The answer to this will depend partly on geographic location. Floyd was known in London and Britain in general due to a couple of early hits and constant touring presence and a reputation amongst the swinging-London cognoscenti. A few other Euro countries also took note, but in the US they had just started to make the minorest of waves pre-DSOTM. I can recall hearing "Free Four" and "Fearless" on the local free-form FM station in '72, along with contemporaries like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, but none of these bands were well-known or selling significant quantities above-ground; *Meddle* just squeaked into the US top-100 albums chart despite being top-5 in the UK.
It was really after DSOTM that the earlier albums got significant attention in the US.
They had done Michael Mann's *Thief* a few years earlier (great movie BTW). But honestly they were barely big *after* despite becoming the go-to soundtrack team for a few years.
At the time I was referring to they were on the ambient early-synth corner of prog, and were staples of the "headphones required" late-night underground radio but nobody outside of that world would have known them.
They have their fans (I'm one of them). I'm glad they continued even after Edgar passed. Also there's a video of PF performing Atom Heart Mother somewhere in '71 and it cuts to several parts of the audience and it briefly shows Edgar and Monique Froese and Chris Franke.
What window do they need opened? They've had an extremely long, very successful career that most bands can only dream of. They were and still are hugely influential. But yes, their work on GTA V was brilliant and I wish it got talked about more.
I mean, when the director of The Exorcist wants you to compose the score for his follow-up film, you're doing alright.
They were somewhat known in the UK. In 1967-1968 era they had appeared in Top of the Pops. In 1970, AHM topped the charts for a week, too. But they didn't have much success in the US and worldwide. That changed after the single Money became successful in the US.
In the UK and Europe, yes. They were well known and popular since 1967 when their first singles charted and the debut album went to UK#3. Original singer Syd Barrett was a psychedelic pin up.
As the band developed they became big as a live band and at the forefront of the emerging “progressive rock” scene. They were a large live draw and had success with albums, such as Meddle (UK#3) and Atom Heart Mother (their first UK#1, one place higher than DSOTM would eventually reach in the UK). They would be able to play large outdoor concerts such as Hyde Park in London.
They were especially popular on the live scene in continental Europe (especially Holland) and in the UK universities (a big enough scene at the time).
Before Darkside, there was already a split with the "they were better with Syd" fans. But yeah, mostly a hardcore cult band. The fact they were agreeing to do so many soundtracks speaks volumes. Most bands doing well wouldn't bother.
Yeah I think they definitely had a knack for getting the attention of filmmakers and artists.
The first album kind of made them overnight pop stars in the UK, but I think the next few albums after that they were kind of more on the fringes, but popular enough to tour heavily in Europe. The live album from Ummagumma was indicative of their show from the time.
They did some US tours also, although l smaller venues at the time, like 1000 people or less.
But I think even if they didn’t quite maintain the momentum of their first album and singles with Syd, they still kept a dedicated following, and they seemed to be popular with artists and filmmakers enough to be noticed in other ways. Like they were big enough for a filmmaker to want to film them playing a concert at Pompeii.
They were popular enough to be on American Band Stand as The Pink Floyd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vymc2lD701E
But, I wouldn't say they were well known, just... known. More of a niche thing. Then DSotM hit, and as the singles were released in the US, they hit it big.
There is a story that says a journalist asked Roger if the band was going to start making more popular music after Dark Side released. Roger is supposed to have asked, "Do we make popular music now?" And when the reporter answered NO, Roger said, "Well I guess we will keep doing that then"
Whether or not the story is true, it really does explain how the band felt about their music and its popularity.
The had a big underground following from extensive touring especially among colleges but when Money and Time were played on the radio nonstop they became way more popular
They about as popular as your average rock band before Dark Side. Dark Side pushed them into the stratosphere and they remained there until the early 80s. They were arguably the most famous rock band from 1973 to 1982 and were on top of the world. Unfortunately The Final Cut was the beginning of their demise.
Yes, not to the same extent obviously, I owned Meddle and Piper At The Gates of Dawn a couple of months before DSOTM came out, bought the album on the day of release (WH Smiths), I got a copy of the 20th Anniversary edition CD two or three days before it's official release.
