Claim: Pink Floyd has a member called David Gilmour.

The Wall is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd . It was released as a double album on 30 November 1979 , by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom and by Columbia Records in the United States . Despite an initially mixed critical reaction , The Wall peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart , while it topped the US Billboard 200 chart for 15 weeks . In 1982 , it was adapted into a feature film of the same name . The Wall has since been recognized as one of the most famous concept albums of all time .   Bass guitarist and lyricist Roger Waters conceived the album as a rock opera during Pink Floyd 's 1977 In the Flesh Tour , when his frustration with the audience became so acute that he spat on them . Its story , which follows themes of abandonment and personal isolation , explores Pink , a character whom Waters modeled after himself and the band 's original leader Syd Barrett . Pink 's life begins with the loss of his father during the Second World War , and continues with abuse from his schoolteachers , an overprotective mother , and the breakdown of his marriage ; all contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society , represented by a metaphorical wall .   The band , who were then struggling with personal and financial difficulties , supported the idea . Waters enlisted an outside collaborator , Canadian producer Bob Ezrin , due to his need for somebody who he felt was `` musically and intellectually '' similar to himself , as well as a helping hand for the cumbersome amount of material that was written . Recording lasted from December 1978 to November 1979 , with stops in France , England , New York , and Los Angeles . Waters ' song `` Another Brick in the Wall , Part 2 '' became the band 's first and only chart-topper when released as the album 's lead single . Two songs co-written by guitarist David Gilmour , `` Run Like Hell '' and `` Comfortably Numb '' , were also issued as singles .   The Wall remains the last studio album released with the 11-year-spanning line-up of Waters , Gilmour , keyboardist Rick Wright , and drummer Nick Mason . Wright was unceremoniously fired from the band by Waters during its production , but remained as a salaried musician , performing with Pink Floyd on their subsequent live tour . The live performances , which were later released as a live album , featured elaborate theatrical effects . Some of the album 's themes would be continued in the band 's next album , The Final Cut -LRB- 1983 -RRB- , which contained some outtakes from The Wall . By 1999 , the album had sold over 23 million RIAA-certified units -LRB- 11.5 million albums -RRB- , making it the third-highest certified album in the US . In 2003 , Rolling Stone placed The Wall at number 87 on its list of `` The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time '' .