Wish You Were Here

Artist: Pink Floyd

            Released on September 12, 1975, English progressive rock group Pink Floyd’s ninth studio album could not be printed fast enough to meet demand. Wish You Were Here was the band’s follow up to the hugely successful Dark Side of the Moon, and was the fastest selling album released by the band. It reached number one on the Billboard charts in its second week, and would go on to sell 13 million copies worldwide.

            Despite early criticism from the industry (read: Rollingstone), Wish You Were Here is one of the greatest records of all time. All of the album’s five songs receive regular play on classic rock radio, albeit that “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” is broken into two songs that open and close the record. This nine part composition is a tribute to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett, whose drug use resulted in his departure from the band.

            This is not my favorite Pink Floyd record, and this is probably no surprise to anyone familiar with the band’s discography.  This album cannot escape the shadow of its predecessor, or the world’s third best-selling record: The Wall. That being said, this is a great album.

Rating: 4/5