How Pink Floyd’s ‘Money’ Turned a 4-Track 7/4 Blueprint Into a Surprise Hit

The track that broke The Dark Side of the Moon into the mainstream was recorded on a four-track machine in Abbey Road’s Studio 2 — a setup that forced engineer Alan Parsons to bounce mixes between tapes to layer David Gilmour’s bass riff, saxophone, vocals, and those iconic cash register loops. The 7/4 time signature, unheard of for radio singles in 1973, actually came from Gilmour’s simple counting exercise: “1-2-3-4-5-6-7” repeated while he picked out the bass line. The band worried it would confuse listeners, but the extra beat gave the riff a lurching, catwalk strut that made it impossible to ignore.

The cash register sounds weren’t just gimmick — they were functional timekeeping. Roger Waters collected coins, crumpled paper, and register clanks from his own pocket, then spliced them into a 28-beat loop that matched the 7/4 cycle exactly. This sonic signature anchored the unpredictable rhythm, giving first-time listeners a familiar point of reference (the “cha-ching” of commerce) while their brains subconsciously adapted to the odd meter. Radio programmers initially balked, but DJs noted that callers kept requesting it — the sound of money was recognizable even when the time signature wasn’t. The single reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Pink Floyd’s first American top-20 hit and proving that a seven-beat groove, once anchored by everyday noise, could feel as natural as a four-count.