Pink Floyd on Vinyl: Meddle's New Orange Marble and the Wish You Were Here Edition You Should Actually Buy

Pink Floyd are back in record-store conversation this week, and for two different reasons. On October 17, 2026, Sony Music released Meddle on San Tropez Orange Marble vinyl as a 55th anniversary edition for the UK's National Album Day, and on the same day the band's YouTube channel premiered a newly restored 4K version of the "Echoes" sequence from George Greenough's 1973 surf film Crystal Voyager. Today, October 21, a Japanese edition of the same orange marble pressing goes on sale with its own gold replica obi strip. That is the news hook. The bigger buying question, though, is the one collectors keep asking all year: with Wish You Were Here turning one year old in its 50th anniversary edition on December 12, which version is actually worth your money? This guide answers both, and it opens our Artist Spotlight series on the artists with the deepest catalogues in our store.

The short answer: if you want the new Meddle, the UK and Japanese orange marble pressings share the same imported 180g disc and differ only in packaging. If you want Wish You Were Here, first-time buyers should start with the 3LP, home-cinema listeners should buy the Blu-ray, and only serious collectors need the deluxe box. The details below explain why.

The news: Meddle on San Tropez Orange Marble vinyl

Fifty-five years after Meddle first reached shops, Pink Floyd's sixth studio album, originally released on October 30, 1971, is the record where the band's shorter songs and its long-form ambition meet: five concise tracks on side one, and the whole of side two given over to "Echoes". The new edition keeps that sequence exactly, with no bonus tracks announced:

• Side A: "One of These Days", "A Pillow of Winds", "Fearless", "San Tropez", "Seamus"
• Side B: "Echoes"

The colour is named after side one's "San Tropez", the breezy song Roger Waters wrote after the band's 1970 trip to the south of France. Note the spelling: Waters' title drops the "Saint", and so does the vinyl. The 4K Crystal Voyager restoration premiered alongside it is the same idea in film form: twenty-three minutes of slow-motion footage shot from inside breaking waves, cut to the whole of "Echoes". Drummer Nick Mason has recalled how the band, watching the sequence on tour in Australia, were blown away by it.

UK edition vs. Japanese edition: what is actually different?

The practical point: this is one pressing with two buying routes, not two different records. Buy the UK edition if you want the National Album Day release; buy the Japanese edition if you collect obi strips or want the translated booklet. Sony has not published a total pressing quantity for this edition, so we are not describing it as a numbered limited edition. If a seller claims a specific pressing number, ask for the source.

We do not currently stock the new Meddle orange marble pressing. The link above goes to our Pink Floyd search page, where our in-stock Pink Floyd titles are listed, rather than to a different album dressed up as this one.

Wish You Were Here 50: every edition, compared

Wish You Were Here, released on September 12, 1975 as the follow-up to The Dark Side of the Moon, is a five-track album built around two long pieces: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Parts 1-5 and Parts 6-9), "Welcome to the Machine", "Have a Cigar" and the title track. The 50th anniversary editions were released on December 12, 2025, so by Christmas 2026 they will have been out for a full year. That matters, because it means you are buying a settled, reviewed edition, not a pre-order gamble. Here is what each format actually contains, based on the band's own announcement and retailer listings:

The Los Angeles 1975 concert, explained

The 16-track live recording is the single biggest reason this edition exists. It was captured at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on April 26, 1975 by taper Mike Millard, whose audience recordings are famous among fans, and it is receiving its first official release here, restored and remastered by Steven Wilson. The concert runs about 2 hours 14 minutes. It opens with early versions of two songs later reworked for 1977's Animals ("Raving and Drooling" and "You've Got to Be Crazy"), then runs through the whole of The Dark Side of the Moon before closing with "Echoes". If you only buy one format for the live material, buy the Blu-ray: the concert is not on the 3LP or the 2CD.

Wish You Were Here 50 vs. the 2011 Immersion box: should you upgrade?

The 2011 Immersion box was the previous definitive edition. It included some of the same rarities (including "Wine Glasses"), a CD of the band's 1974 Wembley performance, surround mixes on DVD and Blu-ray, and memorabilia such as marbles and a scarf. The 2025 edition changes the equation in four ways:

• New material: 6 previously unreleased alternates and demos that were not on Immersion.
• New live show: Los Angeles 1975 replaces Wembley 1974 as the headline concert (Wembley survives only as the deluxe box's exclusive fourth LP).
• New mix: the first Dolby Atmos mix of the album, by James Guthrie.
• No new stereo remix: the stereo album is a remaster, and the 2011 5.1 mix is carried over. If you already own Immersion, the upgrade case rests on Atmos, the Los Angeles concert and the 6 new rarities, not on a rebuilt stereo album.

Our verdict: if you do not own Immersion, the 50th editions are the definitive purchase, full stop. If you do own it, buy the standalone Blu-ray for Atmos and Los Angeles 1975, and skip the box unless you specifically want the Wembley LP, the 7-inch and the book.

Which version should you buy? A decision guide

• You have never owned the album: start with the Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary 3LP. You get the album and every studio rarity at the lowest price in the range.
• You have a surround system or soundbar with Atmos: buy the Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary Blu-ray. Four mixes plus the full Los Angeles concert is the best value per hour of music in the whole edition.
• You are buying a Christmas gift for a serious collector: buy the Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set. The Wembley LP, replica 7-inch, hardcover book and poster are box-only, and a box under the tree beats a single disc.
• You just want the classic album on vinyl, nothing else: the Wish You Were Here 180g Vinyl LP (2016 remaster) is the straightforward choice, and the Limited Edition Yellow Flame Colored Vinyl LP is the coloured alternative.

