So

"Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list" It is one of the top-rated comment of 'So' on this site. Well, I can guarantee that I was born a couple of years after 1982 and I not only put this album on my 1001 albums list but I also give it a 5. The reason is that I appreciate great music. 'So' is one of the best albums of the 1980s - this album is a great example that pop music can be excellent if everything is of high quality: songwriting, lyrics, production, singing, etc. Gabriel also invited stellar guest musicians who contributed to the greatness of this album. Even the music video for Sledgehammer is iconic, innovative and the best of the decade. Perhaps it helps that I've seen Gabriel live at a concert and when he played these songs from 'So', the quality was the same as on the album. Mindblowing experience. If there is any pop album that deserves to get high rating, it is this album.

I'm just gonna say Tony F. Levin.

Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list

this album answers the question: what if phil collins was good?

The music on So is world-building, creating a large, almost tangible experience. Take the epic opening track, "Red Rain", to see how large, energetic, yet melancholic the listening experience can be. The tracks invite you in to their own world, yet Peter's voice sounds natural, not constructed, as if he is next to you as he sings. The selection of backing vocals and guest musicials add to both the largeness of the overall experience, and the intimacy of the lyrics. There are clever lyrics with a lot of imagery. I tend to like the the moodier songs on this album. Perhaps it's because I've heard some of the upbeat tracks more often. I've heard all of Peter Gabriel's albums up to this album, and several albums after So. I've listened to this album several times. I've listened to the individual tracks even more often - EVERY. SINGLE. TRACK. How could I not give this 5 stars. There's nothing to skip.

I have this album on cassette & have had it since 1990. It's quintessential 80s Peter Gabriel & it's perfect. Don't Give Up ft. Kate Bush, Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Big Time, and In Your Eyes - Jesus, this is a juggernaut. Something about his voice, cadence, and emotion draws me in. I've been revisiting Peter Gabriel in both his Genesis & solo years lately, and I wish I would've taken a deeper dive sooner. He's touring this year, so I'm taking this as a sign to see him live. I'll regret it if I don't. 5 out of 5.

So… I knew who Peter Gabriel was by name and notably through having heard the songs “Sledgehammer” and “In Your Eyes” but let me share my ignorance with you. While listening to this album I kept thinking “Wow, this album is phenomenal! This sounds like Phil Collins or Genesis”. Then I read the attached Wikipedia article and immediately felt simultaneously smart and stupid. 5/5 for being educated by an amazing album.

In 1992, I went away to college. My Dad was really, really strict, and it was very stressful living at home for the last few years. I can remember laying in my bed in my dorm room, with the wind blowing through the open window, and finally feeling relaxed. Relieved. Free. I can remember doing that same thing many times that first semester. Opening the window, climbing up on the top bunk bed, and just being free. Much of the time, I'd throw an album on at high volume while I zoned out. My roommate happened to own this CD. One day, I decided it was a good time for my ritual, and I put it on. I was familiar with Peter Gabriel but had never listened to this album. It was so overpowering and emotional. The sounds created here were so vivid, it's like I could visualize brushstrokes across my vision of the world through my dorm window. I feel like I lived a whole life in my mind while listening to this album. Everything I had been through, what I wanted out of my life, who the important people were for me, where I wanted to go, what I wanted my college experience to be like, who was I outside of my parents' house on on my own, and so on. I was feeling emotions I had never really acknowledged or experienced before. And as I listened to this album today, I was there again. Re-living that time of my life. But now, I listened while knowing what kind of life I've lived and the choices I've made. I realized "Don't Give Up" is a parents' message to their child. And really everything came full circle. I listened and thought of my kids' lives, and what they will do as they grow. And found myself in that zone again. Really truly feeling happiness. It's a beautiful and entertaining album, and one of the few that exist that really take me to another place. So (pun not intended) happy that it popped up today!

Hello, old friend. It's been too long. You still sound good.

This will never have a revival. Please let these 1980’s production techniques stay buried in the attic. Those who actually enjoyed this at the time are allowed to listen to it with headphones only. The rest of us don’t want to be a part of this. Okay, leave the video for sledgehammer for posterity.

Here is one of the albums that defined my first few years of college. Between being one of my close friend’s favorite artist and the duet with Kate Bush it was impossible for me not to listen. Five of the songs on this album (Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don’t Give Up, Big Time and In Your Eyes) have remained well-known to me since their release. Listening today felt more surprising than I expected. The big songs sound bigger, and the quieter songs speak to me now even more deeply. I’m perplexed how I’d forgotten almost entirely four of the songs when they are so good. This was my introduction to Laurie Anderson and the start of another musical crush. I must remember to go back to those albums now too… It’s great to spend quality time with So again.

