Pink Floyd Premieres First Official Music Video for 'Wish You Were Here' After 50 Years
Pink Floyd has officially released the first-ever music video for their 1975 masterpiece 'Wish You Were Here'. The release marks the 50th anniversary of the track, which originally appeared on the album of the same name, say Louder Sound. Despite being one of the most beloved songs in the rock canon, an official visual companion was never created during its initial release cycle, which predated the MTV era by several years. The video premiered on December 24, 2025, as a centerpiece for the band's milestone celebrations.
Directed by Justin Daashuur Hopkins through the production company Son&Heir, the video is a densely layered, psychedelic collage that mirrors the song's themes of absence and longing. It blends archival, never-before-seen footage of the band in the studio with vintage clips of the members traveling through the London Underground. These intimate moments are intercut with surreal animations and stark imagery, ranging from civil unrest to abstract biological symbols, creating a dreamlike reflection on time and memory that resonates with the song's legacy as a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett.
Chart-Topping Success and Record-Breaking Longevity
The arrival of the music video coincides with a massive resurgence for the 1975 album. The recently released 'Wish You Were Here 50' deluxe edition has officially claimed the UK Christmas Number 1 album spot, making it the first time Pink Floyd has topped the charts during the festive season. This achievement has secured a new world record for the longest span between an album’s first and last appearance at the top of the UK charts—exactly 50 years—surpassing the previous record held by The Beatles with 'Abbey Road'.
Guitarist David Gilmour celebrated the news on social media, raising a glass to the "People of Tomorrow" who propelled the album back to the summit. The milestone is particularly poignant given the historically difficult nature of the album’s creation. Both Roger Waters and Nick Mason have recently reflected on the 1975 sessions at Abbey Road Studios as "torture," describing a period where the band felt creatively drained following the global explosion of 'The Dark Side Of The Moon'. Mason admitted in a recent interview that the band felt like they had "hit a brick wall" at the time, yet the resulting work remains a favorite for both the band and fans alike.
The Definitive 50th Anniversary Collection
The 'Wish You Were Here 50' reissue, released via Sony Music on December 12, 2025, offers the most comprehensive look at the album to date. The Deluxe box set features a new Dolby Atmos mix by James Guthrie and a wealth of rarities, including a previously unheard instrumental mix of the title track showcasing Gilmour’s pedal steel guitar. Notably, the set includes 16 live recordings captured by the renowned bootlegger Mike Millard during the band’s 1975 Los Angeles Sports Arena shows, receiving their first official release.
With multiple formats including 3LP clear vinyl and Blu-ray, the anniversary edition also features a legendary—and now fully audible—contribution from jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli on the title track. As Pink Floyd continues to dominate the cultural conversation five decades later, the release of this official video provides a new visual language for a song that has, until now, lived primarily in the imagination of its listeners.
