Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon was initially released on March 24th 1973, and has since gone on to become one of the biggest selling albums of all time, consistently appearing in top ten bestseller lists, regardless of source. Since its release, the cover and its design have become an instantly recognizable icon, with subtle variations upon its theme having being used for re-releases and anniversary additions.
The album has some staggering figures beneath its belt, such as having remained in the US Top 100 for 1,558 weeks - two weeks short of the 30 year mark.
The front cover design itself shows a refracting prism against a black background, onto which a single beam of light is being shone with a spectrum of color emerging from the other side. It is highly minimal and neither the band's name nor the album's title are displayed anywhere.
The design was the idea of Storm Thorgerson, a member of the British art collective and UK graphic design bohemians, Hipgnosis; who'd designed the covers for all the Pink Floyd albums from A Saucerful of Secrets onwards. It came about after band member and keyboard player Richard Wright requested something that was less pictorial and more iconic. As this album saw the completion of Pink Floyd's transition from the Syd Barrett-era psychedelic band into the (perhaps a little too) serious prog-rockers that would go on to fill stadiums worldwide, it is perhaps fitting that the cover should have become ingrained in the record-buying public's consciousness.
The concept of the prism refracting the light was in reference to the light shows that were always a staple part of Pink Floyd concerts. In the late 60s when psychedelic and acid-rock were at their pinnacle, the band would perform at all-night gigs known as 'happenings', and the inventive use of psychedelic lighting and back-projections played an important role in both their success and setting them apart from the rest of the crowd. The design can be seen as a tribute to this particular element of their legacy.
The band was presented with seven conceptual roughs, detailing the Hipgnosis collectives' ideas for the prospective cover. In the basement of the world famous Abbey Road Studios, where the album was recorded, the four band members settled upon the one that would become the finished cover in the space of three minutes, refusing to listen to any arguments in favor of the other six.
Designer, Storm Thorgerson has stated that "the whole design was only cobbled from a standard physics textbook diagram (albeit cunningly)", which, if nothing else, just goes to show how the even the most basic and understated of concepts in design can go on to become phenomenally successful global icons.
Nick James writes for Essence Web Design UK a graphic design agency providing full internet and design solutions.
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