Money (1973) 10/11/20

Today's “Great Song of the '70s” is a little bit odd in more ways than one—but that “oddness” is what makes the song so memorable. That, and that fact that it comes from one of the biggest-selling albums of all time!

Pink Floyd's “The Darkside of the Moon” has sold more that 45 MILLION copies since 1973, and initially stayed on Billboard's Album chart for an incredible 741 weeks (from 1973 to 1988)!!

Side Two of the album starts with “Money,” a song that that was written with the odd time signature of 7/8 or 7/4 time, depending on which band member you're talking to, with the guitar solo written in standard 4/4 time. Very unusual, but interesting and effective.

The cut starts with a collage of money-related sound effects that group member Roger Waters personally recorded, then spliced together in rhythm, the old fashioned way: with tape and razor blades.

Adding to the overall oddness was the fact that instead of Pink Floyd's usual song themes of paranoia, insanity and the meaning of life, it dealt with “crass materialism.”

All that said, when “Money” was released as a single, it became Pink Floyd's first US hit, reaching #13 on Billboard's Hot 100. Guitar World Magazine readers ranked David Gilmour's guitar solo (featuring a customized 24-fret guitar) as the 62nd best of all time, while Rolling Stone ranked the entire song at #69 on their list of the “Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.”

“Money”—as well-as the rest of the album—was released in standard stereo, but also in quadrophonic sound. If you can figure out a way to find—and play it—quadrophonically, the whole thing will blow you away.

But the truth is: so will the stereo version!

“Money:” A “Great Song of 1973”...from one of the “Greatest Albums of All Time!”