10 Perfect Rock Concept Albums

The rest of Pink Floyd's journey was never going to be easy after the loss of Syd Barrett. Despite being known as the beating heart of the band in their early days, the psychedelic period had diminishing returns, with Syd losing his mind and having to be kicked out of the band for fear that he would become completely lost if he continued. The band never forgot him though, and The Wall could practically be a cautionary tale of what could happen to a guy like Syd.

Inspired by Roger Waters' constant frustration with the crowds in front of him, the story of the Wall plays out like any other rock star story, as Pink tries to balance his hectic life before his world is torn to shreds when he finds out his wife if being unfaithful to him. After building emotional barriers around himself his entire life, this turns into the final straw, as Pink locks himself away in a room and disappears into his own mind.

Once he feels comfortable in isolation though, Pink realizes just how lost he has become, eventually getting thrown up on stage and playing judge, jury, and executioner to any fan that would dare stand in his way. Once he realizes the error of his ways, Pink vows to tear down the Wall he made for himself, choosing to live a much more healthy life with the rest of the world. It might be a little melodramatic in spots, but this is the kind of record that almost warns you about rock stardom. It might seem like the ultimate dream job from the outside, but you're only an inch away from completely losing yourself at any given time.