Pink Floyd - Animals - Released Year 1977
Tracklist front / back album covers
Side one
1. "Pigs on the Wing (Part 1)" 1:24
2. "Dogs" 17:04
Total length: 18:28
Side two
1. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" 11:28
2. "Sheep" 10:20
3. "Pigs on the Wing (Part 2)" 1:24
Total length: 23:12
Side one
1. "Pigs on the Wing (Part 1)" 1:24
2. "Dogs" 17:04
Total length: 18:28
Side two
1. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" 11:28
2. "Sheep" 10:20
3. "Pigs on the Wing (Part 2)" 1:24
Total length: 23:12
Animals is the 1977 concept album by Pink Floyd, showcasing a darker, more politically charged sound that’s become a cornerstone of progressive rock. Inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the album’s themes explore social hierarchy, class struggle, and the dangers of authoritarianism.
Musically, Animals is marked by extended compositions, biting guitar riffs, and atmospheric soundscapes that reflect the band’s growing disillusionment with the music industry and society at large.
🌟 The Concept and Sound
The album divides society into three allegorical groups:
Dogs: ruthless capitalists and power-hungry individuals
Pigs: corrupt leaders and manipulators
Sheep: the exploited masses
With only five tracks, Animals uses its expansive song structures to fully develop these ideas, blending hard-edged rock with introspective lyrics and soaring instrumental passages.
Fun Facts about Animals
🎸 The song “Dogs” (originally called “You Gotta Be Crazy”) features some of David Gilmour’s most ferocious guitar work.
🎤 Roger Waters’ biting lyrics in “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” reflect the band’s growing political awareness.
🐷 The iconic floating pig on the album cover was a real inflatable balloon that broke free and caused an aviation alert over London!
🎧 “Sheep” includes a satirical reworking of Psalm 23, emphasizing the album’s anti-authoritarian message.
🎹 Richard Wright’s atmospheric keyboards and synthesizers provide a dark, hypnotic backdrop throughout the album.
🥁 The album’s raw energy foreshadows the band’s tensions during the late ‘70s, setting the stage for The Wall in 1979.
Why Animals is Essential Listening
A landmark in progressive rock, blending social commentary with powerful, immersive music
One of the most cohesive concept albums of the 1970s, with each track seamlessly reinforcing the album’s themes
A showcase of David Gilmour’s legendary guitar tone and Roger Waters’ provocative lyrics
An album that’s as relevant today as it was in the turbulent late 1970s
Animals remains a fan favorite and a critical piece of Pink Floyd’s discography, embodying the band’s fearless experimentation and unflinching critique of society.
Animals is the 10th studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 23 January 1977 through Harvest and Columbia Records. It was recorded at the band's Britannia Row Studios in London throughout 1976, and was produced by the band. The album continues the longform compositions that made up their previous works, including Wish You Were Here (1975). The album received positive reviews from critics and was commercially successful, reaching number 2 in the UK and number 3 in the USA.
Animals is both a progressive rock album and a concept album, focusing on the social-political conditions of mid-1970s Britain, and was a change from the style of their earlier work. Tension within the band during production later culminated in keyboardist Richard Wright leaving. The album's cover shows an inflatable pig floating between two chimneys of the Battersea Power Station, conceived by the band's bassist and lead songwriter Roger Waters, and was designed by long-time collaborator Storm Thorgerson. The band released no singles from the record, but promoted it through the In the Flesh tour. Waters' agitation with the crowd during this tour inspired their next record, The Wall (1979).
