Album
The Wall
The Wall is Pink Floyd's double-album rock opera, released on 30 November 1979. It follows Pink, a jaded rock star who shuts himself away behind a wall of isolation. Roger Waters conceived it during the 1977 In the Flesh tour, drawing on himself and former founding member Syd Barrett for the character. Recording ran from December 1978 to November 1979, with co-producer Bob Ezrin helping to shape the concept and ease tensions while the band wrestled with personal and financial problems.
It came after Animals and was the last album to feature all four post-Barrett members, as Richard Wright was dismissed during production. It spawned "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2", the band's only UK and US number one, plus "Run Like Hell" and "Comfortably Numb". Reviews were mixed at first, but it topped the US charts for 15 weeks, has sold over 30 million copies and later became a fixture on greatest-albums lists. A stage show and a 1982 film followed.
The Wall on Riffology
riffology.co →
The Wall: tracklist, credits and charts
26 tracks · 1:21:48Tracklist
- Disc 1
- 1In the Flesh?Roger Waters3:20
- 2The Thin IceRoger Waters2:30
- 3Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1Roger Waters3:11
- 4The Happiest Days of Our LivesRoger Waters1:51
- 5Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2Roger Waters4:01
- 6MotherRoger Waters5:34
- 7Goodbye Blue SkyRoger Waters2:50
- 8Empty SpacesRoger Waters2:07
- 9Young LustDavid Gilmour and Roger Waters3:33
- 10One of My TurnsRoger Waters3:35
- 11Don’t Leave Me NowRoger Waters4:17
- 12Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3Roger Waters1:18
- 13Goodbye Cruel WorldRoger Waters1:15
- Disc 2
- 1Hey YouRoger Waters4:44
- 2Is There Anybody Out There?Roger Waters2:43
- 3Nobody HomeRoger Waters3:27
- 4VeraRoger Waters1:36
- 5Bring the Boys Back HomeRoger Waters1:29
- 6Comfortably NumbDavid Gilmour and Roger Waters6:26
- 7The Show Must Go OnRoger Waters1:38
- 8In the FleshRoger Waters4:20
- 9Run Like HellDavid Gilmour and Roger Waters4:27
- 10Waiting for the WormsRoger Waters4:00
- 11StopRoger Waters0:32
- 12The TrialBob Ezrin and Roger Waters5:22
- 13Outside the WallRoger Waters1:44
- Produced by
- Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James Guthrie, Roger Waters, James Guthrie
- Recorded at
- Britannia Row (London), Miraval (Correns), Super Bear (Nice), Cherokee (Hollywood), The Village, Producers Workshop (Los Angeles), CBS Studios, CBS 30th Street (New York)
- Recorded
- December 1978 – November 1979
- Engineered by
- James Guthrie, Brian Christian, Nick Griffiths, Rick Hart, John McClure, Patrice Quef
- Label
- Harvest
- Length
- 1:21:48
Line-up
- David Gilmour · guitar, synthesizer, lead vocals, background vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, clavinet, other vocals, pedal steel guitar, fretless bass, 12 string guitar, rototom, cymbal
- Fred Mandel · Hammond organ, organ · guest
- Nick Mason · drums (drum set), snare drum, tom-tom, tambourine, percussion, cymbal, bass drum
- Roger Waters · synthesizer, bass guitar, lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar, other vocals, guitar, spoken vocals
- Richard Wright · synthesizer, organ, piano, Minimoog, Hammond organ, bass pedals, keyboard, Rhodes piano
- Joe Chemay · background vocals · guest
- Stan Farber · background vocals · guest
- Jim Haas · background vocals · guest
- Bruce Johnston · background vocals · guest
- Jon Joyce · background vocals · guest
- Toni Tennille · background vocals · guest
- James Guthrie · cymbal, hi-hat, synthesizer, other instruments, foot stomps, other vocals · guest
- Children of Islington Green School · choir vocals · guest
- Bob Ezrin · organ, piano, synthesizer, background vocals
- Jeff Porcaro · drums (drum set) · guest
- Harry Waters · spoken vocals · guest
- Chris Fitzmorris · spoken vocals · guest
- Lee Ritenour · electric guitar, acoustic guitar · guest
- Trudy Young · spoken vocals · guest
- Joe DiBlasi · classical guitar · guest
- New York Symphony Orchestra · strings · guest
- Joe Porcaro · snare drum · guest
- New York City Opera · choir vocals · guest
- Bobbye Hall · congas, bongos · guest
- Vicki Brown · background vocals · guest
- Clare Torry · background vocals · guest
