Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 Introduction
In a Nutshell
"Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" isn't your typical Pink Floyd song. This is a band who believed their music should be listened to, not danced to, and yet we get a catchy disco beat. The members prided themselves on the cerebral nature of their art, but the kids' choir in the second half of the song is a bit gimmicky. How'd that happen?It turns out that the band's producer, who was scheming for a marketable single, played a large role in the making of "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2." The band ended up approving the song, but it took 'em a while to come around.
Lo and behold, "Another Brick in the Wall" became the band's only #1 hit, and it remains one of their most recognizable songs. On top of that, it may be their most important. Most Pink Floyd fans would disagree with you there, citing one of a dozen other more complex and esoteric pieces as better art. But while it may not be on top of the "true fan's" playlist, "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" did play its way into history. Specifically, into the resistance to education as "thought control" in apartheid-era South Africa.
How did a song that started out as a mere 1-minute transition between two other ones end up doing that? You're about to find out, Floydians.
About the Song
| Artist | Pink Floyd | Musician(s) | Roger Waters (bass guitar, back-up vocals), David Gilmour (lead vocals, guitar), Nick Mason (drums), Richard Wright (Hammond organ), Islington Green School student choir (vocals) |
| Album | The Wall | ||
| Year | 1979 | ||
| Label | Harvest (UK), Columbia (U.S.) | ||
| Writer(s) | Roger Waters | ||
| Producer(s) | Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James Guthrie, and Roger Waters | ||
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Learn to play: Tablature Buy this song: Amazon iTunes |
Try Listen and Learn (BETA) | ||
Shmoop Connections
"Another Brick in the Wall" was the work of one of rock and roll's most influential groups. Pink Floyd had innovative instrumentation and provocative concept albums that pushed the boundaries of rock and roll and inspired a host of imitators.But this song influenced more than the history of rock and roll. Its 1984-esque vision of education as a tool for "thought control" struck much too close to home for some people. Faced with an even steeper uphill climb than the Black Americans advocating for more militant measures against U.S. segregation, Black South Africans were locked in a struggle over their country's institutionalized system of segregation, apartheid, at the time this album came out.
In fact, the song was so relevant that the South African government banned it. Needless to say, this song got to be pretty major. And it wasn't because of its disco beat.
On the Charts
"Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song hit #1 in the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Australia, Sweden, and Denmark.
This track is #384 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.