Pink Floyd albums ranked

All of this is in my personal opinion

[center][b]15. The Endless River[/b][/center]
This album should never have been released. At least not as an official studio album, but rather a compilation since that's pretty much all it is: a collection of material mostly recorded around [i]The Division Bell[/i] era. It doesn't even sound like Pink Floyd! I don't understand some critics' praise for its classic "Floydian sound", unless the Pink Floyd they remember somehow was an instrumental ambient group. About the only good thing on this album is its only single "Louder than Words", which is an excellent song that would have served as a much better swan song to one of the greatest bands ever than this recycled tripe that seems more like a cruel joke than an actual send-off.

Highlight: "Louder than Words"

[center][b]14. Ummagumma[/b][/center]
Since this album is partially a live album, I will only be focusing on the studio portion. The idea of the studio section of [i]Ummagumma[/i] was that each member of the band would record a solo composition. An interesting experiment, but it didn't turn out so well. Most of the music here is just nonsense. The band members themselves have been pretty vocal of their dislike of it. However, each song does have its moments of brilliance and I will maintain that these songs are still more listenable than [i]The Endless River.[/i] Not that it's saying a whole lot because [i]Ummagumma[/i] is still one of their worst.

Highlight: "Grantchester Meadows"

[center][b]13. A Momentary Lapse of Reason[/b][/center]
The first album after Roger Waters' departure and the start of David Gilmour-led Pink Floyd. Whereas its predecessor [i]The Final Cut[/i] was a Waters solo album in disguise, [i]A Momentary Lapse of Reason[/i] is a Gilmour solo album in disguise. At least [i]The Final Cut[/i] carried a resemblance to Pink Floyd's signature prog rock sound. This has too much of that '80s commercial rock aesthetic and most of it is about as corny and bland as music from that period. The album does get better toward the later half, though. Funnily enough, when it gets less poppy and more complex. Songs like "A New Machine" (Pts. 1 & 2), "Terminal Frost" and "Sorrow" showcase the better aspects of Gilmour's songwriting and prove Gilmour [b]can[/b] write great music. I think this would've been more respectable as a solo album. But as Pink Floyd album, it simply misses the mark.

Highlights: "Terminal Frost", "Sorrow", "One Slip"

[center][b]12. The Final Cut[/b][/center]
This is the final Pink Floyd record to feature Roger Waters before his departure and also the only one not to feature any contribution from Richard Wright. [i]The Final Cut[/i] is Pink Floyd in name only as it's actually a Waters solo album, him having wrote and sang every track (with Gilmour co-singing on only one). It stands as the slowest and softest "Pink Floyd" record, with "Not Now John" being the only harder-rocking number. This makes the album really boring and rather depressing to listen to. On top of that, it gets way too personal for what's supposed to be a band album with Waters injecting more references to his upbringing, as well as his political views. It gets to the point of being highly pretentious and just not enjoyable to listen to. It does have a few decent songs, but overall, [i]The Final Cut[/i] marks the beginning of a decline Pink Floyd would never recover from.

Highlights: "The Final Cut", "Southampton Dock", "When The Tigers Broke Free"

[center][b]11. Atom Heart Mother[/b][/center]
The last album of their psychedelic/experimental years before shifting to progressive rock. Though [i]Atom Heart Mother[/i] does contain traces of the prog rock sound the band would adopt full-time by its successor [i]Meddle.[/i] The title track and "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast", the two lengthy instrumentals that start and end the album, while they have their moments, they’re mostly just noise akin to the studio tracks on [i]Ummagumma.[/i] Albeit, more uniform and less nonsensical. Like [i]Ummagumma,[/i] the members of Pink Floyd have been pretty critical of it as well. I can see why. As for its three middle tracks, "If", "Summer '68" and "Fat Old Sun", while they may not be anything memorable, they're still better than the two songs they're sandwiched between. I think the band's problem was they kept trying to be this trippy, experimental group when they just couldn't get it right without Syd Barrett's genius. Thank goodness, they quit trying after this one and started dishing out their [b]good[/b] albums.

Highlights: "Fat Old Sun", "Summer '68"

[center][b]10. The Division Bell[/b][/center]
The last Pink Floyd album to be composed entirely of brand new material and the last recorded with Richard Wright before his passing in 2008. [i]The Division Bell[/i] is one of the band's more divisive albums, as it has a strong following among fans who consider one of their better albums. Unfortunately, I'm among the side of the fanbase that considers it one of their weaker efforts. I find most of it just bland. Even if the songs may not necessarily be bad, they're forgettable all the same. I can respect [i]The Division Bell[/i] to a point for actually sounding like a Pink Floyd album unlike its predecessor [i]A Momentary Lapse of Reason.[/i] But its lackluster quality just shows the band were hopelessly trying to recapture something that was long gone. Though, there are few tracks that manage to stand out and come close to that vintage Floyd essence. [i]The Division Bell[/i] gets an A for effort, but unfortunately, I can't give the same grade to the record as a whole.

