Richard Wright, one of Pink Floyd’s founding members, carried a unique perspective on the band’s evolution. From their early days experimenting under different names to the heartbreaking decline of Syd Barrett, Wright witnessed every twist in the group’s story. Although creative tensions sometimes arose between him and his bandmates, he, too, sensed when the golden age of Pink Floyd began to dim.
Roger Waters—who eventually assumed the role of the band’s dominant creative force—once reflected that their 1973 triumph, The Dark Side of the Moon, signaled both their highest point and the start of their downfall. To fans and the wider world, it was a masterpiece beyond imagination, but to Waters, its monumental success “finished” the band.
After Barrett’s health deteriorated, Waters stepped into the leadership vacuum. Barrett’s eccentric style had defined the group, and his absence left a creative gap. With David Gilmour now in the lineup, Pink Floyd struggled at first to forge a new identity. They stumbled, experimented, and produced uneven work, but by the time they crafted Echoes for 1971’s Meddle, the band had discovered its true voice.
The following year brought Obscured by Clouds, but it was 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon that carved Pink Floyd’s permanent place in rock history. This concept album, exploring mortality, fame, and mental strain, was both a commercial juggernaut and a critical triumph. It also cemented Waters’ role as the band’s principal lyricist. For him, however, this achievement was a bittersweet peak—one he doubted they could ever surpass.
Yet, Pink Floyd defied that expectation. Many fans and even Wright himself believed 1975’s Wish You Were Here was the band’s true masterpiece. Written as a tribute to Barrett and built around themes of absence and alienation, the record struck a deep emotional chord with both the band and their listeners.
In a 2001 interview for The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story, Wright openly declared, “I think it’s our best album, personally, I love it. I love the flow of it, and I will listen to that album for pleasure—there’s not many of the Floyd albums I can, but that one.”
He particularly praised Shine On You Crazy Diamond, the nine-part epic that bookends the album. Wright marveled at its progression—from the hauntingly delicate introduction featuring wine glasses and saxophone to its soaring climax built on complex chords. “I just think it’s a great piece,” he said, recognizing it as one of the band’s crowning achievements.
For Wright, Wish You Were Here was more than just a beautiful record; it represented the last time Pink Floyd truly functioned as a unified creative force. In his words, “It was the last album where we worked well together.” Just as the album’s themes reflected loss and disconnection, Wright believed it also foreshadowed the fractures within the band itself—a poignant close to their era of harmony.
