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Floyd's "Dark Side" Hits Chart Milestone

Get ready to feel old: It's been over 33 years since Pink Floyd unleashed Dark Side of the Moon upon the world. During that time, the album has slipped off the Billboard 200 album chart only once, in 1988 (a terrible year for music all around, apparently -- George Michael's Faith and Kylie Minogue's Kylie topped the charts that year). And as of this week, Dark Side has notched 1,500 non-consecutive weeks on the album charts.

How ridiculous of a milestone is this? Put it this way: The second-longest chart run belongs to Bob Marley's Legend, a greatest-hits collection that has spent barely half as much time on the charts. The fact that both albums are famously popular with stoners and other recreational drug users has no doubt helped their cause: "Dude, I can't find my copy of Dark Side!" "Bummer, dude...hey, I'm going to Tower, want me to grab you another one?"

Still, stoner factor aside, the continued popularity of Dark Side, which continues to move 8,000-plus copies on an almost weekly basis, and has sold upwards of 40 million copies since its release, is a pretty remarkable achievement.

Floyd founding member Roger Waters recalls having an inkling early on that Dark Side, the band's sixth album following the departure of Floyd's resident madman and longtime muse Syd Barrett, might be something special. "When the record was finished, I took a reel-to-reel copy home with me," Waters told Billboard. "And I remember playing it for my wife then, and her bursting into tears when it was finished. And I thought, 'This has obviously struck a chord.' I was kinda pleased by that."

Waters has announced plans to perform Dark Side of the Moon on his upcoming tour -- without the other members of Pink Floyd, with whom he remains estranged. "I've got a great band together," Waters insists, "and I have every hope that we will do the work justice."

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
05.09.06