David Gilmour says one Pink Floyd album made him retire band as it had become a ‘burden’

The retirement of the band name Pink Floyd came after David Gilmour dubbed it a “burden” to continue with.

Though the guitarist found fame alongside Roger Waters in the group, Gilmour continued with the Pink Floyd name even after the bassist left. Waters left the group in 1985, two years after the release of The Final Cut. Even after his departure, though, Pink Floyd released three more albums. A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell were released in 1987 and 1994, respectively, while the group’s final album to date, The Endless River, was released in 2014. Gilmour continued on with the group but found the name of the band too tricky to deal with, eventually opting to retire the group and focus on his solo works.

Gilmour suggested in an interview back in 2011 that he resented being the “sole leader” of the album after Waters left the group. It was also too difficult to carry the weight of expectation associated with the band, which had released hits like The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals in the years leading up to The Final Cut. Gilmour shared he was glad to get rid of the Pink Floyd tag, as the smaller-scale shows he could perform under his solo name were much more enjoyable.

He told Rolling Stone Magazine back in 2011: “I was launched into being pretty much the sole leader by Roger leaving, and I was having to bear that hurdle, that burden, all by myself.

“It was difficult, it was a learning curve, that first album. But you know, The Division Bell’s got a lot to be said for it. After that, the weight of carrying that burden was getting a bit much. And I thought I might sort of retire or look into solo things.”

Gilmour would thankfully not retire and instead began performing under his own name, albeit after the dismissive reaction to The Division Bell. Gilmour added: “Doing it on a slightly smaller scale without the expectation of that Pink Floyd tag on it, doing whatever I wanted with whatever musicians I wanted was joyful.

“Not many people want to change scale in that direction, to downsize. Most people want to get as big as they can be and cling up there to the last possible dying gasp. I’ve been there, and I’ve done it, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m satisfied with it, and I just do not want to play a stadium again.”

Gilmour has since played the likes of Madison Square Garden, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Amphitheatre of Pompeii. His most recent tour saw him sell out Madison Square Garden two nights in a row, where he played a mix of Pink Floyd classics, contemporary hits, and solo deep cuts. A full setlist for his most recent gig, on November 10, 2024, can be found below.

• 5 A.M.
• Black Cat
• Luck and Strange
• Breathe (In The Air)
• Time
• Breathe (Reprise)
• Fat Old Sun
• Marooned
• A Single Spark
• Wish You Were Here
• Vita Brevis
• Between Two Points
• High Hopes
• Sorrow
• The Piper’s Call
• A Great Day for Freedom
• In Any Tongue
• The Great Gig in the Sky
• A Boat Lies Waiting
• Coming Back to Life
• Dark and Velvet Nights
• Sings
• Scattered
• Comfortably Numb