The Dark Side of the Moon songs ranked
Hey so today to start my blog Iโm gonna be ranking all the songs on the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon and put the songs on a tier list. Just to be clear for this ranking and rankings like it in the future Iโm not gonna include any skits or tracks of the sort so no Speak to Me. Also hereโs what the tiers are:
S Tier anything thatโs above a 10/10
With that being said letโs get into it.
This kicks off immediately after Breathe but is unrelated to that song or the rest of the story of side 1. Itโs basically a repeat of E minor and E5 until we reach Time. Honestly drags a little too much for my liking and overall feels unnecessary to the album.
Itโs just kind of mid overall it doesnโt hold up to the rest of this album though it does transition really well into Brain damage.ย
This song is in B minor which is a very submissive key. Ironic considering how boastful this song is. The song is mostly in 7/4 giving the song an uncanny feeling like something's missing. The song also breaks into a guitar solo in 4/4 which acts as a grounding force amongst the normal chaos. My only problem is how smug it sounds. I know what the song is about. Yet its critiques, at least to me, feel shallow and its praise feels unearned. It says greed is bad which is like no shit. Every time I listen I imagine Roger writing this song with the most punchable smirk. Itโs not a bad song. I actually kind of like it but everything it does have a cigar and the entirety of animals do better.
The slow buildup of the song contrasted with the lyrics which are essentially just imagery but it works. Though it doesnโt hold up to most of what came before it.
The song is in E minor which normally applies a theme of grief which somewhat contrasts with the theme of being born. The verses are the chords E minor and A which the occasional 7th note in the borrowed chord helps provide light to the verses which make the key link with the lyrics. The chorus consists of the chords Cmaj7,Bm,Fmaj7, G, D7, they add a much more ominous progression which fits well espicially with the ending. It fits well with the lyrics. This songs constantly goes on about how beautiful life is and then ends with all you touch and all you see is all your life which is a complete tonal shift that fits with the chords. Introducing the theme of duality as the song ends. Itโs a great song and does a great job introducing the album.ย
Us and them is in d key which invokes military triumph fitting the song perfectly. It contrasts with calm verses and explosive choruses telling a story of war and how it affects everyone accept the ones who start it most if the time. The lyrics are very good, they kind of remind me of the American civil war how pointless it was. It makes money a little better for me. This is probably me making up my own interpretation. But because the whole civil war started because of the slave owners' greed it feels like a great track to follow money The reason itโs only at B Tier is cause musically it doesnโt hit as hard as some of the others. I wanted to like it but as a piece Brain Damage is just a better version of this.
Musically this one is wonderfully uplifting yet ominous. It feels like floating in the air It perfectly brings forward the themes of war, mental health and corruption in a very clever way. The end feels like the protagonist succumbing to insanity
We open with a collage of clock sounds which fade into the chord progression e major and f sharp minor forming on slowly building up tension until the song breaks out. The themes of timing passing by are universals while being specific enough to be relatable. Itโs about the baby in Breathe wasting his life away. The key of f sharp minor perfectly fits the resentment of this song over the fact that time is passing without him.The chorus meaningful feels more hopeful and contemplative before the last chorus transitions into a reprisal of Breathe. This part feels to me like an almost nostalgic feeling especially with the lyrics. It also feels the protagonists reminiscing of when times were simpler.
1.The Great Gig in the Sky:
The Great Gig In The Sky is esssentially the death of the protaganist itโs an improvised track. Starting in B Minor before transitioning into B flat.ย Before our vocalist breaks out into song. Then itโs a combination of G minor, G minor 7, and C7. Before some new chord transitions into a minor section full of sorrow at the fact of the protagonist's demise is coming soon. Before returning to the major key. As they come to terms with their death. Crazy how the best song on a Pink Floyd album became that from someone who isnโt part of Pink Floyd. It takes you through the five stages of grief over the course of less than 5 minutes. Overall and absolutely amazing piece of music.
Source: The Dark Side of the Moon songs ranked
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