Pink Floyd, the band that spawned 70’s electronic space rock artists like Tangerine Dream, has won the ABBA prize.

Floyd and American soprano Renee Fleming were awarded Sweden’s annual Polar Music Prize on Wednesday, joining an eclectic group of winners including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Quincy Jones and Joni Mitchell.

The award, given each year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, is the country’s biggest music prize. It was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA.

The committee said Pink Floyd had contributed widely to the development of popular culture, bringing together art and music.

“Pink Floyd captured and shaped the reflections and attitudes of a whole generation,” the committee said, noting the band’s often sombre, experimental works.

Image: janusz l