Pink Floyd, The wall vs Dark Side of the Moon.

I'll try to cut to the chase. Before we can list reasons for why X is superior to Y we need to define the notion of superiority. In other words, what makes art good? Pro does not address this question and jumps directly into intuition-based criticisms and points which appear to be prima facie anti-DSOTM. Anyway, what is good art? First we need to address the purpose of art: To convey a message to an audience in a creative manner. In this sense, art is both about the message and the style in which is conveyed. As basic as this concept is, it clearly does not include Pro's arguments concerning the relative popularity of songs from each album. While I feel I could certain address these claims sufficiently, I believe the appeal to popularity on Pro's part is fallacious. C1: I don't deny the creative energy that went into The Wall. On the other hand, I feel it would be inaccurate for Con to deny that incredible amount of creativity and effort that went into DSOTM. What is important, however, is the message. The Wall is primarily Waters riffing about the the mental instability of a rock star, who eventually "builds a wall" and his own mental plight. While interesting, DSOTM is pure cultural commentary. The degree to which the viewer can relate to the lyrical message is crucial: DSOTM engages everyday issues and probing cultural commentary (Money, Time) while "The Wall" is much harder to directly relate to due to the fact that it describes the experience of a mentally unstable rock star. C2-3: I don't see how time is relevant. According to Pro, if DSOTM were to add 50 minutes of cows mooing then DSOTM would have the edge in this sense. The issue is quality over quantity, and in this sense I feel DSOTM has the edge. Much of "The Wall" is fillers which can only be considered songs within the context of the albums, and are considered bridges from one song to another. C4: Pro simply word counts. This hardly deserves a rebuttal, and Pro can refer to my last point. 50 minutes of cows mooing should give DSOTM the edge if he seriously wants to continue this line. C5/Appeal to Popularity: Addressed in the introduction. Rebecca Black's hit had more hits than any of those songs. Con CaseP1-Fillers: I'm going to turn Pro's length argument on its head. DSOTM is much easier to listen to straight through in contrast to the almost 1.5 hour The Wall. Additionally, the Wall includes filler songs (i. e. Young Lust, Mother) which slow the pace of the album in a way that is not seen in DSOTM. P2-Message: I've described this in the introduction, but I feel the highly relatable social commentary in DSOTM wins over The Wall's mental breakdown of a rock star. The Wall feels more like an outsider looking in while DSOTM engages the listener in everyday issues. P3-Musical Range: The Wall is largely Roger Waters riffing or "moaning" depending on who you are listening to. Despite it's smaller size, DSOTM displays a wide range of musical styles unseen in "The Wall. " Every track is very distinct ranging from an opera-like performance in Great Gig to a desperate, existential tone in Time and Us and Them, to a funk-rooted strut in Money. DSOTM consistently keeps the listener engaged and on his toes in contrast to The Wall.