“Is This the Best Song in the World?”: Resurfaced Pink Floyd Performance Live at Pompeii Leaves Fans Floored

After helming numerous tours and recording over a dozen albums, Pink Floyd decided to release The Endless River in 2014. With the band going all the way back to 1965, the rock group gained fame thanks to their elaborate shows and embracing the psychedelic culture of the time. While the group went through more than enough growing pains over the years, they produced some of the most iconic performances in music history. Although fans remember The Rolling Stones playing at Madison Square Garden in 1969, Pink Floyd once performed at a Roman amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy. 

When discussing memorable performances from bands, it’s easy to recall how Metallica performed in front of nearly two million people in Moscow. But for Pink Floyd, the band’s most iconic performance happened without an audience. Directed by Adrain Maben, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a concert film featuring the band performing songs like “One of These Days”, “A Saucerful of Secrets”, and “Echoes.”

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Getting Pink Floyd To Pompeii

With the performance of “Echoes” making its way to TikTok, fans gushed over the throwback performance, with one of the most liked comments posing the question “Is This the Best Song in the World?”

Another fan noted, “Pink Floyd reminds me of a time when my hair flowed in time with Gilmore’s golden locks.” One user added, “This is actually called live at Pompeii. They recorded that over 60,000 decibels trying to summon the gods. Absolutely incredible if you’ve never seen.”

Although not knowing if Pink Floyd was trying to really summon the gods, Maben gave some insight into how the performance happened. Visiting the area, the director recalled losing his passport at the time. Traveling back to the amphitheater to hopefully find his passport, he remembered taking in the surroundings, noting the natural ambient sounds. While Pink Floyd loved the idea, it took a great deal of convincing and even more money to make the film happen. 

Closing down the area for over a week, Pink Floyd recorded the set without a single person in the audience. With nothing but the film crew, the band produced not only a unique performance but one of the most memorable concerts in music history.

(Photo by RB/Redferns)