almost every base, whether acid-influenced psychedelia, surreal experimentalism, profound personal journeys into human nature, or the trappings of living under an authoritarian regime.
This remarkable scope, in addition to the quality of their work, has made Pink Floyd a leviathan of popular culture. Establishing a mesmerising oeuvre musically and backing this up with a tumultuous history cemented their place in the annals of music decades ago. Resultingly, they’ll likely be spoken about for years to come, even as their era slowly fades further into the past.
In a reflection of their pull, one of their most famous fans was the late Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of ‘The King of Rock and Roll’ himself, Elvis. Ironically, Elvis tremendously influenced Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who credits ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ with pushing him into performing.
According to Lisa Marie, who passed away in January 2023, she was such a big fan of Pink Floyd that she described one of their albums as her “Bible” when growing up. The record in question is The Wall, and its themes spoke to her as an angsty teenager. “The Wall by Pink Floyd would be my number one album that was very defining heading into being 13-14 years of age, an anguished, tormented teen with hormones going,” Presley told Goldmine in 2012. “Angry and not knowing what I was angry about. You know, the feeling of ‘Nobody understands me.’”
“From ‘Hey You’ to the very last song, that was my Bible growing up,” she continued. “That was the big one for me and the most impactful. I’d listen to that 24/7. It spoke for me and to my life and still does. I love listening to it. I loved ‘Hey You’, ‘Mother’, ‘Comfortably Numb’, all those songs.”
“It was recorded back then, but it still stands the test of time,” she added. “It’s still so powerful. It’s one of those albums that never dies.”
