With two of the most successful albums in rock history, the members of Pink Floyd are among a select few rock musicians to have left an indelible mark on the cultural life of their times.

Their flamboyant emergence in the mid 1960s put them at the fulcrum of British youth's social and artistic experimentation. In early days, songs like "See Emily Play", written by their initial singer Syd Barrett, helped revolutionize the content of pop music. Later, the group's instrumentals extended the range of what was conceivable in the genre. Worldwide acclaim followed with the albums The Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall.

This brief history describes the group's path from Barrett's inspired but short-lived leadership to the group's eventual disintegration and sporadic revivals. Among highlights, it chronicles the rivalry between bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour, Waters' departure, and Gilmour's determination to steer the band to a career-capping high note as the 20th century came to a close.