Pink Floyd’s “Money” was released on May 7th, 1973. While an English rock band, a majority of their audience proved to be from the United States. The song came in the immediate aftermath of the United States pulling ground troops out of Vietnam on March 29th, 1973. The Vietnam War was a catalyst for many movements and themes within music. However, the 1970s decade would provide a new opportunity for themes to be seen throughout the industry. During the 1970s there was a great recession that faced the whole world. Stagflation through capitalist countries and stagnation in socialist countries set in as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The first oil crisis (1973) occurred when OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) held an embargo against countries supporting Israel. These countries were predominantly Middle Eastern countries that opposed Israel whether through war or economic relationships. Western countries’ favorable relationship with Israel in my analysis led the oil rich countries to try to gain two simple things: economic power, and a dissolution of Israeli-Western Relations. While this embargo did lead the Middle Eastern countries to gain significant economic success, it led to significant economic downturn in the West. The embargo skyrocketed the price and caused shortages of Oil in the United States and in other countries. The inflation spread across numerous industries and would lead to the 1973-1974 Stock Market Crash. Inflation was also compounded with high unemployment rates. This in turn shifted the economy into a recession, ending the post-war economic boom.

Keynesian Economics fueled the post-World War II economic boom. Keynesian Economics was rooted in higher government spending and lower tax rates. The theme of money and spending is omnipresent in Pink Floyd’s hit song “Money” from The Dark Side of The Moon. One can understand why this song resonated and garnered significant success because it completely reflected the time period in which it was released. People were unemployed, and could not spend what money they had on products due to inflation. “Money” tries to talk and take on the idea that money may not be everything and that there is more to life than material and wealth.