Dark Side of the Rainbow

We have all heard or even tried listening to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” while watching “The Wizard of Oz”.  How did this urban legend start?  Who started it?

The idea originated via postings in early‑90s Usenet forums, suggesting that if you hit play just as the MGM lion roars, often the third roar, the mismatched duo aligns in uncanny ways.

Journalist Charles Savage first brought the theory into mainstream awareness in a 1995 Fort Wayne Journal Gazette article. He described the result as “astonishing,” noting that music and dialogue intertwine as though the film were an unofficial music video for the album. Fans cite moments like Clare Torry’s vocal climaxes in “The Great Gig in the Sky” syncing with Dorothy’s tornado escape, or the heartbeat ending of “Eclipse” coinciding with the Tin Man’s silent chest.

Boston DJ George Taylor Morris further amplified the legend in 1997, hosting the idea on his radio show and calling the synchronization “amazing cosmic coincidences”.

Could it have possibly been by design?…No.

The members of Pink Floyd and their engineer, Alan Parsons, have consistently denied any intent behind the alignment. David Gilmour dismissed the theory as “coincidences” and “some guy with too much time on his hands.” Parsons noted that at the time of recording, “we had no means of playing videotapes in the room at all,” and Roger Waters outright called the theory “bulls***”.

So, is it magical or merely a mind-bending coincidence? Either way, this quirky cultural legend remains an enduring testament to how art can mysteriously resonate when imagination takes the wheel.