 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Dark Side of the Moon
- By Pink Floyd
- Genre: Rock
Common Sense Media says
Still a hit decades later, this album made Floyd superstars.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Dark Side of the Moon is one of the best-selling albums of all time and a huge musical achievement for pioneering space-rockers Pink Floyd, who in this album achieve feats of trippy sound and musical transportation that are all the more amazing because digital production tools were still decades away. There's an isolated swear word in this heavily instrumental, atmospheric album, but you may be more troubled by the lyrics' relentless harping on the meaninglessness of life.
What's the story?
On THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, Pink Floyd reached its undisputed creative peak with an ambitious, full-blown concept album of intricately crafted instrumental passages punctuated by occasional lyrics. Bandmembers David Gilmour (guitar), Roger Waters (bass), Rick Wright (keyboards), and Nick Mason (drums) are both skilled and creative in this musical experience that carries the listener into outer space, with lots of lyrics about alienated modern life for company.
Is it any good?
Not only did The Dark Side of the Moon top the Billboard album chart in the year of its release, it also continues to spend time on that chart to this day. It's one of the most influential albums in rock 'n' roll history, covered by untold numbers of bands, and used as a soundtrack for everything from parties to planetarium shows. One of the albums most commonly shared among generations of rock 'n' roll lovers, it's not everyone's dish, but it's an undisputed classic, with many well-known tunes including "Money" and "Time." It's really meant to be heard straight through, though.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about whether older members of the family liked this album when they were young, what their experience of it was, and whether they've ever seen it performed live.
What do you think of the guy's attitude in "Money"? What do you think the guy who wrote the song thinks of him?
Why do you think they call this space music? Have you ever seen a planetarium show that used it for a soundtrack?
Why do you think this album is still a bestseller decades after its release?
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- Teens & kids
Teen, 17 years old
June 22, 2012
AGE
Classic psychadelia
One of the best albums of all time. There is so much to love about this album, from the hypnotic keyboarding of On the Run, to the funky bassline in Money. The fact that is more mature music, makes this more appreciated by teens and adults
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Teen, 14 years old
August 8, 2012
AGE
One of the best albums.
Excellent album! Great music, great band. A few sketchy lyrics here and there but mostly the words are hard to understand or are waist deep in metaphors, so it shouldn't be an issue at all. Two or three cuss words but not graphic at all. Should be fine for 11+ unless they're really, REALLY immature.
What other families should know:
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Teen, 17 years old
February 24, 2013
AGE
Fine album
"Money" was the very first song I heard from this album. I heard it play on the radio one day and I heard something get cut out. I listened to it and heard the uncensored lyrics: "Don't give me that do goody good bulls**t". When I heard "Brain Damage" lyrics: "The lunatic is in my head / The lunatic is in my head / You raise the blade, you make the change / You re-arrange me 'till I'm sane / You lock the door / And throw away the key / And there's someone in my head, but it's not me / And if the cloud bursts thunder in your ear / You shout and no one seems to hear / And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes / I'll see you on the dark side of the moon", I realized it referred to brain surgery. Luckily, it didn't frighten me as it would frighten those who listen to this album. Also, at the start of "Speak To Me/Breathe" we hear this piece of spoken dialogue: "I've been mad for f**king years, absolutely years, been over the edge for yonks, been working me buns off for bands..." I used the songs "Money", "Time" and "Brain Damage" in three of my YouTube videos. Plus, "On The Run", "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Any Color You Like" are instrumental. And the song "Us and Them" contain these lyrics: "Me and you / God only knows it's not what we would choose to do"
What other families should know:
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Teen, 13 years old
April 10, 2013
AGE
REAL MUSIC RIGHT HERE!
Is it odd for someone whose 13 years old to be a very big fan of Pink Floyd? Well it shouldn't be! For those who are rock junkies, you WILL like this album! Trust me! To the parents, the only real problem that you will find is the language, e.g. at the beginning of the first track "Speak to Me" there is the line "I've been mad for f****** years" but is rather faint and the line on "Money", "don't give me that goody-good bull s***". Violence isn't much of a problem, the track "On the Run" basically sounds like the title, just very trippy and intense and at the end of the song there is an explosion. The topic of "The Great Gig in the Sky" is death although the narrator hints that it's just hypothetical. The topic of "Us and Them" is also on violence and war, although the message isn't too obvious and may take some figuring out. All in all, a rock classic for sure and if you are interested in this band, the only real album you should be wary of should be "The Wall" (especially the movie). The Wall album should be 16 years and older (for language and violence) and the movie IS NOT FOR KIDS (for language and especially sexual content and violence).
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Teen, 16 years old
February 18, 2013
AGE
Everyone needs to hear this.
I will start by saying this: I am a 16 year old Pink Floyd fan, who had even gotten the opportunity to go to Roger Water's The Wall tour back in May. That said, it should be obvious what I think of this album; I love it. While it isn't my favorite Floyd album like it seems to be with most Floyd fans, I still love it, as with the band's other 13 albums. Every track is absolutely amazing. The only thing I can think of that wouldn't be good for kids is the use of the word "bull****" in the song "Money". Apart from that, there's nothing bad in this album.
I give it a 9/10, only because there are a few more Floyd albums I love even more.
What other families should know:
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| Artist: | Pink Floyd |
| Type: | Album |
| Release date: | March 24, 1973 |
| Label: | Capitol |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Parental advisory: | No |
| Edited version available: | No |
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