1) Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

I hope this was somewhat of a surprise for many but I’m sure many also saw this choice coming. There is not one negative thing I could say about this album, I couldn’t even give it one critique, absolutely every second of this album is just incredible. A perfect concept album in every sense, it gives the listener the appropriate feeling it’s aiming for with great music and incredible sounds. The theme of the album is basically things that drive people to insanity like money, time, and so on. “Dark Side of the Moon” opens up with “Speak to Me” which basically sums up what the listener is in for opening up with the sound of a heart beat and ticking clocks, cash registers opening and closing, and voices of insane people declaring how they’ve “Been mad for f*ckin’ years, absolutely years.” Such a perfect way to open up the album, giving the listener a real feeling of anxiety and then it turns into the mellow and dreamlike “Breathe.” One of my favorite Floyd songs, it’s absolutely one of the best songs to relax to. Great lyrics and fantastic music culminate for an amazing opening to the album. This leads into the pressure filled “On the Run.” This song gives the listener the feel of really being in a rush with a fast beat and the sounds of someone running after plane which in the end sounds as if it crashes and explodes; I really feel that no song gives the listener the proper feel quite like this does. We then move into the ticking sounds of clocks in “Time.” The ticking eventually leads to an enormous ringing of bells and this song is one of Floyd’s most revered. What makes the song so great is the amazing lyrics of how quickly time goes by and the infamous guitar work of Gilmour which is completely his own. The next song is Clare Torry’s time to shine and her vocals are mind blowing on “The Great Gig in the Sky.” As the song opens up a man asks himself “Why should I be afraid of dying? There’s no reason for it you have to go sometime” which keeps the theme of the album and then just all out screaming of Torry. The screaming goes on for a good three minutes and although some might think those three minutes of screaming would get quite annoying but not when you have a voice like that. After is “Money” which I must say is my least liked song on the album but in no way is it a bad song, it’s actually a fantastic song and the theme of money is needed to keep with the idea of things driving people to insanity. “Us and Them” follows and it is such a stunning song that put the listener into a fantasy world. The harmonies are so incredible and the saxophone adds a really nice taste to it, it really is one of the highlights of the album. “Us and Them” leads into the instrumental “Any Colour You Like” which is a fun song mixed with guitar and keyboard solos and then moves into “Brain Damage.” Like “Us and Them” it has fantastic harmonies and is another beautiful song. It regards lunacy with lines like “There’s someone in my head but it’s not me” and “The lunatic is in my head.” This segues into “Eclipse” which is basically the climax and the end of the album. No better way to end such a perfect album, probably my favorite song of the album although only lasting two minutes in length. It’s an orgasm of sounds and vocals ending the album on a untouchable note. There aren’t enough good things to say about this album, and I honestly feel no band could ever come close to recreating an album even close to as perfect as this. Floyd hit every aspect right on the head, they kept with the theme of the album all the way through, the music never fell below incredible, and it was amazingly innovative. Not only was this album great musically but even the album cover and the inserts do the album such great justice. Floyd did everything they possibly could have done right correct in this album. I think the world will forever be in debt to Floyd for putting out an album that was so superior to any album ever recorded.

1. SPEAK TO ME
2. BREATHE
3. ON THE RUN
4. TIME
5. THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY
6. MONEY
7. US AND THEM
8. ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE
9. BRAIN DAMAGE
10. ECLIPSE