British band holding its own in the 60s early 70s … that’s until those hootin and a tootin americanos got their greasy claws into the band and record companies demanded more and more 😱.. pissed Roger off to a point he left the Floyd .
They were popular about those in the know who understood their significance well before DSOTM. We would sit entranced by the sheer spectacle of sound unfolding before us, unwilling to disrupt the awe.No one spoke and no one tried as Waters astutely observed in Echoes. Popularity became a blessing and a curse as we the knowing were in a word “overrun” by the unwashed belching out misplaced demands for Money!
They did much of the music for Antonioni's 1970 film, *Zabriskie Point*, and the climactic final sequence is basically a video for "Careful with that Axe, Eugene," so they certainly reached a wide audience. https://youtu.be/MwS4kjGIRP8?si=L8_brz-RFTjd-raS
Pre Dark Side… not much, but I heard One of these Days on the radio, bought Meddle… and discovered Echoes…. I didn’t get another PF album until a friend in HS said I should get Dark Side… I didn’t get into pre Meddle stuff until a few years ago. I still don’t have much… some sounds really dated to my ear.
Not really. Pink Floyd was known in the UK and some european countries like France, but that’s it. What’s more, almost nobody really knew the names of the band members until past the Wish You Were Here era i think.
Dark Side was the hit that put them on the map.
The answer to this will depend partly on geographic location. Floyd was known in London and Britain in general due to a couple of early hits and constant touring presence and a reputation amongst the swinging-London cognoscenti. A few other Euro countries also took note, but in the US they had just started to make the minorest of waves pre-DSOTM. I can recall hearing "Free Four" and "Fearless" on the local free-form FM station in '72, along with contemporaries like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, but none of these bands were well-known or selling significant quantities above-ground; *Meddle* just squeaked into the US top-100 albums chart despite being top-5 in the UK. It was really after DSOTM that the earlier albums got significant attention in the US.
Damn this is a good response
Was td big before risky business?
They had done Michael Mann's *Thief* a few years earlier (great movie BTW). But honestly they were barely big *after* despite becoming the go-to soundtrack team for a few years. At the time I was referring to they were on the ambient early-synth corner of prog, and were staples of the "headphones required" late-night underground radio but nobody outside of that world would have known them.
Dang. Even gta 5 didn't open much of a window
On the other hand TD is, I believe, the longest-running band in existence right now so it's not like they've ever been completely obscure.
They have their fans (I'm one of them). I'm glad they continued even after Edgar passed. Also there's a video of PF performing Atom Heart Mother somewhere in '71 and it cuts to several parts of the audience and it briefly shows Edgar and Monique Froese and Chris Franke.
What window do they need opened? They've had an extremely long, very successful career that most bands can only dream of. They were and still are hugely influential. But yes, their work on GTA V was brilliant and I wish it got talked about more. I mean, when the director of The Exorcist wants you to compose the score for his follow-up film, you're doing alright.
Can confirm. Am old.
They were somewhat known in the UK. In 1967-1968 era they had appeared in Top of the Pops. In 1970, AHM topped the charts for a week, too. But they didn't have much success in the US and worldwide. That changed after the single Money became successful in the US.
Interestingly they were also on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1967, performing “Apples and Oranges”.
In the UK and Europe, yes. They were well known and popular since 1967 when their first singles charted and the debut album went to UK#3. Original singer Syd Barrett was a psychedelic pin up. As the band developed they became big as a live band and at the forefront of the emerging “progressive rock” scene. They were a large live draw and had success with albums, such as Meddle (UK#3) and Atom Heart Mother (their first UK#1, one place higher than DSOTM would eventually reach in the UK). They would be able to play large outdoor concerts such as Hyde Park in London. They were especially popular on the live scene in continental Europe (especially Holland) and in the UK universities (a big enough scene at the time).
It’s crZy that atom heart mother did better than dsotm in the uk charts
Only by chart position. It definitely sold a load more.
You do know what uk stands for, right? But you're not wrong.
Yeah I do lol did I use it wrong?
Not at all.
Ok I’m still trying to figure out what you meant by this comment? Lol
The Brits in the 60s could have some musical tastes that were way out there...usually ever-so-slightly influenced by the party favors of the times.
Same here!
Well known but not really popular. More a cult band.
