Today in Music (1967): Pink Floyd Releases Piper at the Gates of Dawn

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn Pink Floyd

Released: August 4, 1967 Peak: 131 US, 6 UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 3.5 world (includes US and UK), 5.58 EAS Genre: psychedelic rock

The original Pink Floyd: left to right – Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, and Richard Wright

Tracks (UK version): Click on a song titled for more details. Astronomy Domine [4:12] Lucifer Sam [3:07] Matilda Mother [3:08] Flaming [2:46] Pow R. Toc H. [4:26] Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk [3:05] Interstellar Overdrive [9:41] The Gnome [2:13] Chapter 24 [3:42] The Scarecrow [2:11] Bike [3:21] Total Running Time: 41:54 Tracks (U.S. version): Click on a song titled for more details. See Emily Play [2:53] Pow R. Toc H. [4:26] Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk [3:05] Lucifer Sam [3:07] Matilda Mother [3:08] The Scarecrow [2:11] The Gnome [2:13] Chapter 24 [3:42] Interstellar Overdrive [9:41] 40th Anniversary Bonus Disc: Click on a song titled for more details. Arnold Layne [2:57] Candy and a Currant Bun [2:45] See Emily Play [2:53] Apples and Oranges [3:11] Paint Box [3:45] Interstellar Overdrive (take 2, French edit) [5:15] Apples and Oranges (stereo version) [3:11] Matilda Mother (alternate version) [3:09] Interstellar Overdrive (take 6) [5:03] The Players: Syd Barrett (vocals, guitar) Roger Waters (bass, vocals) Nick Mason (drums, percussion) Richard Wright (keyboards)

Rating: 4.074 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings) Quotable: “One of the best psychedelic albums of all time.” – Steve Huey, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album Pink Floyd formed in London in 1965. They started out as an R&B combo, taking their name from blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. However, by the time of their first single, 1967’s “Arnold Layne,” they were at the forefront of the new psychedelic rock movement which was marked by sonic experimentation and the influence of psychedelic drugs. Sadly, drugs and mental illness led to one of rock’s greatest tragedies with original Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett. He only made it through one full album and part of the next before abandoning the band to live a reclusive life. One of the Best Psychedelic Albums of All Time Pink Floyd’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, “successfully captures both sides of psychedelic experimentation – the pleasures of expanding one’s mind and perception, and an underlying threat of mental disorder and even lunacy; this duality makes Piper all the more compelling in light of Barrett’s subsequent breakdown.” SH It has been celebrated as “one of the seminal psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s.” WK Rolling Stone called it “the golden achievement of Syd Barrett” WK and Q magazine described it as “indispensable” and one of the “best psychedelic albums of all time.” WK The Title The title “is taken from a chapter in Syd Barrett’s favorite children’s book, The Wind in the Willows, and the lyrical imagery of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is indeed full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD.” SH The Music “Barrett’s catchy, melodic acid pop songs are balanced with longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the group’s instrumental freak-outs.” SH “Even though Barrett’s lyrics and melodies are mostly playful and humorous, the band’s music doesn’t always bear out those sentiments – in addition to Rick Wright’s eerie organ work, dissonance, chromaticism, weird noises, and vocal sound effects are all employed at various instances, giving the impression of chaos and confusion lurking beneath the bright surface.” SH Reissues In 1973, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was paired with 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets as A Nice Pair. In 2007, a 40th anniversary reissue of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn added a bonus disc which included some alternate takes of album cuts as well as non-album singles and B-sides from 1967. See track listing above. The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each individual song.

Astronomy Domine Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett, Richard Wright Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001) Peak: 15 CL, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 23.55 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: On Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd often used “space travel as metaphors for hallucinogenic experiences – Astronomy Domine is a poppier number in this vein.” SH

Lucifer Sam Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 11.95 streaming

Matilda Mother Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett, Richard Wright Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967) Peak: 41 CL Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 8.03 streaming About the Song: The 40th anniversary reissue of the album in 2007 featured an alternate version of “Matilda Mother.”

Flaming Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: single (11/6/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967) B-side: “The Gnome” Peak: 48 CL Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 6.19 streaming

Pow R. Toc H. Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason Lead Vocals: instrumental, wordless vocals by Barrett, Waters, and Wright Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 5.18 streaming

Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Roger Waters Lead Vocals: Roger Waters Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.70 streaming

Interstellar Overdrive Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason Lead Vocals: instrumental Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971) Peak: 33 CL, 18 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 20.15 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “The outsized instrumental Interstellar Overdrive,” BA – the “album’s most celebrated track,” BA represents one “of the earliest forays into what has been tagged space rock.” SH The 40th anniversary reissue in 2007 featured two additional versions of “Interstellar Overdrive.”

