R.I.P. Professor Stephen Hawking 1942-2018

As the music world marks what would have been Syd Barrett's 80th birthday, Pink Floyd's founding drummer Nick Mason has reflected on the brief, brilliant and ultimately tragic creative arc of the band's original frontman, a figure whose influence still reverberates through rock music nearly six decades after his departure from the group.

Pink Floyd have unveiled the first official music video for Wish You Were Here, marking 50 years since the song's release on the band's landmark 1975 album of the same name. The video arrives half a century after the track first appeared, a reminder of how different the music landscape was in the mid-1970s, when promotional clips were rare and MTV was still years away.

Pink Floyd will mark the 50th anniversary of Wish You Were Here with a major archival reissue arriving on 12 December, and the centrepiece of the release is the first ever continuous edition of Shine On You Crazy Diamond presented as a 25 minute stereo mix. The new version unites Parts I to V and Parts VI to IX in a single sequence, a format long discussed by fans yet never officially delivered until now.

Rock and racing legend Nick Mason, drummer for Pink Floyd and lifelong car enthusiast, is auctioning off one of the most unique collector's items to ever bridge the worlds of music and motoring, his personal Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet Pink Floyd Edition. Every cent raised, including auction premiums, will go to the Harefield Healing Garden Charity, a cause close to Mason's heart.

Fifty years ago, on September 12, 1975, Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here, their ninth studio album and the follow-up to the phenomenon that was The Dark Side of the Moon. Few bands in rock history have faced the challenge Pink Floyd did in the mid-1970s: how do you follow up one of the most successful, best-selling and artistically defining albums of all time? Against that backdrop, Wish You Were Here emerged not only as a worthy successor but as one of the group’s most enduring works.

September 12 stands as a milestone in music history, celebrated for legendary releases and the passing of iconic artists. Globally, it's the day The Beatles soared to No. 1 with “She Loves You,” Creedence Clearwater Revival dominated album charts with Cosmo’s Factory, and Pink Floyd unveiled the classic Wish You Were Here. Journey and Lauryn Hill also secured major chart triumphs, while the world mourned the loss of Johnny Cash. In Australia, the date carries its own weight with multiple number one singles and the birthdays of two significant artists.

September 6 has marked several pivotal moments in music history, from landmark chart successes to the birthdays of future icons. On this day, The Beatles dominated the UK charts, Jimi Hendrix performed a career-shaping set in London, and Elton John scored hits that would cement his place as one of the world’s greatest songwriters. Roger Waters, David Allan Coe and Dolores O’Riordan were all born on September 6, each leaving a lasting imprint on rock, country and alternative music. With legendary performances, celebrated births and classic album releases, September 6 is a day that continues to resonate across decades of music history.