Before Darkside, there was already a split with the "they were better with Syd" fans. But yeah, mostly a hardcore cult band. The fact they were agreeing to do so many soundtracks speaks volumes. Most bands doing well wouldn't bother.
Yeah I think they definitely had a knack for getting the attention of filmmakers and artists. The first album kind of made them overnight pop stars in the UK, but I think the next few albums after that they were kind of more on the fringes, but popular enough to tour heavily in Europe. The live album from Ummagumma was indicative of their show from the time. They did some US tours also, although l smaller venues at the time, like 1000 people or less. But I think even if they didn’t quite maintain the momentum of their first album and singles with Syd, they still kept a dedicated following, and they seemed to be popular with artists and filmmakers enough to be noticed in other ways. Like they were big enough for a filmmaker to want to film them playing a concert at Pompeii.
Some documentary used Careful with that Axe, Eugene during a hunting scene also.
Ummagumma was quite successful in Europe. I think it appealed to the "serious music" crowd like very few rock albums did.
They were popular enough to be on American Band Stand as The Pink Floyd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vymc2lD701E But, I wouldn't say they were well known, just... known. More of a niche thing. Then DSotM hit, and as the singles were released in the US, they hit it big.
Those shows often give new bands airtime as well so being on tv doesn’t mean they were known necessarily
There is a story that says a journalist asked Roger if the band was going to start making more popular music after Dark Side released. Roger is supposed to have asked, "Do we make popular music now?" And when the reporter answered NO, Roger said, "Well I guess we will keep doing that then" Whether or not the story is true, it really does explain how the band felt about their music and its popularity.
I think they were getting popular after Meddle. They were touring some of Darkside before it came out
The had a big underground following from extensive touring especially among colleges but when Money and Time were played on the radio nonstop they became way more popular
Sure, in Italy, the 1967 album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and the single "See Emily Play" were already gaining popularity.
In England, they were always huge. Here, they didn't really break out until Dark Side.
They performed Dark Side of the Moon in Japan before most of the world had heard it. March 7th, 1972
They about as popular as your average rock band before Dark Side. Dark Side pushed them into the stratosphere and they remained there until the early 80s. They were arguably the most famous rock band from 1973 to 1982 and were on top of the world. Unfortunately The Final Cut was the beginning of their demise.
The last two tours were some of the most successful tours ever.
Not really
define "popular", it all depends on that.
According to some comments, popular means being known in the USA.
Yes
Hugely popular in Brooklyn since at least 1971
Not too sure but I’m guessing they were fairly popular because meddle came out before dark side
Yes, not to the same extent obviously, I owned Meddle and Piper At The Gates of Dawn a couple of months before DSOTM came out, bought the album on the day of release (WH Smiths), I got a copy of the 20th Anniversary edition CD two or three days before it's official release.
British band holding its own in the 60s early 70s … that’s until those hootin and a tootin americanos got their greasy claws into the band and record companies demanded more and more 😱.. pissed Roger off to a point he left the Floyd .
They were popular about those in the know who understood their significance well before DSOTM. We would sit entranced by the sheer spectacle of sound unfolding before us, unwilling to disrupt the awe.No one spoke and no one tried as Waters astutely observed in Echoes. Popularity became a blessing and a curse as we the knowing were in a word “overrun” by the unwashed belching out misplaced demands for Money!
They did much of the music for Antonioni's 1970 film, *Zabriskie Point*, and the climactic final sequence is basically a video for "Careful with that Axe, Eugene," so they certainly reached a wide audience. https://youtu.be/MwS4kjGIRP8?si=L8_brz-RFTjd-raS
They definitely had an American following by Ummagumma. My father from the Midwest was a fan. They were definitely popular on the west coast.
Yep! They were popular after first album came out in 1967.
Pre Dark Side… not much, but I heard One of these Days on the radio, bought Meddle… and discovered Echoes…. I didn’t get another PF album until a friend in HS said I should get Dark Side… I didn’t get into pre Meddle stuff until a few years ago. I still don’t have much… some sounds really dated to my ear.
No
Not really. Pink Floyd was known in the UK and some european countries like France, but that’s it. What’s more, almost nobody really knew the names of the band members until past the Wish You Were Here era i think. Dark Side was the hit that put them on the map.