Legendary Classic Rock Band Didn’t Actually Score That Fantasy Movie

I’ve been told my whole life that I owe it to myself to watch The Wizard of Oz while listening to Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Viewing it this way is commonly referred to as The Dark Side of the Rainbow, I can’t say I was too impressed when I finally got around to it. I love Pink Floyd. I love The Wizard of Oz. The combination, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired because it’s not a good example of film album synchronization.

In fact, The Dark Side of the Rainbow pales in comparison to an Instagram account I follow that synchronizes traumatic horror scenes with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.”

Roger Waters Has Repeatedly Denied The Claims

When trying to figure out if The Dark Side of the Rainbow was intentional, it’s best to consider the source: Roger Waters. A quick Google search brings up myriad interviews where Waters makes it clear that the alleged synchronicity is nothing more than cosmic coincidence.

Pink Floyd wasn’t watching The Wizard of Oz on a loop while working on The Dark Side of the Moon. They didn’t subconsciously absorb the film’s beats and write an album around it. The idea falls apart on runtime alone: the album clocks in at 43 minutes while the film runs for 101 minutes.

The Result Of Dumb Luck

As much as I wanted The Dark Side of the Rainbow to work, it doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. By a stroke of dumb luck some transitions land nicely, but it doesn’t take a genius to point out that things that sound alike tend to sync up. The album’s noisy transitions happen to line up with noisy moments in the movie. Who would have thought?

The Wicked Witch of the West’s dialogue overlapping with “Us and Them” is just another example of apophenia– the human urge to find patterns in randomness. Look hard enough, and you’ll always find connections that were never there.

Worth A Watch, But Won’t Blow Your Mind

All things considered, The Dark Side of the Rainbow is neat … for about 43 minutes. But it’s not going to melt your brain. Maybe with a couple special brownies and the right lighting you’ll get a kick out of it, but it’s more of a curiosity than a revelation. You’re better off listening to Pink Floyd on a long drive and watching The Wizard of Oz for what it is.