This is a Very Special Album, having been a prized tape in my cassette collection from when it came out. The whole thing is so good from start to finish, and I was happy to really notice lyrics and instrumentation that I hadn't really thought about back then. The variety of styles and instruments and voices (Youssou N'Dour was there this whole time?!) are amazing. It opens pretty epically with "Red Rain" before going to the spectacular "Sledgehammer," the song and video of which blew my mind. "Don't Give Up" is a beautiful song that's much more meaningful to me now. Bombastic "Big Time" was another favorite that I'd hadn't heard in too long. "This Is the Picture" is a very cool work featuring Laurie Anderson that I was happy to rediscover. I loved getting to listen to this today so much!

C Red Rain 3 Sledgehammer 2 Don't Give Up 2 That Voice Again 2 Mercy Street 2 Big Time 3 We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37) 3 This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds) 3 In Your Eyes 3 This was so meh. I expected much more from a supposed 80s classic.

Flying songs, Excellent songs Here they come. Despite inventing the sound of the decade when him and Phil Collins accidently created gated reverb, it took a John Hughes movie and a claymation dancing chicken to become a worldwide star. This is in the grand tradition of weird 70s artistes going pop on their own terms in the 80s. For all of the shimmering synths and glistening production tricks, this album doesn't really sound 'mainstream'. Gabriel's voice soars over gospel choirs, 'World' rhythms, and drumstick hit bass guitar. He delivers cutting social commentary on the yuppy mindset (the greatest WrestleMania theme), a minimalist song about birds featuring a conceptual artist, and love songs played endearingly straight. No-one else could have pulled it off. A classic.

A great album, with no fat whatsoever. With So, Peter Gabriel delivered the perfect blend of his prog rock beginnings in Genesis and the heady alt-pop/new wave sounds that took the 80s by storm. The lyrics have soulful depth in places, and cheeky subversiveness in others. The music is complex and surprising, even today, with world music influences galore. Even the grossly overplayed In Your Eyes can still strike the heart, though Don’t Give Up has always been the chilling winner in my book. The videos for the monster hits Sledgehammer and Big Time were all the rage back in MTV days, but the songs still pack a punch even without the clever visuals. No hesitation for me - 5 stars.

5 lovely, nostalgic stars.

I miss some kind of humor. It’s all so serious and I don’t feel any fun. I like Peter’s Voice. Mainly in the contrast to Kate Bush. A great duet. Nice deconstructed sound. Far from everyday Pop Music. I don’t like the slap-guitar. He’s no poet. “Big Time” is the worst song. I doesn’t catch me at all. Over-ambitious, swinging with meaning where there is none. Boring.

And my heaven will be a big heaven / And I will walk through the front door So much I love about this album. It was important to sensitive kids in the 80s. It’s great, maybe not perfect but close enough.

Ah, now this is one of my all time faves. Such a great album. I almost didn’t want to move on so I could keep playing it. It’s that good. Needs must though so on I trundle

Very 80's but this is so so good. I count 6 great tracks out of 9 on the album. Weird to think Peter Gabriel was a 70's prog-rock concept album and then became an 80's pop diva. I can't divorce the music from the videos though - groundbreaking and addictive. But then the 80s was the beginning of the MTV phenomenom and in my head they are one. One of the best and most representative musicians from the decade or any time to be honest.

Really good stuff. I've never heard of this guy before, his vocals sounded a bit like Phil Collins to me lol (and I don't particularly like him or his music) but this was v good Saved tracks: Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, Mercy Street, Big Time, This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)

So is such an 80s album; the schmickly produced pop, the Fairlight CMI, the synth pads, the fretless bass, the digital reverb sheen are all very much of the time, but it still sounds great. It's smart, literate pop music that still has a great beat and some banging tunes. Gabriel skirts with the cultural appropriation issue, but I would argue that his work with "world" musicians is much more collaborative than the more exploitative work of, say, Paul Simon or Malcolm McLaren. 'Sledgehammer' cashes in on the nostalgia for 60s black RnB in a way that I am a bit uncomfortable with, but you can't argue that it is a cracking tune with an all-time classic video. Gabriel weaves a delicate line between his art-rock pretensions (check out the subject matter of many of these songs), with the need to be accessible and enjoyable. It's a fine line, and he dances it perfectly. This fits the criteria for a great album of "three great songs and no bad songs". (Interestingly, I was reading various reviews, and there is little agreement on what the three great songs are, which speaks to the high quality and broad appeal on this record). Personally, I prefer his earlier 'Melt' album, but that is a bit creepier and unsettling (which is to my taste), but for an example of an album with mass pop appeal that doesn't make you feel dumber for listening to it, this is hard to beat.

