10 Darkest Rock Albums Of The 70s
8. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
There are a handful of musicians who would give their life to make something that matches the level of Dark Side of the Moon. After honing down their craft for years, Pink Floyd had made one of the most seminal records in rock history, which would go on to become one of the most celebrated records of its time. And when the band got together to make the follow up, they were absolutely pissed.
Since none of the band members weren't speaking to each other half the time, Wish You Were Here is a lot more emotional than any other Floyd record, as everyone comes to terms with how much the music world has changed them. As Roger Waters began to take the reins, most of this record has a cynical streak when it comes to the greediness of the music business, like the snide businessmen on Welcome to the Machine and Have A Cigar. Aside from the businessmen they were seeing every day, this record has the shadow of Syd Barrett surrounding it, with Shine On You Crazy Diamond acting as the centerpiece of the album in tribute to their fallen bandmate.
What makes it even more tragic is the fact that neither Syd nor the band would find the kind of happiness from their early days after this record. Syd would remain in exile until his death in the '00s, and Floyd's more celebrated later records like Animals and The Wall would be coming from a place of pain rather than joy. There would definitely be highlights down the road, but the fun version of the band was going to remain in the past.