- Frank Marocco · concertina · guest
- Trevor Veitch · mandolin · guest
- Larry Williams · clarinet · guest
- [unknown] · choir vocals · guest
Singles
- “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” · 23 November 1979
- “Run Like Hell” · April 1980
- “Comfortably Numb” · 23 June 1980
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart · 1979–1980 | 3 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| Austrian Albums · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| Dutch Albums · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| German Albums · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi) · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums · 1979–1980 | 1 |
All 30 charts
| Spanish Albums (AFE) · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| Swedish Albums · 1979–1980 | 1 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen Virallinen) · 1979–1980 | 4 |
| Italian Albums · 2011–2023 | 4 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2011–2023 | 4 |
| Portuguese Albums · 2011–2023 | 6 |
| Slovenian Albums (IFPI) · 2011–2023 | 6 |
| Czech Albums · 2011–2023 | 7 |
| Polish Albums · 2011–2023 | 8 |
| Swiss Albums · 2011–2023 | 8 |
| Spanish Albums · 2005–2006 | 9 |
| Danish Albums · 2011–2023 | 10 |
| French Albums · 2011–2023 | 12 |
| Hungarian Albums · 2011–2023 | 15 |
| Finnish Albums · 2011–2023 | 17 |
| Scottish Albums · 2011–2023 | 17 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2011–2023 | 20 |
| US Top Rock Albums · 2011–2023 | 26 |
| Ireland 2 · 2011–2023 | 38 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2011–2023 | 44 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina · 1999 | Platinum |
| Australia · 2011 | 11× Platinum |
| Canada · 1995 | 2× Diamond |
| Denmark · 2025 | 7× Platinum |
| France · 1991 | Diamond |
| Germany · 1994 | 4× Platinum |
| Greece | Platinum |
| Italy · 2021 | 5× Platinum |
| Italy · 2011 | Platinum |
| Netherlands · 1979 | Platinum |
| Netherlands · 2006 | Gold |
| New Zealand | 14× Platinum |
| Poland · 2022 | 2× Platinum |
| Poland · 2003 | Platinum |
| Portugal · 2023 | Platinum |
| Spain · 1980 | Platinum |
| Spain · 2006 | Platinum |
| Switzerland · 2006 | 2× Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 2022 | 3× Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 1979 | Platinum |
| United States · 1999 | 23× Platinum |
Awards
- SNEP diamond album
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
97.1
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
19k
ListenBrainz listeners
730k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
182k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Also released on 30 November
Every year →
More from Pink Floyd
Full discography →
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
1967
A Saucerful of Secrets
1968
More
1969
Ummagumma
1969
The Best of The Pink Floyd
1970
Atom Heart Mother
1970
Relics
1971
Meddle
1971
Obscured by Clouds
1972
The Dark Side of the Moon
1973
A Nice Pair
1973
Wish You Were Here
1975
Animals
1977
A Collection of Great Dance Songs
1981
The Final Cut
1983
Works
1983
A Momentary Lapse of Reason
1987
Delicate Sound of Thunder
1988
Live at Pompeii
1990
Shine On
1992
The Division Bell
1994
London 1966/1967
1994
p·u·l·s·e
1995
1967: The First 3 Singles
1997
Is There Anybody out There? The Wall Live: 1980–1981
2000
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
2001
Oh by the Way
2007
Discovery
2011
A Foot in the Door: The Best of Pink Floyd
2011
The Endless River
2014
1965: Their First Recordings
2015
The Early Years: 1965–1972
2016
The Later Years: 1987–2019
2019
8‐Tracks
2026
The best of 1979
All of 1979 →
More on Harvest
The label →The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd · 1973
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd · 1975
Animals
Pink Floyd · 1977
Meddle
Pink Floyd · 1971
Ummagumma
Pink Floyd · 1969
Atom Heart Mother
Pink Floyd · 1970
Obscured by Clouds
Pink Floyd · 1972
Killers
Iron Maiden · 1981
A Nice Pair
Pink Floyd · 1973
A Collection of Great Dance Songs
Pink Floyd · 1981
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 30 November 1979 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 30 November 1979 | |
| Wikidata | 30 November 1979 | |
