Eleventh studio album by Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom and by Columbia Records in the United States. Bass guitarist and lyricist Roger Waters conceived the album as a rock opera during Pink Floyd’s 1977 In the Flesh Tour, when his frustration with the audience became so acute that he spat on them. Its story, which follows themes of abandonment and personal isolation, explores Pink, a character whom Waters modeled after himself and the band’s original leader Syd Barrett. Pink’s life begins with the loss of his father during the Second World War, and continues with abuse from his schoolteachers, an overprotective mother, and the breakdown of his marriage; all contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society, represented by a metaphorical wall. The band, who were then struggling with personal and financial difficulties, supported the idea. Together with Canadian producer Bob Ezrin they recorded the album between December 1978 and November 1979 in France, England, New York, and Los Angeles.
The song ‘Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2’ became the album’s lead single and the band’s first and only chart-topper. The songs ‘Run Like Hell’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’ were also issued as singles. Despite an initially mixed critical reaction, The Wall peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, while it topped the US Billboard 200 chart for 15 weeks. In 1982, it was adapted into a feature film of the same name. The Wall has since been recognized as one of the most famous concept albums of all time.
Kate Bush was a fan of the album and used a sample of a helicopter from The Wall in her suite The Ninth Wave.
