Pink Floyd “Money” released

Money Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Roger Waters (see lyrics here) Released: May 7, 1973 First Charted: May 12, 1973 Peak: 13 US, 10 CB, 10 HR, 1 CL, 37 AR, 18 CN, 10 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.4 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 67.5 video, 368.27 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Since their formation in 1965, Pink Floyd had seen consistent success in their native UK with all eight of their albums reaching the top 10. However, their highest peak in the United States was #46 for 1972’s Obscured by Clouds. They’d fared even worse on the singles front. Out of ten singles, none had reached the Billboard Hot 100. 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon changed Pink Floyd’s fortunes for good. The album got to #1 in the United States, spent more weeks on the Billboard album chart than any other in history (18+ years and counting), and has become one of the world’s best-selling albums of all time. The album gave Pink Floyd its first taste of success on the singles front in the United States with the #13 peak of “Money.” It was not released as a single in the UK. The song is sometimes misinterpreted as “a tribute to money” but “a supremely weary Roger Waters lyric lets you know what he thinks about the dash for cash” DT and it’s “about the bad things money can bring.” SF Musically, the song is unusual for its use of a 7/8 time signature. The song has also become well known for its use of studio effects such as the cash register ring, jingling of coins, and sounds of tearing paper. The demo for the song, including some of the sound effects, were recorded in Roger Waters’ makeshift recording studio in his garden shed. WK The song was re-recorded in 1981 for the compilation A Collection of Great Dance Songs because Capitol Records wouldn’t license the track to Columbia Records in the United States. In 2003 the song was covered for the movie The Italian Job by the supergroup Velvet Revolver, which consisted of members of Guns N’ Roses along with former Stone Temple Pilots’ frontman Scott Weiland. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Pink Floyd SF Songfacts DT Dave Thompson (2011). 1000 Songs That Rock Your World. Krause Publications: Iola, WI. Page 24. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 8/4/2022; last updated 3/30/2023.