Few albums have cast a longer shadow than The Dark Side of the Moon.
Pink Floyd’s 1973 masterpiece is more than just a prog-rock landmark: it’s a cultural touchstone, marrying immaculate production, philosophical lyrics, and sonic innovation in a way that still feels timeless. But where do you go once you’ve worn out its grooves?
The beauty of Dark Side is that it opened up whole worlds of sound: conceptual albums that fused rock with classical ambition, electronic experimentation, and a taste for the transcendental. Alan Parsons, who engineered Dark Side, carried its legacy into his own band’s I Robot, an immersive exploration of humanity and technology. Meanwhile, Supertramp’s Crime of the Century blends prog rock’s grandiosity with a sharp pop sensibility, while Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden strips rock to its atmospheric core, pointing toward post-rock and beyond.
This list picks 15 albums that share some of Dark Side’s DNA – whether in their ambition, production wizardry, or emotional scope – but each offers a fresh perspective. From cosmic synth odysseys to hushed minimalism, these are the perfect next steps for anyone chasing that same mix of wonder, mystery, and sheer sonic beauty.
1. Alan Parsons Project I Robot (1977)
Alan Parsons’ second album is a natural step for Dark Side fans. Parsons, who engineered Floyd’s masterpiece, applies the same studio wizardry to a sci-fi concept album exploring humanity and technology. The album blends lush orchestration, sleek synths, and rock grooves into a futuristic soundscape that’s both cerebral and accessible. Like Dark Side, it’s immersive, cinematic, and thematically cohesive –perfect for listeners craving ambitious production and expansive sonic architecture.
Key track: I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You
2. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (1975)
An obvious choice but, well, an *obvious* one. If The Dark Side of the Moon is Floyd’s cosmic breakthrough, its successor Wish You Were Here is its more intimate, emotional twin. Both share immaculate production, sweeping soundscapes, and conceptual unity, but Wish You Were Here deepens the melancholy – grieving Syd Barrett’s absence while critiquing the music industry. Tracks like 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' stretch time and space, offering the same mix of grandeur and poignancy that defines Dark Side.
Key track: Wish You Were Here
3. Supertramp Crime of the Century (1974)
Balancing prog’s conceptual ambition with pop sensibility, Supertramp’s breakthrough offers pristine production, sharp songwriting, and dramatic flair. Like Dark Side, the album tackles themes of alienation and societal pressures while keeping melodies front and centre. Its mix of piano-driven ballads, saxophone flourishes, and climactic arrangements make it an emotionally gripping listen – grand in scale but accessible in execution.
Key track: School
4. The Moody Blues Days of Future Passed (1967)
The Moody Blues’ second albumis one of the earliest and boldest attempts to fuse rock with full orchestral arrangements, creating a landmark in the development of the concept album. Structured around the passage of a single day, it shifts seamlessly from dawn to night, weaving lush symphonic textures with psychedelic pop songwriting. That flowing design foreshadows Dark Side’s cohesion, while its emotional sweep is crowned by an enduring hit.
Key track: Nights in White Satin
5. Genesis Selling England by the Pound (1973)
Genesis’ Selling England by the Pound (1973) is one of prog’s most beloved records, blending English wit, pastoral imagery, and complex musicianship. Peter Gabriel’s theatrical vocals bring a vivid, almost cinematic quality to its surreal stories, while the band shifts effortlessly between delicate acoustic textures and dazzling instrumental climaxes.
Like Dark Side of the Moon, it marries virtuosity with accessibility, offering richly layered soundscapes that reward close listening but remain emotionally immediate. Both albums explore weighty themes – identity, alienation, and the search for meaning – through immersive musical journeys.
Key track: Firth of Fifth
6. Camel Moonmadness (1976)
This is often cited as the Floyd fan’s favourite non-Floyd album. It captures the melodic, 'breathable' quality of Dark Side with Andy Latimer’s fluid, Dave Gilmour-esque guitar work and Peter Bardens’ layered, atmospheric keyboards. It’s a masterclass in symphonic progressive rock that prioritizes texture and emotion over pure technical speed.
Key track: Lunar Sea
7. Eloy Ocean (1977)
For those who specifically love Floyd's immersive, 'space rock' elements, this German masterpiece is an essential odyssey. The album leans heavily into cinematic synthesizers, hypnotic bass grooves, and a grand conceptual storyline exploring the mythical fall of Atlantis. Its massive, 'wet' production style utilizes deep reverb and layered textures that perfectly echo Richard Wright’s legendary keyboard washes. Ocean is a sonic journey that captures the same cosmic grandeur found on Dark Side's predecessor Meddle.
