3 Songs That Sound Like Pink Floyd but Actually Aren’t

The British-born band Pink Floyd has a distinct sound. They’re classic rock, sure. But they also sound as if the genre’s signature sounds have been put through a filter of psychedelia. Almost like you’re watching a rock concert through a lava lamp—as displayed on albums like the 1973 LP The Dark Side of the Moon. Of course, it’s fabulous. It’s drawing. And it’s all their own.

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Well, mostly. Here below, we wanted to explore three songs from other bands that sound a lot like Pink Floyd. A trio of tracks that showcase the influence the group had on popular culture and musical artists alike. Indeed, these are three songs that sound like Pink Floyd but actually aren’t.

[RELATED: 4 of Late Pink Floyd Keyboardist Richard Wright’s Favorite Albums of All Time]

“Time Flies” by Porcupine Trees from The Incident (2009)

Featuring sharp, constant acoustic guitars that resemble those from 1980s Pink Floyd songs, combined with rich, full vocal melodies that linger and seem almost like a voice in a dream, this song from the progressive rock band Porcupine Trees recalls those released by David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and company. The tune builds and builds into an epic crescendo as the lyrics try to let you in on the secrets of life and how to handle its twists and turns and the passing of time. Indeed, sings the Porcupine Trees lead vocalist Steven Wilson,

She said luck is what you make it
You just reach out and take it
Now let’s dance a while
She said nothing ever happens
If you don’t make it happen
And if you can’t laugh and smile

But after a while
You realize time flies
And the best thing that you can do
Is take whatever comes to you
Cause time flies

“Silent Lucidity” by Queensrÿche from Empire (1990)

The Seattle-born metal band Queensrÿche took a page out of Pink Floyd’s book for this song from their 1990 LP Empire. With low vocal deliveries that recall songs like “Us And Them” or “Comfortably Numb,” Queensrÿche lead singer Geoff Tate is almost operatic in how he performs on “Silent Lucidity.” You half expect Gilmour to come into the frame of the music video to let loose a wailing guitar solo. And on the song, Tate sings to a child as he tries trying to comfort them after a nightmare,

Your mind tricked you to feel the pain
Of someone close to you leaving the game of life
So here it is, another chance
Wide awake you face the day, your dream is over
Or has it just begun?

There’s a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn’t realize and you were scared

It’s a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly you hear and see this magic new dimension

“In Color” by My Morning Jacket from My Morning Jacket (2021)

This is a song that could have been on the Pink Floyd’s 1972 album Live at Pompeii. It’s got a jagged edge and buzzy guitars. But it’s still trippy and eerie and demonstrates a sense that it knows what life is like through the proverbial looking glass. Indeed, on the song, My Morning Jacket’s lead vocalist Jim James sings thoughtfully and openly about rainbows and life being better with a spectrum or range of feelings, offering,

You gotta admit it looks better in color
All the rainbow appears

You gotta believe it sounds better in color
All the spectrum to hear

There’s more to life
Than just black and white
So many shades in between

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images