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Song · Pink Floyd

“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd

“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd appears on 71 radio countdowns from 19 stations between 1976 and 2026. Its best result is #7 on the Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2019). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #500 alternative song of all time.

71countdowns
19stations
#7best position
0#1 finishes
7top 10 finishes
1976–2026years charted

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Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd // Trippy Music Visuals 4k

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"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is the sprawling heart of Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd's 1975 album: a composition in nine parts, cut at Abbey Road Studios with the band producing themselves, and aimed straight at the ghost in their own history. It grew out of a guitar riff of David Gilmour's that Gilmour, bassist Roger Waters and keyboardist Richard Wright worked up together, with Gilmour and Wright doing most of the writing, and the band first played it live on a French tour in 1974.

The ghost is Syd Barrett, the founder who was eased out in 1968 as substance abuse and failing mental health left him unable to create and perform alongside the others. His old school friend Gilmour, first brought in as a second guitarist, took his place. The others felt guilty about pushing him out, even while they believed it had to be done, and they still admired his creativity.

So they wrote him a tribute, and it plays like one: patient, mournful and grand, the sound of a band looking back at the man who started it all and not quite able to reach him.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1976 8 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1976) 50
1978 29 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1978) 50
1979 30 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1979) 50
1994 558 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1995 381 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 318 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1996 63 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 70 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1998 422 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 457 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2001 1108 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 661 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2004 188 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2007 463 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2007 99 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2007) 100
2008 54 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2008) 100
2009 41 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2009) 100
2009 72 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 42 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2010) 100
2010 674 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 40 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2011) 100
2012 20 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2012) 100
2012 107 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 15 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2013) 100
2014 67 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2014 11 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2014) 100
2014 683 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 225 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2015 491 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2015 11 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2015) 100
2015 778 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 11 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2016) 100
2016 516 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2017 9 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2017) 100
2017 374 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2017) 500
2018 8 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2018) 100
2018 281 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 298 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2018) 500
2019 79 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 7 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2019) 100
2019 298 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2019) 500
2019 470 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2020 23 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 78 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2020 9 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2020) 100
2020 257 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2020) 500
2020 465 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2021 38 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 9 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2021) 100
2021 382 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2021) 500
2021 364 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2022 369 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2022 29 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 34 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 10 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2022) 100
2023 461 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2023 73 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 11 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2023) 100
2023 361 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2024 360 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2024) 498
2024 22 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2024) 100
2024 408 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 117 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 47 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 39 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738
2025 348 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2025) 498
2025 14 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2025) 100
2025 101 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2025) 500
2025 30 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2026 769 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917
2026 203 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Shine on You Crazy Diamond; Shine On You Crazy Diamond (I-V); Shine on you Crazy Diamond; Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V); Shine on Your Crazy Diamond; Shine on You Crazy Diamond (1-5).

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