Sometimes, artists will drop albums without any advertising beforehand — remember Beyonce’s 2013 self-titled album? Even more rarely, though, will they drop multiple albums in silence, let alone twelve. According to Consequence, Pink Floyd just uploaded a dozen live albums to streaming services, each from between 1970 and 1972. 

The albums encapsulate the band’s intense live performances across North America and Europe alike, primarily performing songs from their albums Atom Heart Mother (1970), Meddle (1971) and Obscured by Clouds (1972) with some previews of songs from their legendary Dark Side of the Moon. Releasing these albums not only extends fans’ listening experience but extends the band’s copyright period. 

“The copyright law in Europe was recently extended from 50 to 70 years for everything recorded in 1963 and beyond,” a Sony rep told Rolling Stone. “With everything before that, there’s a new ‘Use It or Lose It’ provision. It basically said, ‘If you haven’t used the recordings in the first 50 years, you aren’t going to get any more.’”

In addition to these live albums, Pink Floyd is set to release a remixed version of their 1977 album Animals. The remix won’t have any liner notes, though, since David Gilmour “wanted Pink Floyd to remain enigmatic.” Roger Waters has been working on his own memoir and has a solo tour scheduled for summer 2022. 

Pink Floyd New Live Albums:

They Came in Peace, Live, Leeds University 1970 Washington University 1971
Live at Grosser Saal, Musikhalle, Hamburg, West Germany 25 Feb 1971
Mauerspechte Berlin Sportpalast, Live 5 June 1971
Live, Lyon 12 June 1971, Tokyo 16 March 1972
Live in Rome Palaeur 20 June 1971
Amsterdamse Bos Free Concert 26 June 1971 (Live)
Live in Montreux 18 & 19 Sept 1971
KB Hallen, Copenhagen, Live 23 Sept 1971
KB Hallen, Copenhagen, Vol II, Live 23 Sept 1971
Over Bradford Pigs on the Groove Bradford University, Live 10 Oct 1971
Embryo, San Diego, Live 17 Oct 1971
The Screaming Abdabs Quebec City, Live 10 Nov 1971