Why Is Dark Side Of The Moon ..Pink Floyd ...Such A Great Album?

Because they stopped with that "that psychedelic noodling stuff" and made an album that dealt with things that "make people mad" if we are to believe them.

In reality, I rarely listen to DSOTM or any Pink Floyd made after that. Probably heard it all too many times for it to still be enjoyable.
 
To me, it's not that great of an album. It's more a product of it's time. When it was released, many of the "Boomer" generation began to graduate to affordable and good sounding stereo equipment that was becoming much more available for them. Also, the recording process had evolved to a point where artists, engineers and producers could create much more detail and space with lower noise floors. This combination enabled listeners to hear more delicate and atmospheric recordings with more clarity and presence. Also, recreational drug use (especially marijuana) was rampant at that point which added another layer of enhancement for listeners. "Dark Side Of the Moon" was the perfect album (and maybe one of the first) to come along and take advantage of the combination of those developments.
 
I think the album flow is great, with so many different styles. Is not just a bunch of songs plopped together. To try and pick it apart is a disservice. An album that is greater than the sum of its' parts.

A theme (habit?) to which The Floyds would adhere for @ least the following two LPs (ie, WYWH and Animals). The Wall is another story altogether. Just my two kopecks.
 
I think Alan Parsons deserves (which he receives) a helluva lotta credit for the @ times "arresting" elements of DSOTM. I the early & mid 70s we played lots of LP through, ie, Side A, flip, Side B. But when DSOTM came along, the playing through thing was practically a necessity. The only LP I'd previously regarded as a "must play all the way through" affair was Marvin's What's Going On: Side 1 > Side 2 @ every spin. Maybe also Superfly (1972). Albums that told stories. In similar fashion DSOTM tells a story, as do WYWH and Animals. So does The Wall, but it's so "way lost" @ the second disc that the story, for me, is no longer interesting until the very (very) last number.
 
It was also brilliantly produced and engineered. I saw a documentary years ago on the making of DSOTM where they went through each song and discussed how and why they did what they did. Gave me an even greater respect for the band, and everybody involved.

I even learned, I think it was the guy that says "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time" had a gold record made for him. He was a janitor at the sudio. They recorded him and he joking said he wanted a gold record if the album went gold. It did, they made him one, but he had move on they couldnt track him down.

Amazing album. Earned every accolade it received.
 
interesting question OP, not so sure there is a way to verbalize my thoughts on this. I have known plenty of people who dislike the album but I have known more that do. This very well could be for the reason that nailer spoke of above and speaks to the folks that I would spend time with back in the day. Let's not forget it was a gatefold cover and I am quite certain I was not the only one that used it for the stems and seeds thing. Also the artwork contained within was just very cool and should not be overlooked when speaking of overall appeal. Storm Thorgerson is by all counts a genius.
The album was on Billboard's top 100 album chart for some 14 YEARS right into 1987, the album was released in '73. Quite a feat.
As for the music, as others have stated it is a concept album and most often would be listened to from beginning to end as opposed to cherry picking tunes. Have you listened to it while watching The Wizard of Oz?
Impossible to say what my favorite piece is on the album, but Clare Torry on The Great Gig in the Sky can bring you to tears in the right mood, clearly a song about one's journey to Heaven.
I could go on and on with random thoughts about this but will stop here.

Geoff
 
The material is very well written. The lyrics range from ominous to whimsical and Floyd was not short of good musicians. The overall production is nothing short of magnificent.

One could say it was heavily influenced by side 2 of Abbey Road and helped move rock music to a level of sophistication that would eventually spark the reaction that became New Wave. Interesting that you have asked about all 3.
 
Great tunes and fantastic production.

I remember my boss (Tech Hifi) turning on what seemed like every amp and speaker in the high end demo room one night after closing, and cranking up the alarm clocks going off at the beginning of 'Time'. Yowza!

bs
 
It was great because it was consistently accommodating to popular tastes. The instant I heard the opening riff to Money I knew I'd heard it a thousand times before. There really was no competition. Yes (the band) was about through, ditto King Crimson. It wasn't rocky enough to be compared with Sabbath or Zeppelin. It basically filled a vacuum. With more vacuum.
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At that time in the college dorm rooms it was playing everywhere. It struck a nerve with that generation. I was out the other day and some young contractors had it cranking on their work boombox. Mass appeal built in. Now, Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, you had to be psycho-delic.
 
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