On this day in 1988, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon finally dropped off the charts

After the album’s release in 1973 it rushed to the top of the charts. Despite only spending a week at the number one position, The Dark Side of the Moon was extremely well-received, gaining good reviews from critics and listeners alike and spending a massive 741 weeks in the Billboard Top 200 albums charts.

The group’s eighth album builds upon ideas they had attempted in past live shows and recordings as well as covering numerous themes such as greed, conflict, death, insanity and the passage of time. The theme of insanity was reportedly inspired by the deterioration of former lead vocalist Syd Barrett’s mental state after leaving the band. Each side of the album is a continuous piece of music with five tracks on each side beginning and ending with a heartbeat. This concept leads to the entire album being an exploration into the nature of the human experience.

Despite only spending a week at the top of the charts in the US, and never reaching number one in the UK, The Dark Side of the Moon became one of the most popular and highest selling records of the era. It is now recognised on numerous lists for the greatest or most popular albums of all time lists and continues to sell well around the world as it is considered a “must-own” album for collectors.