Highlights: "Wearing the Inside Out", "Marooned", "High Hopes", "Coming Back To Life"

[center][b]9. More[/b][/center]
The first soundtrack album composed entirely by Pink Floyd (though not the first one they appeared on). It's also their last straightforward psychedelic rock effort before they'd go almost entirely experimental with [i]Ummagumma[/i] and [i]Atom Heart Mother[/i] after. They really should have just stuck with this sound with those two records, if how decent this one is is anything to go by. [i]More[/i] may not be among Pink Floyd's best works, but it's still far from their worst. Half of it is instrumental film score stuff, that's not all that remarkable, but it has some pretty good hidden gems on it that remain some of the best from their early years, including a couple of the heaviest songs in the band's entire catalogue! "[i]More[/i] may be an okay album at-best, but again, it's most certainly not among their worst and it still deserves a fair listening to for what few excellent tracks it does have on it.

Highlights: "The Nile Song", "Green is the Colour", "Ibiza Bar", "Cymbaline"

[center][b]8. Obscured By Clouds[/b][/center]
The second film score composed by the band and the least popular record of their golden years in the '70s. Arguably their most acoustic album too. I think [i]Obscured By Clouds[/i] deserves more recognition than it gets. Yes, it's sorta the odd one out when they were dishing out their classics throughout the '70s, but it has some pretty solid tracks on it as well. Such as the rocking tracks "Gold, It's In The..." and "Childhood's End" and the more folk-oriented "Free Four" and "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" It's a shame [i]Obscured By Clouds[/i] has to be so widely overlooked as it is. It may be overshadowed by Pink Floyd's [b]greats,[/b] but it's still one of their [b]good[/b] albums. Interestingly, some critics have noted that the album sounds strikingly similar to the band's later material. I suppose I can see where they're coming from, but in this fan's opinion, it's a hell of a lot better.

Highlights: "Childhoods' End", "Free Four", "Wot's... Uh the Deal?", "Absolutely Curtains"

[center][b]7. A Saucerful of Secrets[/b][/center]
The band's sophomore record, the last to feature founding member Syd Barrett and the first with David Gilmour. Also worth noting is that it's the only Pink Floyd album where Richard Wright sings the most songs. Barrett was the primary songwriter on the band's debut [i]The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,[/i] but due to his deteriorating mental health that would lead to his release from the group, his involvement on [i]A Saucerful of Secrets[/i] was minimal, only appearing on three of the album's songs, one of which is also his sole writing and singing contribution. Consequently, [i]A Saucerful of Secrets[/i] is a noticeable downgrade from its predecessor, but at the same time, it manages to be a worthy follow-up to it. It has some of Pink Floyd's best hits from their early years, such as the single "Let There Be More Light", "Remember A Day", the title track and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" - the only Pink Floyd song all six members played on. Even poor Barrett gets one more chance to shine on the quirky "Jugband Blues", which closes the record as an eerie and bittersweet swan song for his time in Pink Floyd.

Highlights: "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", "A Saucerful of Secrets", "Let There Be More Light"

[center][b]6. Meddle[/b][/center]
The band's first true progressive rock record. [i]Meddle[/i] saw a shift in music a direction that marks the start of the band's glory years throughout the '70s when they'd start dishing out classic after classic, and it all started with this. It kicks off with the heavy acid rocker "One of These Days" and concludes with the lengthy cosmic masterpiece "Echoes", both of which are easily some of the band's greatest songs. The songs in between, while not the most memorable numbers, don't stop [i]Meddle[/i] from being any less of a brilliant effort. "Fearless" in particular is another stand-out song worth mentioning. About the only time it falls short is with the blues novelty "Seamus" about David Gilmour's dog, which features the titular hound sharing vocal duties (really). Perhaps one could consider it the last remnant of their nonsensical experimental days. Apart from that, [i]Meddle[/i] is a milestone in the band's career that saw the beginning of a new, glorious era for Pink Floyd.

Highlights: "Echoes", "One of These Days"

[center][b]5. The Wall[/b][/center]
The band's sole double studio album and the last great album they'd ever grace us with. Some fans may object to me not putting it further down on the list, but hey, at least it made the top five. [i]The Wall[/i] is a rock opera inspired, in part, by Roger Waters growing up without his father who was killed in World War II and partly inspired by his frustrations in performing in front of large, disruptive crowds during their 1977 In The Flesh tour. Like [i]Animals[/i] before it, it's largely dominated by Waters' direction, with him writing and singing on more than half the album. At least he was able to be something of a team player one last time before he'd completely turn things into "The Roger Waters Band" on [i]The Final Cut.[/i] Anyway, [i]The Wall[/i] is one of those records that is just loaded with the band's signature hits from start to finish, which is even more impressive by the fact that it's a double album. Not many are able to remain consistently good like that. Though more so for the first half of the album than the second. The first half is nearly flawless, illustrating a dark but compelling narrative of a rock star's troubled upbringing and personal life, culminating to his eventual descent into madness. The later half is when it starts to get hit-or-miss. Sure we got some of the album's best songs, but then there's Waters' pretentious filler tracks that make up most of [i]The Wall's[/i] low points. I may not find it to be the masterpiece many others consider it, but I am in agreement it's one of Pink Floyd's peak records that belongs in any fan's top five.

