The Wall (Pink Floyd) – Songs Ranked

“The Wall” is one of my favourite albums ever, so I can’t believe I haven’t ranked the songs from it yet – thanks to “Desmond” for pointing that out!

There’s a lot of songs here jam-packed with Pink Floyd goodness, so you can imagine my opinions vary wildly. Let’s get to it!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Meh

26 – Goodbye Cruel World

There are no bad songs on “The Wall”, but “Goodbye Cruel World” is a very weird way to end the first half of the album.

25 – Vera

Another short spoken-word song like “Goodbye Cruel World”, except the background music in “Vera” is a little more notable.

OK

24 – Stop

The shortest song on the album, but the piano is quite nice.

23 – Bring The Boys Back Home

“Bring The Boys Back Home” works best when paired with “Comfortably Numb”, as on its own it’s too aimless and brash.

22 – Don’t Leave Me Now

“Don’t Leave Me Now” is a song of two halves. The first half (or more like three-quarters) is quite possibly my least favourite part of the album, but the last minute rescues it from the bottom of the list with some beautiful arrangements.

21 – Outside The Wall

A slightly odd tone to end the album with, but “Outside The Wall” wraps up the story in a decent way.

20 – Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 1

No, not the famous one – the quick warm-up that plays beforehand. Bet that made your heart skip a beat.

19 – Nobody Home

One of the more filler songs on the album.

Good

18 – One Of My Turns

It can get a little pretentious at times, but I like the energy of “One Of My Turns”.

17 – Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 3

Again, not the famous one. This time, “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 3” plays after the iconic track.

You might think that would make it the worst one, since the best is already behind us by this point, but this instrumental is surprisingly groovy.

16 – The Thin Ice

I love the guitar hook near the end of “The Thin Ice” – this is a decent early song to get listeners in the mood.

15 – In The Flesh

An extended version of the opening track. “In The Flesh” has some provocative lyrics and good musical ideas, but it feels a bit repetitive.

14 – The Show Must Go On

I love the harmonies and vocal delivery on “The Show Must Go On”, but it’s too short to rank higher.

13 – Empty Spaces

The dark and foreboding tone of “Empty Spaces” is what sets it apart, and I love how it feeds into “Young Lust”.

12 – Waiting For The Worms

“Waiting For The Worms” used to be quite far down on my ranking, but on a recent re-listen I finally appreciated it.

It’s got a catchy vocal hook, and it’s a suitably grand lead-in to the final few show-stopping tracks.

11 – Is There Anybody Out There?

This is exactly the kind of haunting sonic landscape I was looking for from a Pink Floyd concept album.

10 – The Happiest Days Of Our Lives

Roger Waters’ snide vocal delivery is what sells “The Happiest Days Of Our Lives”, and the lead-in to “Another Brick In The Wall” is legendary.

Great

9 – In The Flesh?

The opening track of a 26-song concept album needs to set the tone properly, and “In The Flesh?” has drama in every note played.

The guitar riff is gargantuan, and the lyrics set the stage for the story to come.

8 – The Trial

The big finale of the album – “The Trial” acts more like a showpiece or stage production rather than a rock song, but that’s what makes it so unique.

The music and lyrics captivate at every moment, and the whimsy of the instrumentation evokes an old-timey Disney film or pantomime feel.

7 – Mother

A quieter, more understated song on the album, but “Mother” is just as sombre and though-provoking as the other tracks.

I love the odd time signature and the heartfelt vocals – I especially like how the lead singer switches halfway through to change perspectives.

6 – Goodbye Blue Sky

Everything from the arrangement to the lyrics is haunting within “Goodbye Blue Sky”.

It can be a genuinely uncomfortable listening experience at times, and it adds to the overall story of the album.

5 – Run Like Hell

“Run Like Hell” is one of the most underrated songs on The Wall.

The guitar riffs are electric, and the rest of the instruments and vocals perform with a furious energy.

4 – Young Lust

“Young Lust” is a little like “Run Like Hell” in that the whole band is putting in energetic performances, but I think I’d give the slight edge to this one.

There’s a suave yet sickly undertone to the whole song, and the groove is a highlight of the album.

Amazing

3 – Hey You

Pink Floyd are the masters of creating dense musical atmospheres, and “Hey You” has melodrama in spades.

It’s a brilliant, sinister start to the second half of the album, with some great guitar breakdowns.

All-Time Great

2 – Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2

Never in a million years did I think that a disco-infused Pink Floyd song would work, so the fact it works so well is mind-boggling.

Roger Waters lays down one of his very best bass grooves, and the accusatory lyrics really hammer home the themes of the album.

1 – Comfortably Numb

“Another Brick In The Wall” might be the more universally-loved track, but “Comfortably Numb” is always the one I keep coming back to this album for.

It’s a textbook case of flawless songwriting and production, with some incredible vocal performances, orchestral arrangements and two of the greatest guitar solos of all time.

Aaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: