Richard Wright’s keyboards were the quiet engine of Pink Floyd’s atmosphere

Most people credit David Gilmour’s guitar or Roger Waters’ lyrics for Pink Floyd’s sound, but Richard Wright’s keyboards were the actual foundation of that floating, immersive atmosphere. He didn’t just play chords — he used layers of Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, and early synthesizers like the EMS VCS 3 to create textures that felt like slow-moving clouds. Without Wright, the band’s psychedelic and progressive phases would have sounded almost rhythm-and-blues by comparison.

Songs that show his genius: “Echoes” (the entire Meddle piece is built on his piano figure and the way he slides between chords on the Hammond), “Us and Them” (those suspended jazz voicings that make the track sigh), and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (the opening synth washes that sound like a spaceship crying). Also listen to “The Great Gig in the Sky” — the piano part is pure Wright, simple but emotionally devastating, and it’s the skeleton that lets Clare Torry’s vocals fly.