Pink Floyd songs will probably never get old, as long as fans of prog and psychedelic rock still exist. And the members of the band themselves sang the praises of a few songs from their discography in the past.
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Note: We didn’t include David Gilmour on this list, considering he has listed quite a few Pink Floyd songs as his favorites, from “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” to “The Great Gig In The Sky” to “High Hopes”.
“Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” from ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’ (1968)
This underrated avant-garde classic from A Saucerful Of Secrets was released in 1968. A space rock odyssey of sorts, “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” was written by Roger Waters and took inspiration from Chinese poetry. Nick Mason played the timpani mallets on the track, giving it a unique edge.
Nick Mason once said in an interview with GQ that this song was his favorite Pink Floyd song, as “it’s fun to play and has interesting dynamics.”
“Us And Them” from ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ (1974)
“Us And Them” is one of several singles from The Dark Side Of The Moon. Surprisingly, it only peaked at No. 72 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart upon its release.
One of the most important songwriters to ever contribute to Pink Floyd, Roger Waters said himself in a 2003 documentary that “Us And Them” was his favorite track from his favorite period of the band’s time in the spotlight.
“‘Us and Them’ probably stands the test of time as well, if not better than any of the other songs on the record,” said Rogers.
“See Emily Play” from ‘The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ (1967)
“See Emily Play” is a bit of a deep cut from the band’s debut album, but only on the US release. Initially, this early-career psych-pop track was a non-album single.
The late great Syd Barrett reportedly once said that “See Emily Play” was one of his favorite Pink Floyd songs. Per his sister, after watching the 2001 Omnibus documentary about him, he noted that he enjoyed hearing the song.
“Echoes” from ‘Meddle’ (1971)
Who doesn’t love “Echoes”? This classic from Meddle is prog-rock at its very best.
This entry on our list of Pink Floyd songs was the favorite of the late Richard Wright. According to David Gilmour, the song was retired from setlists after Wright’s death, considering his role in creating and performing the track was irreplaceable.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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