Animals cover art

  Studio Album · No. 8

Animals Songwriting Credits by Pink Floyd

1977 Harvest 5 tracks 42 min

Produced by Pink Floyd  ·  Engineered by Brian Humphries, Nick Griffiths

Harvest Progressive Rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 5 of 5 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 5 / 5 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 5 tracks with documented writers, by whether Pink Floyd carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
5 trackswritten by Pink Floyd 0 tracksoutside writers
Pink Floyd's roles on this album

Share of the 5 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

5
Tracks
2
Lyricists
1
Producers
1977
Released
Data Insight

Animals marks Roger Waters's decisive move to the front of Pink Floyd's writing. He wrote every track alone except 'Dogs,' which is credited to Waters and David Gilmour and grew out of an older Gilmour piece. The concept, splitting society into Dogs, Pigs, and Sheep, is Waters's own loose riff on Orwell's Animal Farm, and the bitter political tone points straight toward The Wall. Richard Wright and Nick Mason play but contribute almost nothing to the composition, signaling the imbalance that would soon fracture the band.

"Animals" is the 1977 album by Pink Floyd, a progressive rock concept album loosely inspired by George Orwell's Animal Farm that critiques capitalism and the moral decay of society. Roger Waters sang lead and played bass, rhythm guitar, and keyboards, David Gilmour played lead guitar and sang, Richard Wright handled keyboards, and Nick Mason played drums, with the record cut at the band's own Britannia Row Studios. Its five tracks include the bookending "Pigs on the Wing" parts, the Gilmour co-write "Dogs," "Pigs (Three Different Ones)," and "Sheep." The album reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and number 3 on the US Billboard 200, where it was certified quadruple platinum by 1995. The cover features a 12-meter inflatable pig floating between the chimneys of Battersea Power Station, an image complicated when the pig broke free during the photo shoot.

Track Listing & Credits 5 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Pigs on the Wing (Part One)
Roger Waters Roger Waters Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)
2
Dogs
Roger WatersDavid Gilmour Roger WatersDavid Gilmour Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)
3
Pigs (Three Different Ones)
Roger Waters Roger Waters Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)
4
Sheep
Roger Waters Roger Waters Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)
5
Pigs on the Wing (Part Two)
Roger Waters Roger Waters Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

More from Pink Floyd

Frequently Asked Questions Animals

What is Animals by Pink Floyd about?
Animals divides society into three classes represented by animals: Dogs (ruthless businessmen), Pigs (corrupt authority figures and moralists), and Sheep (the unquestioning masses). The concept is Roger Waters's loose reworking of George Orwell's Animal Farm, sharpened into a critique of late-1970s capitalism and social conformity.
Did Roger Waters write Animals?
Roger Waters wrote almost the entire album by himself. The only exception is 'Dogs,' which is credited to Waters and David Gilmour. Richard Wright and Nick Mason received no songwriting credits, reflecting Waters's growing control over the band's material.
Were there any singles from Animals?
No. Pink Floyd released no singles from Animals, partly because the songs were extremely long, with 'Dogs' running over seventeen minutes. The band promoted the record through the In the Flesh tour instead.
What is the album cover of Animals?
The cover shows an inflatable pig floating between the chimneys of Battersea Power Station in London. During the photo shoot the balloon broke loose and drifted into airspace, briefly disrupting flights at Heathrow Airport.
How did Animals perform on the charts?
Animals reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and number 3 on the US Billboard 200. It was later certified 4x Platinum in the United States despite having no hit singles.
Who engineered Animals?
Brian Humphries served as the recording engineer, with Nick Griffiths assisting. The album was recorded largely at the band's own Britannia Row Studios in London.
What are the song titles on Animals?
The album contains five tracks: the brief 'Pigs on the Wing (Part One)' and '(Part Two)' that bookend the record, plus the three lengthy centerpieces 'Dogs,' 'Pigs (Three Different Ones),' and 'Sheep.' The three long tracks carry the album's animal-class concept.

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