On this day (October 8) in 1988, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon left the Billboard 200 albums chart after 741 weeks. The album’s 15-year run on the tally set a record. Then, more than two decades later, it returned to the chart and has since logged a total of 990 weeks.
Videos by American Songwriter
Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon on March 1, 1973. It debuted on the Billboard 200 a little more than two weeks later, on March 17. A little more than a month later, it topped the chart for a week. However, unlike most albums that fall off the chart shortly after they lose the top spot, Dark Side of the Moon remained.
Interestingly, it wasn’t their most successful album on the chart. The Wall takes that title with 15 weeks at No. 1. However, Dark Side of the Moon is their best-selling album. In fact, it was the best-selling album of the 1970s and one of the best-selling albums of all time. It has been certified 15x Platinum in the United States and 16x Platinum in the United Kingdom. The album has also achieved multi-Platinum status in multiple other countries. All told, it has sold more than 45 million copies since its release.
Pink Floyd Sets a Nearly Untouchable Record with Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd currently holds a seemingly untouchable chart record with Dark Side of the Moon. It set the record the first time in 1988 when it left the Billboard 200 after 741 consecutive weeks on the chart. Due to the publication’s rules at the time, it seemed that the album had left its final mark on the tally. However, things changed more than 20 years later.
In 2009, Billboard changed the rules, allowing older albums to return to the chart. As a result, Dark Side of the Moon returned to the Billboard 200 and stayed for another 249 weeks. Currently, it has logged a record-setting 990 weeks on the tally.
It really isn’t surprising to find that Dark Side of the Moon has had such an impressive chart run. It is considered essential listening for not just fans of Pink Floyd, but also fans of all kinds of rock and roll. The record appears in the collections of everyone from classic rock devotees and heavy metal purists to those who only have a passing interest in rock music in general. Moreover, the album boasts one of the most iconic covers in the history of recorded music. Nearly anyone who sees the beam of light traveling through a rectangular prism instantly links it to Pink Floyd, even if they couldn’t name a single song on the tracklist.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.