Album 48 of 1001 Peter Gabriel - So Favorite Track : Big Time Rating : 4 / 5 There is nothing to dislike about this. Well written, well produced, well performed. A couple of the tunes are somewhat similar (similarities of Sledgehammer & Big Time stood out) but, at the same time, he brings unique sounds with guests such as Kate Bush, who he duets with on "Don't Give Up" and Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour on "In Your Eyes".

I was excited for this album, so I'll say I'm a tad disappointed by what I got. After the Genesis album I figured I had been sleeping on Peter Gabriel this whole time, but hearing this I feel like no one was above the risk of falling into the production trends of the time, and it leads to an experience that feels just as cheesy as any other adult oriented pop record from the time. Sledgehammer is obviously fantastic, but it is only so great because my mind has had the time to accept the production and see past it, but the rest of this I was completely blind to, and in turn just found it boring. The album does pick up quite a bit at the end however, with the second to last track being something that I could see jamming out to with some time, but I truly think had the rest of this album sounded like the final track, we could've had Gabriel's very own Low. Otherwise, Sledgehammer is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for this rating, I must admit.

The Genesis vocalist narrowed his progressive tendencies on this widely popular album, gravitating to an amalgam of pop, funk, and some sort of British heartland folk. Shades of Duran Duran, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen all figure in the makeup of this record, tho consciously or not I'm unsure. The trouble is that he's neither Stevie nor the Boss, and while he's squarely superior to Duran Duran, he's just as forgettable. I don't think it's a matter of the album's unfavorable 80s affect - I'm not one to decry a period piece. I think it boils down to 1) his pretensions and lyrical failings; 2) his cheesiness and prosaic vocals; and 3) the knowledge that there's way better music out there. In short, it bored and chagrinned me.

It seems people like to crap on successful albums, but career-defining albums like "So" are successful for a reason. This album delivered a sound that exemplifies and also set the standard for pop-dance albums in the mid-1980's, a period where the industry was consolidating under multinational corporate names. Big money made big sounds like never before. (Later, the resistance to this and the increasing affordability of digital recording led to the rise of the indies, but that's a story for another day.) Peter Gabriel and a band of incredibly talented musicians (most who kept their skills sharp as studio musicians) produced this very big-sounding album. Tony Levin's bass and Chapman Stick in particular, set a standard for pop-dance music at the time. Also of interesting note--1986 was a year where CDs were really on the rise, but people were buying their music on legacy media too (cassette and LP), and this was mastered with an ear for all of these. The dense production sounded great on our portable player/headphone sets, as much as it did on our big home systems.

Very good album. Better than the majority on this list

"So" is the fifth studio album and his first not named "Peter Gabriel" by English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel. I always like reading and showing the Wiki-listed genres which include new wave, art pop, art rock, progressive pop and world beat. Progressive pop is a new one for me. Gabriel, producer Daniel Lanois and guitarist David Rhodes began working on material in 1985 at Gabriel's Ashcomb Home in Somerset. This album was less experimental than his previous ones and used "various influences fusing pop, soul and art rock with elements of world music specifically African and Brazilian" That somes it up. Gabriel was lead vocalist and played synths and a number of other instruments and a large cast of other instrumentalist and vocalists including Rhodes (guitar), Tony Levin (bass), Manu Katché (drums), Jerry Marotta (percussion), Stuart Copeland (percussion) and L. Shankar (violin, vocals). The album was his most successful commercially hitting #1 in the UK and #2 in the US and received positive reviews for its songwriting, melodies and fusion of genres. Stuart Copeland's cymbal and hi-hat percussion open the album in "Red Rain." Levin's bass. Standard drums. Synth in the background and various percussions. It's a destructive world with social problems including kidnapping and torture. Garbriel's emotional vocals slowly fade out. Let's have fun and that is exactly what Gabriel does in "Sledgehammer. " A synthesized shakuhachi flute opens a song inspired by Otis Redding. So Much so, that Gabriel got Redding's trumpeter Wayne Jackson to take the lead. Polyrhythmic and I a decent video for this song. We're back to the serious in "Don't Give Up" inspired by Gabriel's discontent with the rising unemployment in the Thatcher era and a great depression photo, "Migrant Mother," showing a woman abd her two children. Softer musically with Levin's bass mostly in the lead but emotionally strong with vocals by Gabriel and Kate Bush who responds to Gabriel's depressed lyrics giving him hope. Did someone say vocals? The vinyl side two opens with "In Your Eyes." A constant beat and soft keys get to the musical and vocal choruses. Tremendous vocals in this song of feeling complete only in the eyes of his lover.. Simple Mind's Jim Kerr in the backing vocals. And, of course stealing the show, backing vocalist Youssou N'Dour singing in his native Wolof tongue. I think this may also be in a movie. Gabriel brings the funk in "Big Time." Jangly guitars and a rolling bass. Overdubbed dual Gabriel vocals in a song poking fun at the materialism and consumerism of yuppies. Honestly, this is not my favorite Gabriel song but it was big (no pun intended) and I liked the video. I started the week with a Violent Femmes' album that was hard to miss around colleges in the 80's and end the week with an album that was hard to miss everywhere in the 80's. That's OK: I was a big Peter Gabriel fan before this album, when this album came and after; it still sounded fabolous today. It's a collection of pop songs at the core with polyrhythmic beats, various instruments and vocalists. I have always particularly liked the deeper cuts such as the more experimental "This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" with Laurie Anderson and the mostly instrumental "We Do What We're Told" which reminds me of "Peter Gabriel III (Melt)." Simply top-notch bass, guitar and percussion/drums. A great album that I'm assuming that a lot of you have heard.

