The Story Behind The Artwork Of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ Uncovered

Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd was an album born out of the band’s experiences and spontaneity on the road, tied together by the maturing songwriting skill of Roger Waters. Hailed as one of the best concept albums around, it isn’t hard to see given the commercial success DSOTM achieved.

Keyboardist Rick Wright requested something “simple and elegant” for the album’s cover art from designer Storm Thorgerson, who led a team of artists from Hipgnosis, a London-based art-design group.

The now-iconic prism breaking light into a rainbow spectrum was seen spotted by Thorgerson from a physics textbook, and was a product of creative freedom and trust knowing that the two parties had worked together prior to DSOTM – the team was also responsible for Saucerful of Secrets. George Hardie was the one who drew the particular design.

It has since been a signature visual piece in Pink Floyd’s history as the band is known for its ethereal light shows. The band approved of the design in an instant, where Waters even suggested the prism’s light be extended to the other side of the album cover and be connected by a heart-blip for a magical tracing experience when opening the album.

Dark Side of The Moon‘s concept structure was as deep as it was ambiguous, tackling the pressures of life while celebrating life itself at the same time. This was quite reflective of what the band was going through at the time, and Waters was thankful that they were able to channel it through music rather than letting it all go to waste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqdL3qPDQ7s