Five Things You Didn’t Know About Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon has sold tens of millions of copies since its release in 1973, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. But Pink Floyd hasn’t always seen such success, and the album has some interesting quirks. Think you know your favourite music? It’s time to test your knowledge by reading five surprising facts about the iconic album below:
1. It was the first Pink Floyd album to find success in North America
Despite being their eighth studio album, The Dark Side of the Moon was Pink Floyd’s first album to make it into the Billboard Top 40, eventually making it all the way up to No. 1!
2. The album was almost named Eclipse
Just a year prior to The Dark Side of the Moon, a band called Medicine Head released an album with the same title, causing Pink Floyd to come up with an alternative, looking to one of the songs. However, much to their luck, the Medicine Head album did not hit mainstream success, cementing The Dark Side of the Moon as Pink Floyd’s legacy.
3. There is a sample of The Beatles hidden in one of the tracks
The album’s final track Eclipse quietly features an orchestral version of The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride”. The band had recorded an interview with Paul McCartney to include it on the album, but the idea was scrapped. McCartney’s song, however, made the cut. Perhaps Alan Parsons – who was the sound engineer for both The Dark Side of the Moon and Abbey Road – had something to do with it.
4. The band performed the album in concert in its entirety more than a full YEAR before its release
On January 20th, 1972, an audience in Brighton, England was treated to the live debut of the unrecorded DSOTM in its entirety, and even in sequence! Although the band continued to play the entire album at their remaining shows that year, it would not officially be in listeners' hands until March 1st, 1973.
5. The success of the album helped Monty Python and the Holy Grail get made
When the Monty Python group was struggling to make ends meet to get their first original film made, Pink Floyd chipped in 10% (£200,000) to ensure it would see the light of day. During their (just 2!) sessions recording DSOTM, Pink Floyd watched Monty Python’s Flying Circus on BBC, so they were already big fans of the British comedy group. Thank goodness!
If you already knew at least one of these facts, you’re a superfan! There is no way you could miss celebrating The Dark Side of the Moon’s 50th anniversary alongside a crowd full of fans at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Note by note, the album will be recreated by some of Calgary’s best musicians. Snag your tickets to Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon on April 22, 2023 before all your friends do!
