The 'More' Soundtrack Fight: Waters vs. Gilmour in 1969

The 1969 album More – Pink Floyd’s first film soundtrack – kicked off a quiet war between Roger Waters and David Gilmour that would define the band for decades. Waters wanted the music to be abstract, atmospheric, and experimental, leaning into long instrumental passages that served the film’s mood. Gilmour, fresh from the Syd Barrett era, argued for tighter songs with hooks, melodies, and structure – something audiences could latch onto.

Neither side really “won.” The album ended up as a messy compromise that actually works: More has both drifting soundscapes (like the nine-minute “Quicksilver”) and proper songs (the lovely “Green Is the Colour”). But the friction was real. Gilmour later said he felt Waters was trying to turn the band into a “drama group,” while Waters accused Gilmour of wanting to be too commercial. This was the first clear instance of their creative split, years before The Wall blew it wide open.