| US release | 30 November 1979 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 30 November 1979 | earliest UK or European date |
76 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | BR | Columbia | 5099708848521 | other |
| — | AU | CBS | 9399708848528 | other |
| — | GB | Harvest | other | |
| — | US | Columbia | 074643618328 | other |
| — | XE | Harvest | 077774603683 | other |
| — | AT | CBS | other | |
| — | AU | CBS | other | |
| — | FR | Harvest | 5099916341036 | other |
| — | XE | Harvest | 077774603683 | other |
| — | XE | Harvest | 077774603683 | other |
| — | JP | CBS | other | |
| — | CA | Columbia | 074643618328 | other |
| 1979 | DK | Harvest | other | |
| 1979 | NZ | CBS | other | |
| 1979 | NL | Harvest | other | |
| 1979 | SE | Harvest | other | |
| 1979 | SE | EMI | other | |
| 1979 | FR | Harvest | other | |
| 1979 | AU | CBS | other | |
| 30 November 1979 | DE | EMI Electrola | original | |
| 30 November 1979 | DE | EMI Electrola | original | |
| 30 November 1979 | US | Columbia | original | |
| 30 November 1979 | JP | CBS/Sony | original | |
| 30 November 1979 | GB | Harvest | original | |
| 1982 | IT | Harvest | other | |
| 1982 | US | Columbia | other | |
| September 1984 | GB | Harvest | other | |
| 1985 | DE | Harvest | 077774603683 | other |
| 1985 | GB | Harvest | other | |
| 1985 | DE | Harvest | 077774603683 | other |
| 21 June 1985 | JP | CBS/Sony | other | |
| 1986 | GB | Harvest | other | |
| 1986 | US | Columbia | 074643618328 | other |
| 1986 | JP | CBS/Sony | other | |
| 1987 | GB | Harvest | 077774603683 | other |
| 1987 | GB | Harvest | 077774603683 | other |
| 26 February 1988 | JP | CBS/Sony | 4988009600659 | other |
| 1990 | US | Columbia | 07464361832 | other |
| 15 September 1990 | US | Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | 015775253728 | other |
| March 1991 | US | Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | 015775253728 | other |
| 1994 | ZA | EMI | 6002140924424 | other |
| 1994 | AU | EMI United Kingdom | 9399700047370 | other |
| 1994 | AU | Columbia | 9399700047370 | other |
| 1994 | US | Capitol Records | 724383124329 | other |
| 10 October 1994 | XE | EMI United Kingdom | 0724383124329 | other |
| 10 October 1994 | XE | EMI United Kingdom | 724383124329 | other |
| 10 October 1994 | XE | EMI United Kingdom | 724383124329 | other |
| 10 October 1994 | CA | EMI Music Canada | 724383124329 | other |
| 10 October 1994 | XE | EMI United Kingdom | 724383124329 | other |
| 1997 | AU | Columbia | 9399700047370 | other |
| 1997 | AU | Columbia | 9399700047370 | deluxe |
| 1997 | US | Columbia | 074646851920 | other |
| 19 September 1998 | JP | Sony Records | 4988009848594 | other |
| 25 April 2000 | US | Capitol Records | 724383124329 | other |
| 16 June 2001 | JP | 東芝EMI 株式会社 | 4988006791824 | other |
| 2004 | US | Capitol Records | 724383124329 | other |
| 2005 | CN | EMI China | 9787799628660 | other |
| 6 September 2006 | JP | EMI | 4988006846661 | other |
| 2011 | US | EMI | 5099902894423 | other |
| 26 September 2011 | XE | EMI | 5099902894423 | other |
| 25 February 2012 | XE | EMI | 5099902988313 | other |
| 27 February 2012 | GB | EMI | 5099902944623 | other |
| 27 February 2012 | GB | EMI | 5099902943923 | deluxe |
| 27 February 2012 | US | EMI | 5099902943923 | deluxe |
| 27 February 2012 | JP | Parlophone | 5099967923359 | remaster |
| 2016 | XW | Columbia | 886445635850 | other |
| 2016 | XE | Pink Floyd Music Ltd. | 5099902988313 | other |
| 2016 | XE | Columbia | 888751709423 | other |
| 2016 | US | Pink Floyd Records | 888751709423 | other |
| 2016 | JP | Columbia | 886445669107 | other |
| 15 January 2016 | XE | Pink Floyd Records | 5099902894423 | other |
| 5 February 2016 | AU | Pink Floyd Records | 888751709423 | other |
| 26 August 2016 | XE | Pink Floyd Records | 5099902988313 | other |
| 22 November 2017 | JP | Pink Floyd Records | 4547366312607 | other |
| 2018 | US | Pink Floyd Records | 888751842816 | remaster |
| 19 October 2021 | XW | Pink Floyd Records | 886445613841 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 1211x1225, upscaled to 1500 (x1.24)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1211×1225 | upscaled: major: best source 1211x1225, upscaled to 1500 (x1.24) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |