Is Pink Floyd the Greatest Rock T-Shirt of All Time?
by Brendon Snyder
Animals Pink Floyd album cover
What’s with the pig? Pink Floyd were pioneers of psychedelic rock, the music and shows were a full-on trippy experience and this gained them fans the world over. The huge inflatable pig floating over Battersea power station in London (on this shirt) is one of the most the most famous album covers of all time. Massive flying pigs were staples of Pink Floyds stage shows throughout the 70’s and 80’s. As with everything that Roger Waters and Pink Floyd did, the piggies represented a deeper meaning, so read on to learn more. It’s this depth and iconic imagery – not to mention mind-blowing music – that gained Pink Floyd global fame and is why this Pink Floyd Animals Tour T-Shirt made it into our Bestseller collection and the latest inductee to TheSocietees Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame™. So why is this shirt flying off the shelves… like a pig?
Pink Floyd Animals
Pink Floyd’s tenth studio album, 1977’s Animals, is both a progressive rock album and a concept album. While the album started out as a collection of unrelated songs, it was eventually tied together becoming loosely based on George Orwell’s 1945 political fable Animal Farm and was a critique of Capitalism and the decay of society. The album’s lyrics describe various classes in society as different kinds of animals dogs, pigs and sheep. The pigs represent people who are wealthy and powerful – those on top of the social ladder – who think they have the right to dictate those below them. The sheep are people who obey or conform to the pigs’ rule, while the dogs represent businessmen who oppose the pigs but have their own personal agendas as well, not hesitant to resort to ruthless methods when needed (source iloveclassicrock.com).
Fun Piggy Fact: For the album cover, a 40 ft balloon in the shape of a pig was created and secured between the chimney stacks of the Battersea Power Station in London. On the second day of photography the pig broke free, floating away, and disappearing from view. It eventually flew over Heathrow Airport resulting in panic and cancelled flights. Oh what those airline passengers must have thought seeing a giant pig fly by as they prepared to land. Oink!
Fun Piggy Fact 2: The pig that was originally floated above Battersea Power Station was called “Algie”
Pink Floyd Animals US Tour 1977
The classic album Animals inspired the pig imagery – adding the floating pig during the 1977 In The Flesh tour has helped make the image of the pig synonymous with the band. In essence, its become their de facto mascot. Creating a highlight during concerts when the enormous inflatable pig appeared around the PA stacks in a cloud of black smoke during performances of “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” – Epic!
Pink Floyd Animals US Tour 1977 Men’s T-Shirt
This navy blue crew neck shirt continues that legacy with its full vintage color print of the infamous pig. With the added Animals 77 tour information and list of US cities on the back, this shirt is a classic that is meant to be worn proud celebrating a bygone era. This is a firm favorite and a shirt to wear to any gig anywhere, even today