Highlights: "Run Like Hell", "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2", "Hey You", "Young Lust", "Comfortably Numb", "Mother"

[center][b]4. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn[/b][/center]
Pink Floyd's debut album, the only one not to feature David Gilmour and the only one under Syd Barrett's leadership. [i]The Piper at the Gates of Dawn[/i] sounds much different than the band's more famous albums, but it's still a great record and a psychedelic rock essential that should be heard by even casual fans of Pink Floyd. With Barrett as the principle songwriter, it gives us our only insight into what it would have been like if he remained the leader of the band. It starts off strong with the space rocker "Astronomy Domine", gives us some trippy pop musings with "Flaming" and demonstrates a foreshadowing of the band's complexity with "Interstellar Overdrive", all excellent showcases of Barrett's genius direction. Even when it ventures into weird, experimental territory with "Pow R. Toc H." and "Bike", it remains enjoyable. It's almost a shame Barrett wasn't able to stay with the band to share in the monumental success they would become, but then they just as easily would never have reached it without his fall from grace to leave a lasting impact on the group. At least he managed to give us [i]The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.[/i] It an excellent start to the band's career and if there's one album from their early that deserves to be held in same respect as their classics, this is it.

Highlights: "Astronomy Domine", "Interstellar Overdrive", "Lucifer Sam", "Flaming"

[center][b]3. Animals[/b][/center]
This is undoubtedly the band's hardest-hitting record, it being a borderline hard rock album with only two short songs being softer in tone. [i]Animals[/i] is another concept album that serves as a social and political commentary inspired by George Orwell's [i]Animal Farm.[/i] It seems to be the least-favored album among the band's peak years, but I love it! Even more than [i]The Wall,[/i] as you can see. It has some of the best work the band has ever done, namely the somber melodic epics that are “Dogs” and “Sheep”, both of which are some of my personal favorite Floyd songs. Most of the music is full of very surreal melodies but also some of the loudest, grittiest guitar work in the band’s catalogue which rocks so hard, it’s almost out of character of them! But that’s part of what makes [i]Animals[/i] so special. It does, however, mark the start of Roger Waters asserting his dominance over the band. He wrote and sang every song, except “Dogs” which written and sung by him and David Gilmour. It also has him getting a bit too personal by injecting his politics in the song “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” and the two-parter “Pigs on the Wing”, a ballad for his wife at the time. Shame this album stands as the start of Waters’ ego trip which would ultimately see the start of the band’s downward spiral, but it remains one of their very best.

Highlights: “Sheep”, “Dogs”, “Pigs (Three Different Ones)”

[center][b]2. Wish You Were Here[/b][/center]
Following the release of [i]The Dark Side of the Moon,[/i] which skyrocketed Pink Floyd to worldwide success, the band were left unsure of where to go from there and how they were going to top what remains their biggest critical and commercial success. While they may not have quite pulled it off with [i]Wish You Were Here,[/i] they came extremely close! Wish You Were Here is the band’s most heartfelt album, it being both a critique on the decadent nature of the music industry and a genuine tribute to founding member Syd Barrett. Each song is a hallmark track for the band. From “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond” at the start and end of the record, to the Roy Harper sung “Have A Cigar”, to the title track, which is one of the greatest tribute songs ever written. Both David Gilmour and a Richard Wright have said this was their favorite Pink Floyd album. I can’t say I blame them or anyone else who might consider this Pink Floyd’s best. It’s loaded with the most soulful music they’ve ever written, made bittersweet in retrospect as it’s the last album the band would make when they were truly functioning as a team effort rather than one man taking the lead. If only they could have remained such without any egos getting in the way, considering they showed they were able to release two of their greatest records back to back when they were at full strength.

Highlight: the whole album

[center][b]1. The Dark Side of the Moon[/b][/center]
It really goes without saying that this is Pink Floyd‘s greatest album. So much, I could just leave this at that and that would suffice. I can’t really say anything about it that hasn’t already been said countless times before. But at the same time, it would feel like a disservice not giving it the praise and respect it deserves, so I will anyway. [i]The Dark Side of the Moon[/i] is one of the greatest albums of all time. It is the ultimate concept album, focusing on themes of life, such as birth, aging and death; as well as the struggles one encounters throughout life, such as greed, violence, traveling, madness and the illusion of free choice. There are very few albums out there I can say are truly flawless, but this definitely one of them. I’m not even going to name any individual songs because the whole record is that just amazing. I seldom find myself even listening to individual songs from this record, because it’s one of those album where you simply must listen to the whole thing. In my opinion, it’s not [b]one[/b] of the greatest albums ever, it’s [b]the[/b] greatest album ever.

Highlight: the whole album

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Feel free to share your opinions on my album ranking and thanks for reading!