Bass guitarist and lyricist Roger Waters conceived The Wall as a rock opera during Pink Floyd's 1977 In the Flesh Tour, when his frustration with the audience became so acute that he spat on them. The story, which explores themes of abandonment and personal isolation, follows Pink, a character whom Waters modeled after himself and the band's original leader, Syd Barrett. Pink's life begins with the loss of his father during the Second World War and continues with abuse from his schoolteachers, an overprotective mother, and the breakdown of his marriage; all contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society, represented by a metaphorical wall.
The band, who were then struggling with various personal and financial difficulties, supported the idea. Waters enlisted an outside collaborator, Canadian producer Bob Ezrin, due to his need for somebody who he felt was "musically and intellectually" similar to himself, as well as a helping hand for the cumbersome amount of material that was written. Recording lasted from December 1978 to November 1979. Keyboardist Richard Wright was unceremoniously fired from the band by Waters during its production but remained as a salaried musician, performing with Pink Floyd during the subsequent tour. The performances, which were later released as a live album, featured elaborate theatrical effects. Some of the album's themes would be continued in the band's next album, The Final Cut (1983), which contained some outtakes from The Wall.
The album was one of the best selling of 1980 and by 1999 it had sold over 23 million RIAA-certified units (11.5 million albums) making it the third-highest certified album in the United States. Rolling Stone placed The Wall at number 87 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It is the last studio album released with the 11-year-spanning line-up of Waters, Wright, guitarist David Gilmour, and drummer Nick Mason.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall