The Wall is the eleventh album by English rock band Pink Floyd. It was first released as a double album on 30 November 1979 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom and by Columbia Records in the United States. 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 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 named 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. 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 stayed as a salaried musician, performing with Pink Floyd on their subsequent live tour. The live performances, which were later released as a live album in 2000, featured elaborate theatrical effects. Some of the album's themes would be continued in the band's next album The Final Cut (1983), which contained some outtakes from The Wall.
The album is considered to be one of the most recognisable concept albums of all time, and is the band's second best-selling album (after The Dark Side of the Moon) and one of the best-selling albums of all time.
