Pink Floyd's classic 'The Dark Side of the Moon' turns 50 and is still unsettling to some

Pink Floyd's album rock classic "The Dark Side of the Moon" is about to turn 50.

One of the best-selling releases of all time, "Dark Side" will be reissued in a special deluxe box set ($299.98) with remastered versions of the 1973 album and the live recording "The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974" both on vinyl, CD and Blu-ray Disc on March 24.

The Blu-ray Disc and DVDs boast new high-resolution, Dolby Atmos and surround mixes of the albums.

You can pre-order the box set now on pinkfloyd.com and on Amazon.com.

Also available separately

• The live recording "The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974," previously available in the 2011 six-disc Immersion edition of "The Dark Side of the Moon," released in 2011. Available on vinyl ($35.98) and compact disc ($12.9).

• A book, "Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary," an LP-sized tome ($60) with previously unseen photographs from 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' tours of 1972-1975.

Why is 'The Dark Side of the Moon' legendary?

The album, released in March 1973, made its way to No. 1 on Billboard's album chart and, subsequently, spent a record-setting more than 966 weeks – or more than 18 years – on the Billboard charts.

It is also among the top 25 most-selling albums in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Pink Floyd's "The Wall" is also in the top 10. The biggest all-time seller? No. 1 is The Eagles "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975."

More than 50 million copies of "The Dark Side Of The Moon" have been sold worldwide. The album was added to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in 2012.

Why does "The Dark Side of the Moon" remain relevant?

Its spacey, effects-laden soundscape transcends generations. And the subject matter is evergreen.

The band began work on an album in late 1971 with stress as a common thread, drummer Nick Mason writes in the book "Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd." Their discussions yielded "a list of the difficulties and pressures of modern life that we particularly recognized. Deadlines, travel, the stress of flying, the lure of money, a fear of dying, and the problems of mental instability spilling over into madness," Mason said. "Armed with this list Roger (Waters) went off to continue working on the lyrics."

Bassist and lyricist Roger Waters Waters told Uncut magazine in 2003: "If 'The Dark Side of the Moon' is anything, it's an exhortation to join the flow of the river of natural history in a way that's positive, and to embrace the positive and reject the negative, given that one might be able to identify with the things which seem to be a matter of great confusion to a lot of people."

What are the most popular songs on 'The Dark Side of the Moon'?

"Money," which opens with the sound of cash registers, was the first single released from the album. It reached No. 13 on the Billboard singles chart and remains a staple on classic rock radio. "Us and Them" was also released as a single.

Although it was not released as a single, "Time" with its cacophony of clocks chiming and ringing, is also a classic rock staple. "Brain Damage" references a lunatic "on the grass" and "in the hall," which are references to former bandmate and Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett who would be dismissed from the band in 1968. His use of psychedelic drugs led to erratic behavior and schizophrenia, the band has said. Barrett died in 2006.

Are Pink Floyd still recording?

Keyboardist Rick Wright died from cancer in 2008. Roger Waters, who begins a European tour in March, has made "The Lockdown Sessions," new versions of previously released songs, available on YouTube and music streaming services.

David Gilmour and Nick Mason released the song, "Hey Hey Rise Up," a protest song created in collaboration with vocalist Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band Boombox. Proceeds from sales of the single will go to Ukrainian humanitarian relief, the band said.

Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets band, which included Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp finished a U.S. tour in October 2022.

Other activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 'The Dark Side of the Moon'

Animators can submit their work for new music videos for the songs on "The Dark Side of the Moon." Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Aubrey 'Po' Powell (Pink Floyd's creative director) and the British Film Institute will judge entries.

Deadline for submissions is November 30. For more information go to pinkfloyd.com.

In March, planetariums across the world will play the album accompanied by "stunning visuals of the solar system and beyond," according to the announcement.

Contact your local planetarium to see if it's participating.

And what's the connection between 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'The Dark Side of the Moon'?

The band has always denied any link to the classic movie, but an urban legend persists that if you sync the movie and the album, you will see some "tidy thematic coincidences" between them, music publication Goldmine said.

Why are some upset about 'The Dark Side of the Moon' 50th anniversary logo?

The band's social media accounts were updated Thursday with the new 50th anniversary logo, which has a pyramid and the number 50 with the zero filled with rainbow colors. That didn't set well with some followers who apparently thought the band were supporting LGBTQ principles by using the rainbow, which has come a symbol of gay pride.

The album's cover has always had a prism emitting a rainbow-colored array of light. "Apparently, Pink Floyd is 'woke' because they put a rainbow on the 50th anniversary logo of an album that had a rainbow on its original cover," wrote one person on Twitter. "I (expletive) can't deal with the ignorance."

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pink Floyd, 'Dark Side of the Moon' 50th anniversary box set coming