Compiling a greatest hits album is tricky business, especially for a band like Pink Floyd. What the members feel represents their best work doesn\u2019t always align with public opinion or what record labels deem the most marketable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That discrepancy became particularly clear when David Gilmour championed the inclusion of a lesser-known track, \u2018Fat Old Sun<\/em>,\u2019 on their greatest hits album, but was ultimately shot down by his bandmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The challenge with selecting Pink Floyd\u2019s best songs lies in their ever-evolving sound and history. Their career spans distinct eras, from their early rhythm and blues roots to the psychedelic days of Syd Barrett, and finally, their transition into one of the most influential progressive rock bands of all time. How could a single tracklist accurately capture this diverse timeline?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some tracks were obvious contenders for the greatest hits album. Songs like \u2018Another Brick in the Wall<\/em>,\u2019 \u2018Wish You Were Here<\/em>,\u2019 and \u2018Comfortably Numb<\/em>\u2019 were non-negotiable, given their widespread appeal and iconic status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But for Gilmour, the selection process was more personal, tied to his own emotional connections to certain songs. One track in particular, \u2018Fat Old Sun<\/em>,\u2019 from their 1970 album Atom Heart Mother<\/em>, was a point of contention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Atom Heart Mother<\/em> exists in a transitional phase of Pink Floyd\u2019s career. The band was still finding their footing after Syd Barrett\u2019s departure and hadn\u2019t yet achieved the monumental success of Dark Side of the Moon<\/em>. It\u2019s not their most beloved or commercially successful album, but for Gilmour, it holds sentimental value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Fat Old Sun<\/em>\u2019 was one of Gilmour\u2019s first solo songwriting efforts within Pink Floyd, and he played almost all the instruments on the track himself, including guitars, bass, drums, and vocals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Gilmour, it wasn\u2019t just another song\u2014it represented a significant moment in his development as a musician and his increasing role within the band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a 2008 interview, Gilmour revealed his deep connection to the song, saying, \u201cI\u2019ve always liked the song, one of the first I ever wrote.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n However, despite his emotional attachment and the track\u2019s personal significance, the rest of the band didn\u2019t feel the same way. When Gilmour lobbied for its inclusion on Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd<\/strong>, his request was denied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey weren\u2019t having it,\u201d Gilmour admitted, recalling the opposition from his bandmates. While Gilmour\u2019s feelings were clear, \u2018Fat Old Sun\u2019 never resonated with fans or critics on the same level as their more popular tracks. In fact, when it was originally released, Rolling Stone slammed the song, calling it \u201cEnglish folk at its deadly worst.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n In the end, despite its special place in Gilmour\u2019s heart, \u2018Fat Old Sun<\/em>\u2019 didn\u2019t make the cut. It\u2019s a reminder of how personal attachment and public perception can diverge wildly when deciding a band\u2019s greatest hits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Compiling a greatest hits album is tricky business, especially for a band like Pink Floyd. What the members…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7565","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-musician"},"yoast_head":"\n\n
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