Airs Friday, August 6 at 10 p.m.

This episode of CLASSIC ALBUMS tells the story of the creation of 1973’s The Dark Side of The Moon—told by the band members who created it. The album claimed a place in the world’s record books, selling more than 30 million copies and remaining on the charts longer than any of its closest competitors—more than 14 years in total. It dramatically transformed Pink Floyd from a band with a cult following to global stadium superstars. 

Before 1973, Pink Floyd maintained a relentless gigging schedule. By the time they were ready to record a new album, the band had already created and been performing much of the material that would become the record. It would be the first album where Roger Waters would supply all the lyrics and the basic concept. With the timeless qualities of its production and the hypnotic evocation of its central themes—alienation, paranoia, madness, war and death—The Dark Side of the Moon dominated the 1970s and 80s. Thirty years later, it still strikes a chord with a new generation of record buyers.

The documentary takes a track-by-track look at the making of the album. All four members of the band—Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright—are featured in exclusive interviews. Roger, David and Richard play songs and demonstrate themes, while original engineer Alan Parsons goes through the multi-track tapes, providing insight into this classic album’s musical fabric.

The episode includes archival footage, photographs and films specially made for the Pink Floyd concerts. The Dark Side of the Moon, with its combination of great songs, inventive effects and one of the best-known album covers in rock history, tapped into the world’s collective subconscious and became one of the truly classic albums of all time.