The Gnome Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: B-side of “Flaming” (11/6/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 5.89 streaming About the Song: Alongside instrumental freak-outs and space-themed psychedelia on Piper at the Gates of Dawn are “catchy-sounding, Gothic-themed pop songs such as …The Scarecrow and The Gnome.” BA

Chapter 24 Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.04 streaming

The Scarecrow Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: B-side of “See Emily Play” (6/16/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.06 streaming About the Song: Alongside instrumental freak-outs and space-themed psychedelia on Piper at the Gates of Dawn are “catchy-sounding, Gothic-themed pop songs such as …The Scarecrow and The Gnome.” BA

Bike Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001) Peak: 44 CL, 10 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 9.53 streaming

Arnold Layne Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: single (3/10/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), Works (compilation, 6/18/1983), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue) B-side: “Candy and a Currant Bun” Peak: 6 CL, 20 UK, 7 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 19.35 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Candy and a Currant Bun Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: B-side of “Arnold Layne” (3/10/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.55 streaming

See Emily Play Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: single (6/16/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), Works (compilation, 6/18/1983), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue), A Foot in the Door (compilation, 11/7/2011) B-side: “The Scarecrow” Peak: 3 CL, 6 UK, 7 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 32.64 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Apples and Oranges Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett Released: single (11/17/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue) B-side: “Paint Box” Peak: 48 CL, 55 UK Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.94 streaming About the Song: The 2007 reissue features two versions of the song.

Paint Box Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Richard Wright Lead Vocals: Richard Wright Released: B-side of “Apples and Oranges” (11/17/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.80 streaming

Resources/References: BA Billy Altman, Amazon.com essential recording SH Steve Huey, AllMusic.com WK Wikipedia Related DMDB Pages: First posted 7/29/2011; last updated 8/22/2025.

 

