Pink Floyd began in 1962 when Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright met while studying architecture at London Polytechnic. Two years later, Waters’ childhood friend Syd Barrett—an art student and budding guitarist—joined them, bringing the creativity that would soon define their sound.
Their early bands, including Sigma 6 and the Tea Set, performed rhythm and blues covers before Barrett took the lead and pushed the group toward original, experimental music. By 1965, after several lineup changes, they rebranded as The Pink Floyd Sound, a name Barrett coined from bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
The band quickly became central to London’s underground psychedelic scene, performing hypnotic live shows with improvised soundscapes and light projections. With new managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King, Pink Floyd signed with EMI in 1967. Their debut single, “Arnold Layne,” reached No. 20 despite controversy, followed by “See Emily Play,” which hit No. 6 and made them national stars.
That same year, they released their groundbreaking debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, blending surreal lyrics and innovative sound effects. But fame took a toll—Barrett’s heavy LSD use led to erratic behavior and mental decline. By early 1968, guitarist David Gilmour joined to stabilize the band, and Barrett soon departed completely.
With Gilmour’s musicianship and Waters’ growing creative vision, Pink Floyd evolved from an experimental London act into one of the most influential rock bands in history—forever shaped by the brilliance and tragedy of Syd Barrett’s brief but luminous era.
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