Release Date: November 30, 1979
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Album: The Wall
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Genre: Progressive Rock / Psychedelic Rock
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Band Context: By the time The Wall came out, Pink Floyd were already rock giants. But the band was also at breaking point — tensions were sky-high, especially between Roger Waters and David Gilmour. Out of that chaos came one of the most powerful tracks in rock history.
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The Song: Comfortably Numb is part of the narrative of The Wall, with Waters writing the lyrics and Gilmour delivering the soaring chorus and legendary guitar solos. The song tells the story of isolation and detachment — being “comfortably numb” instead of feeling the pain of reality.
Impact: Though it wasn’t released as a single in the UK, the song has become one of Pink Floyd’s defining moments. Gilmour’s second guitar solo is often ranked among the greatest solos of all time, regularly topping polls from Guitar World to Rolling Stone. It’s also a live staple, with extended versions on tours like Pulse and Waters’ solo shows.
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Legacy: More than 40 years later, Comfortably Numb is still untouchable. It’s been covered by artists across genres, from Scissor Sisters’ disco twist to Eddie Vedder’s raw live versions. For fans, though, nothing beats the original — Waters’ cold narration set against Gilmour’s soaring guitar is pure rock magic.
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Why It Still Hits: It’s not just about the riffs or the solos (though, let’s face it, they’re untouchable). It’s about that feeling of disconnection that everyone has felt at some point. Pink Floyd bottled it in a six-minute masterpiece.