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My earliest memory of David Gilmour and Pink Floyd was around 1987 when their ‘comeback’ single “Learning to Fly” was all over the television. I was 10 and Australian TV seemed to understand the importance of music and it’s accompanying visuals to a young boy. Multiple music video shows on a Saturday morning and some on a Sunday afternoon!

“Learning to Fly” didn’t really float my boat at the time. I was still listening to albums released a decade earlier that had been lovingly passed on by my parents, as well as new pop music of the day by artists like Tears For Fears, Wax & Wang Chung. Pink Floyd in 1987 seemed like a band that either you had been onboard with for a looong time, or you just weren’t going to get it.

I didn’t get it.

That is until one day when I heard Dad playing one of their seminal albums “Wish You Were Here”. Incredible.

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1975 in all its glory. 5 amazing songs and no messing about. Unless you call one song split into 9 parts messing about. Which I don’t. Perfect production on perfect songs, with perfect musicianship, and a beautiful message to their friend and founder of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, whose mind had lost the war against psychedelics years earlier. If you haven’t seen the Classic Album documentary on the making of it, then CHECK IT OUT!

This album was the start of my Pink Floyd journey. The obvious other finds were Dark Side Of The Moon, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Atom Heart Mother & Obscured By The Clouds. I soon realised I loved everything from 1967 up until the glorious “Wish You Were Here” in 1975….and not a lot after that. Which I think is ok, isn’t it? Just because you love an artist doesn’t mean you need to love the entire output? (Obviously Paul McCartney is the exception here)

So 6th of March is your birthday, Mr. Gilmour. The big seven-o! What better way to say happy birthday then to reel off 7 moments in musical history that mean a lot to me. The Internet loves a good countdown. The Internet loves YouTube. I present a countdown in YouTube clips….you won’t believe what comes in at number one.

#7: Pink Floyd – Time

#6: Pink Floyd – Money

#5: Pink Floyd – Wot’s…Uh The Deal

#4: Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb (yes I know it’s after 1975, but it’s guitar glory!)

#3: Pink Floyd – Have A Cigar

#2: Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (all 9 parts together in one glorious 25 min clip)

#1: Kate Bush – The Man With The Child In His Eyes (discovered, championed & produced by David Gilmour)

The world owes you big time, Mr. Gilmour, even if only for the discovery of Kate Bush. 

For anyone interested in checking out more Floyd, The Muses has a tonne of stuff here!