Pink Floyd released ‘Atom Heart Mother’ in the US

On October 10, 1970, Pink Floyd released their fifth studio album, ‘Atom Heart Mother’, in the United States. The album followed its UK release on October 2 and became the group’s first release to reach number one on the British album charts.

Described by the band as their most ambitious recording project at the time, the album featured experimental combinations of rock instruments with orchestral arrangements and choral singing. The title track occupied the entire first side of the original vinyl record, developed with the help of composer Ron Geesin. The second side included tracks such as ‘If’, ‘Summer ’68’, ‘Fat Old Sun’, and ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’, the latter of which utilized everyday breakfast preparation sounds as a musical experiment.

The album is also noted for its distinctive cover art designed by Hipgnosis, featuring a photograph of a cow in a meadow without the band's name on the front. While commercially successful, the project later faced criticism from band members Roger Waters and David Gilmour, serving as a document of the band's musical evolution.