10 Most Overrated Rock Albums Of The '70s
7. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
It’s hard to pinpoint how this became Pink Floyd’s most iconic record, but chances are it’s something to do with the cover. The rainbow prism imagery was perfect poster fodder for years to come and helped the album become an incredibly big seller.
Unlike the Floyd of old, though, it never really sounds like too much fun. The music made with Syd Barrett at the helm was, appropriately enough, wild and uncontrollable, with a great live sound which harnessed the incredible quality of the musicians gathered to jam on the dense compositions.
Dark Side sees everything get awfully serious. Floyd try to tackle big themes like capitalism and mental illness, and do so with zero subtlety. “Money” has a killer riff but drags on forever; “Time” turns into an impressive piece but tests the patience with a long sequence of sound effects.
They’d deal with the spectre of Barrett, whose mental health struggles saw him leave the band, far better on follow up Wish You Were Here. While there’s plenty to admire about Dark Side, though, its bells and whistles don’t always add up to an enjoyable listen.