Around a dozen times.

Around a dozen. Pink Floyd performed the complete Dark Side of the Moon suite live about 12 to 14 times before the album came out in March 1973.

They started playing it in January 1972, during a UK tour. The piece was still a work in progress — they even called it “Eclipse” or “The Dark Side of the Moon: A Piece for Assorted Lunatics.” Each show was essentially a rehearsal in front of an audience. They’d tweak the arrangements, the sound effects, the vocals — all based on how it landed live.

By the time they hit the studio, they’d already stress-tested most of the material. That’s one reason the album sounds so tight.

A pretty smart way to break in a masterpiece.