The Top 100 Pink Floyd et al Songs/Studio Albums Ranked

Pink Floyd et al Top 100 Songs

Syd Barrett (guitar, vocals), Roger Waters (bass, vocals), Richard Wright (keyboards), and Nick Mason (drums) founded this psychedelic/progressive-rock group in England in 1965. Their early years were celebrated as quintessential psychedelic rock, especially their debut album, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, in 1967. When Barrett’s mental stability came into question, singer/guitarist David Gilmour was tapped initially to supplement but eventually replace him. The new lineup would rise to astonishing heights with 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon, the longest-charting album in the history of Billboard and one of the best sellers of all time. 1979’s double concept The Wall was another iconic album for the group and even gave them an unexpected #1 pop hit with “Another Brick in the Wall Part II.” However, Waters increasing efforts to control the band led to their fracture. They released one more album, 1983’s The Final Cut, as a foursome, but it felt more like a Roger Waters solo project. After Waters left the band, Gilmour, Mason, and Wright released two more studio albums as Pink Floyd. Each was supported by massively successful tours. Waters, meanwhile, recorded solo albums and fought with the band over legal rights to the name Pink Floyd. Pink Floyd’s final studio album came in 1995, although 2014 saw the released of Endless River, which presented some of the instrumental pieces not used for the 1994 album The Division Bell. Keyboardist Richard Wright died in 2008. Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists. Spotify Podcast: Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon: 50th Anniversary based on this list. Premiere: March 28, 2023 at 7pm CST. New episode every Tuesday at 7pm CST.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Appearances on compilations and live albums are also factored in. Songs and albums referenced on this page are by Pink Floyd unless noted otherwise. DMDB Top 1%: 1. Another Brick in the Wall Part II (1979) 2. Comfortably Numb (1979) 3. Wish You Were Here (1975) DMDB Top 2%: 4. Money (1973) 5. Time (1973) 6. Shine on You Crazy Diamond (1975) DMDB Top 5%: 7. See Emily Play (1967) 8. Learning to Fly (1987) 9. Us and Them (1973) DMDB Top 10%: 10. Brain Damage (1973) 11. Eclipse (1973) 12. Hey You (1979) 13. Run Like Hell (1979) 14. Arnold Layne (1967) 15. Have a Cigar (1975) 16. Speak to Me/Breathe (1973) 17. Young Lust (1979) 18. Interstellar Overdrive (1967) 19. Welcome to the Machine (1975) DMDB Top 20%: 20. Astronomy Domine (1967) 21. Echoes (1971) 22. High Hopes (1994) 23. Keep Talking (1994) 24. Empty Spaces (1979) 25. One of These Days (1971) 26. On the Turning Away (1987) 27. Mother (1979) 28. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (1968) 29. One Slip (1987) 30. What God Wants Part I (Roger Waters, 1992) 31. Take It Back (1994) 32. Radio Waves (Roger Waters, 1987) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 33. Fearless (1971) 34. Sheep (1977) 35. Not Now John (1983) 36. Dogs (1977) 37. Lost for Words (1994) 38. Bike (1967) 39. The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (Roger Waters, 1984) 40. Goodbye Blue Skies (1979) 41. What Do You Want from Me? (1994) 42. Free Four (1972) 43. Sunset Strip (Roger Waters, 1987) 44. Julia Dream (1968) 45. The Tide Is Turning (Roger Waters, 1987) 46. Sorrow (1987) 47. Louder Than Words (2014) 48. The Happiest Days of Our Lives (1979) 49. The Great Gig in the Sky (1973) 50. The Trial (1979) image from fanpop.com 51. Murder (David Gilmour, 1984) 52. Déjà Vu (Roger Waters, 2017) 53. Breathe Reprise (1973) 54. Each Small Candle (Roger Waters, 2000) 55. The Dogs of War (1987) 56. Pigs (Three Different Ones) (1977) 57. Your Possible Pasts (1983) 58. In the Flesh (1979) 59. One of My Turns (1979) 60. Smell the Roses (Roger Waters, 2017) 61. We Shall Overcome (Rger Waters, 2010) 62. The Nile Song (1969) 63. Who Needs Information? (Roger Waters, 1987) 64. Folded Flags (Roger Waters, 1986) 65. Blue Light (David Gilmour, 1984) 66. Vera (1979) 67. Careful with That Axe, Eugene (1968) 68. Pigs on the Wing (1977) 69. Nobody Home (1979) 70. Coming Back to Life (1994) 71. Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict (1969) 72. Stay (1972) 73. Jugband Blues (1968) 74. A Great Day for Freedom (1994) 75. Perfect Sense, Part I (Roger Waters, 1992) 76. Goodbye Cruel World (1979) 77. Perfect Sense, Part II (1992) 78. The Show Must Go On (1979) 79. In the Flesh? (1979) 80. Outside the Wall (1979) 81. When the Tigers Broke Free (1982) 82. The Thin Ice (1979) 83. Remember a Day (1968) 84. The Hero’s Return (1983) 85. Waiting for the Worms (1979) 86. On an Island (David Gilmour, 2006) 87. The Post War Dream (1983) 88. Apples and Oranges (1967) 89. Wearing the Inside Out (1994) 90. The Fletcher Memorial Home (1983) 91. Don’t Leave Me Now (1979) 92. Another Brick in the Wall Part I (1979) 93. It Would Be So Nice (1968) 94. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Roger Waters, 1997) 95. Poles Apart (1994) 96. Matilda Mother (1967) 97. Amused to Death (Roger Waters, 1992) 98. Too Much Rope (Roger Waters, 1992) 99. The Powers That Be (Roger Waters, 1987) 100. Hello I Love You (Roger Waters, 2007) Pink Floyd et al: Studio Albums Ranked Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by album’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, critics’ ratings, and awards. Also factored in are the status of each album’s songs in Dave’s Music Database for songs. 1. Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 2. The Wall (1979) 3. Wish You Were Here (1975) 4. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) 5. Animals (1977) 6. The Division Bell (1994) 7. Meddle (1971) 8. Atom Heart Mother (1970) 9. The Final Cut (1983) 10. A Saucerful of Secrets (1968) 11. A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) 12. Is This the Life We Really Want? (Roger Waters, 2017) 13. Ummagumma (live/studio, 1969) 14. More (soundtrack, 1969) 15. Amused to Death (Roger Waters, 1992) 16. Obscured by Clouds (1972) 17. Radio K.A.O.S. (Roger Waters, 1987) 18. The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (Roger Waters, 1984) 19. On an Island (David Gilmour, 2006) 20. The Endless River (2014) 21. When the Wind Blows (Roger Waters et al, soundtrack, 1986) 22. Rattle That Lock (David Gilmour, 2015) 23. Music from the Body (Roger Waters & Ron Geesin, soundtrack, 1970) 24. David Gilmour (David Gilmour, 1978) 25. About Face (David Gilmour, 1984) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Pink Floyd DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Syd Barrett DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Roger Waters DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Nick Mason DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Richard Wright DMDB Encyclopedia entry for David Gilmour Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Performers” Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Songwriters and/or Producers First posted 9/15/2011; last updated 3/28/2023.