Key track: Poseidon's Creation
8. Radiohead OK Computer (1997)
Widely considered the Dark Side of the Moon for the 1990s, this masterpiece mirrors Pink Floyd’s obsession with modern alienation and technological anxiety. Its dense, experimental production and tight thematic cohesion create a similarly immersive journey, replacing 1970s space-rock with a colder, digital-age dystopia. By blending jagged guitars with haunting electronic textures, Radiohead captured a sense of social disconnection that feels both futuristically sterile and deeply, agonizingly organic.
Key track: Paranoid Android
9. Jean-Michel Jarre Oxygène (1976)
If the white noise and electronic pulses of 'On the Run' are your favourite parts of Dark Side, the second album by French synth pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre is the definitive evolution. Jarre created a seamless 40-minute electronic suite that feels like a breathing, living ecosystem. It uses analogue synthesizers to evoke the stillness and weightlessness of space, much like Floyd’s most ambient moments.
Key track: Oxygène (Part IV)
10. Porcupine Tree The Sky Moves Sideways (1995)
Steven Wilson’s ultimate tribute to the Pink Floyd aesthetic, The Sky Moves Sideways is a sprawling, atmospheric journey that mirrors the structural grandeur of Dark Side of the Moon (and, even more so, iots successor, 1975's Wish You Were Here). The album is anchored by its two-part title track, which functions much like 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', bookending the record with expansive, liquid guitar solos and ethereal synthesizer washes.
For fans of Pink Floyd, the appeal lies in Wilson’s masterful use of space – knowing exactly when to let a note linger and when to build into a psychedelic crescendo. It captures that elusive, mid-70s slow-burn intensity, blending ambient textures with muscular rock rhythms. It is the perfect bridge for those seeking the philosophical weight and sonic depth of classic prog-rock in a modern context.
Key track: The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase 1)
11. Talk Talk Spirit of Eden (1988)
It may hail from a wholly different musical era, but Spirit of Eden inhabits a similar emotional landscape to Dark Side. Talk Talk's fourth LP strips rock to its barest elements, unfolding in hushed, meditative tones that blend silence, texture, and emotion into a transcendent, almost spiritual experience. Mark Hollis’ fragile, intimate vocals float over sparse arrangements of organ, piano, strings, and guitar, creating a sense of vast space and emotional depth. Like Floyd’s masterpiece, it prioritises atmosphere and mood over conventional song structures, offering a deeply immersive and hauntingly beautiful journey.
Key track: I Believe in You
12. Tame Impala Lonerism (2012)
For a change of tack, a modern psychedelic masterpiece that will resonate with Floyd fans. Kevin Parker crafts a kaleidoscopic soundscape of swirling synths, phased guitars, and ethereal, dreamy vocals, creating a sense of expansive, introspective space. The album explores themes of loneliness, isolation, and self-reflection, echoing the emotional depth and atmospheric immersion of Floyd’s classic. With a perfect balance of retro influences and fresh, contemporary production, Lonerism feels timeless and deeply engaging, a modern spiritual cousin to Dark Side.
Key track: Mind Mischief
13. Brian Eno Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978)
If Dark Side hinted at pure atmosphere, Eno’s ambient masterpiece delivers it. Music for Airports is sparse, slow, and meditative, designed as “sonic wallpaper” yet endlessly absorbing. Each piece unfolds patiently, with repeating piano figures and hovering synth textures creating a sense of timeless calm. It’s the logical endpoint of Floyd’s atmospheric experiments, turning sound itself into a space for reflection.
Key track: 1/1
14. Massive Attack Mezzanine (1998)
Massive Attack’s Mezzanine (1998) is a perfect listen for lovers of immersive, atmospheric music. A cornerstone of trip-hop, the album combines brooding electronic beats, textured samples, and live instrumentation to craft a dark, paranoid, and cinematic soundscape. Its tightly controlled, conceptual mood envelops the listener, much like Floyd’s masterpiece, rewarding repeated listening. Layered, hypnotic, and emotionally intense, Mezzanine demonstrates how modern electronic production can evoke the same immersive, transformative experience that made Dark Side timeless.
Key track: Teardrop
15. Vangelis Blade Runner Original Soundtrack (1982)
Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack (1982) is a natural companion for fans of The Dark Side of the Moon. Though conceived as a film score, it functions as a fully immersive, standalone work, using dark, synthetic textures to conjure a futuristic, dystopian world. Its expansive soundscapes – combining haunting synth lines, deep drones, and occasional melodic flourishes – mirror the atmospheric richness and seamless flow that defined Floyd’s masterpiece.
Both albums share a high-concept approach: while Dark Side explores human psychology, mortality, and societal pressures, Blade Runner interrogates identity, memory, and technology through sound. Vangelis’ meticulous layering, attention to sonic detail, and dramatic pacing transform the score into a complete, hypnotic environment, much like Dark Side transforms an album into a journey of mood and emotion.
The result is music that is both beautiful and unsettling, dark yet deeply compelling: a conceptual, auditory world listeners can lose themselves in repeatedly.
Key track: Main Theme
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