Starting a Pink Floyd vinyl collection: the route we recommend

New to the band? Buy in this order, and each record explains the next one:

1. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). One of the best-selling albums of all time, and the record every Floyd collection is built around. The current entry point is the 50th Anniversary Remaster 180g LP. Original 1973 UK Harvest pressings are a collector's market with widely varying second-hand prices, so start with the remaster and upgrade later if the hobby takes hold.
2. Wish You Were Here (1975). The emotional centre of the catalogue, and the subject of the comparison above.
3. Meddle (1971). The bridge record: "Echoes" is where the long-form Floyd of the 1970s begins. Watch for the new orange marble pressing, and search our Pink Floyd listings for current stock.
4. Animals (1977). The dark, political follow-up, and the destination of those two early live songs from Los Angeles 1975. Our in-stock edition is the Animals 2016 Remaster LP.
5. The Wall (1979) and beyond. Then branch out: Atom Heart Mother and A Saucerful of Secrets for the experimental years, A Foot in the Door for a single-disc best-of, and Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII (Steven Wilson Mix) 2LP, also available on DVD, for the live film experience.

Christmas gift guide 2026: Pink Floyd picks by budget

• Under a single-disc price: More (2011 Remaster) on CD for the soundtrack fan, or the 8-Tracks Black Vinyl LP (also in a Blue Vinyl edition) for something unexpected.
• Mid-range: the Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary 3LP or the Delicate Sound of Thunder 3LP for a live-era set.
• The big gift: the Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set. It turns one year old on December 12, which makes this Christmas the natural moment to give it.

Browse the full range in our Pink Floyd listings, our classic rock collection, our coloured vinyl collection and our 180g audiophile collection. Every Pink Floyd title linked in this article was checked in stock at the time of writing, and we ship worldwide from Toronto.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in the Pink Floyd Meddle 55th anniversary vinyl?

The original six-track album on San Tropez Orange Marble vinyl: "One of These Days", "A Pillow of Winds", "Fearless", "San Tropez", "Seamus" and "Echoes". No bonus tracks have been announced for this edition.

Is the Meddle San Tropez Orange Marble vinyl a limited edition?

Sony has not published a pressing quantity, and the edition is not described as numbered. Treat it as a National Album Day release produced for the event window, not as a confirmed limited pressing, unless a quantity is published later.

What is the difference between the UK and Japanese Meddle orange marble editions?

The disc is the same imported 180g orange marble pressing. The Japanese edition (catalogue SIJP-248, released October 21, 2026, listed at 4,000 yen) adds a gold replica obi, liner notes, lyrics and a Japanese translation. The UK edition was released October 17, 2026 for National Album Day.

What is included in the Wish You Were Here 50th anniversary deluxe box set?

The 3LP (on exclusive crystal-clear vinyl), the 2CD and the Blu-ray, plus a fourth LP exclusive to the box (Live at Wembley 1974), a replica Japanese 7-inch single, a hardcover book with unseen photographs, a comic-book tour programme and a Knebworth concert poster.

Which version of Wish You Were Here should I buy?

First-time buyers: the 3LP. Surround listeners: the Blu-ray, for the Dolby Atmos mix and the full Los Angeles 1975 concert. Collectors and gift buyers: the deluxe box. If you only want the album itself, the 2016 remaster LP is enough.

Is the Wish You Were Here 50th anniversary box set worth it?

For a serious fan, yes: the Wembley LP, replica 7-inch, book and poster are box-only, and the set collects every format in one package. For a casual listener, no: the 3LP or Blu-ray gives you the music that matters at a much lower price.

What is on the Wish You Were Here Los Angeles 1975 live recording?

All 16 tracks from the April 26, 1975 Los Angeles Sports Arena concert, recorded by Mike Millard and restored by Steven Wilson: early versions of "Raving and Drooling" and "You've Got to Be Crazy", the full Dark Side of the Moon sequence, and "Echoes" to close. It appears on the Blu-ray, not on the 3LP or 2CD.

What is the Echoes Crystal Voyager 4K restoration?

A newly restored 4K version of the "Echoes" sequence from George Greenough's 1973 surf film Crystal Voyager: twenty-three minutes of slow-motion footage shot from inside breaking waves, premiered on Pink Floyd's YouTube channel on October 17, 2026.

Which Dark Side of the Moon vinyl pressing sounds best?

For most buyers, the 2023 50th Anniversary Remaster is the sensible answer: it is current, affordable and widely available. Original 1973 UK Harvest pressings are the collector's choice, but condition and price vary enormously on the second-hand market, so they are an upgrade, not a starting point.

Is the Wish You Were Here 50th anniversary edition remastered or remixed?

Both, in different places: the stereo album is a remaster, the 2011 5.1 mix is carried over, and the genuinely new mix is James Guthrie's 2025 Dolby Atmos version. There is no new full stereo remix of the album in this edition.

How much does the Wish You Were Here 50th anniversary deluxe box cost in Canada?

No Canadian list price has been confirmed. US listings sit above $230, and one Canadian retailer listing we found showed CA$374 and was sold out, which is a single listing, not a market price. Check current Canadian stock before budgeting.

What Pink Floyd vinyl should I buy first?

Start with The Dark Side of the Moon, then Wish You Were Here, then Meddle, then Animals. That order follows the band's own creative arc, and every step is available as a current remaster rather than a second-hand gamble.

Cover photo: Pink Floyd - Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour - Toronto, ON by Bradley Fortner, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.