There's so many layers to this album and many of them are personal. How can an album be both a great singles album and a fleshed out full length? Really incredible.

One of the best albums of the 80’s and one of the albums responsible for making me a lover of popular music. Gabriel’s songwriting is top-notch and the playing by collaborators like Tony Levin and David Rhodes are sublime. It is the one album I would recommend by Gabriel the artist and one of two or three must-haves of the decade

another great album, loved having a little boogie to a few of these songs- sledgehammers always good. for obvious reasons very genesis, phil collins esque

By far the best Peter Gabriel album. This album was so Big Time for me when it came out! The rich musical tapestries, the creative music videos, they all added to make quite a big impact on the person I turned out to be. Or as much as music can. That cassette I bought back then is long gone, though. They'd never last, commercial cassette releases. P.S. As much as I love Kate Bush, I always found Don't Give Up this album's weakest link. And although it was Sledgehammer that first attracted me to this album, these day I gravitate towards tracks like We Do What We're Told much more.

Pretty good 80’s popslop, goes down real nice and greasy like the unhealthiest, tastiest burger.

Solid but not really my thing, didn’t listen to all the live versions of the songs because fuck that 6/10

This album is like a young professional in the 80s. He is a go-getter at work, and his aptitude for mergers and acquisitions has led him to wealth beyond what he deserves. He drives a flash sports car that has a built in phone. He’s got electric blue suits, ray ban sunglasses and a $250 haircut. Everything looks perfect. But this guy’s smile (and artificially whitened teeth), hide a darkness in his soul. He was having an affair with his PA at work, and his wife found out. She’s moved out and taken their two year old child with her. The PA is now blackmailing him into fast tracking her career. It’s Wednesday night and he’s ripping the seal off the second bottle of whiskey for the week. His last big deal fell through and he doesn’t know if he can make his bonus numbers for the month.

crying from the first notes we had this album around the house and in the car growing up reminds me of driving around with my dad haven't listened in truly decades but it's very burned into my brain revisiting as an adult is so nice it feels like it captures a wide stretch of human emotion and experience in fine detail and while it is so deeply sincere, it still feels cool and surprising and neither easy, boring, or obvious love his voice, delivery, the arrangements and overall production

Gambled my pocket money on this cassette, based on some excellent singles and their striking videos. By the middle of "Red Rain" I knew I had picked a winner. Some of my favorite '80s sounds on here (the giant bass on "Big Time", the spooky percussion and flute of "Mercy Street", Youssou N'Dour singing on "In Your Eyes"). I probably played this even more than "Graceland", establishing my art-rock interests with some neat material for a pre-teen (the Milgram Experiment; Laurie Anderson). Exceptional.

One of the first albums I was ever obsessed with. Love. Every. Track.

Whispy vocals, cool rhythms. Very indie sound. Not the kind of music I normally gravitate towards, but overall a pretty enjoyable album.

Very good album, already know of this

If you don't like Sledgehammer, get help for your lack of taste

Listened Before? N An absolute 80s classic. A perfect blend of pop, new wave keyboards, and glam - this is one of the best albums of that decade for sure and probably the previous two as well. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Red Rain

From when I was a very young lad, my dad used to make cassettes of his LP's for me if I found something intriguing or nice to listen to if he had it on. So I could listen to it on my little cassette player in the attic. And when I was 7 I also had this album on one side (and Sting on side B, but that's a different story. ) I loved this album when I was 7 and now almost 40 years later, this album still is special. Red Rain still grabs me by my throat. Don't Give Up has helped me through more difficult times than I care to admit. Big Time, even after all this time, makes me smile. This is a masterpiece.

So is one of my favorites; I adore this record. Red Rain is such an incredible opener and one of his greatest songs. We are graced with the presence of Kate Bush on Don't Give Up, and then with Laurie Anderson's on This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds). Sledgehammer and Big Time are there when you need to jump up and dance, and Mercy Street when you need to sit and reflect with the birds and coffee in the quiet of the morning. There's even a song about the Milgram experiments. But In Your Eyes is, in my opinion, the greatest song on the album, and possibly my favorite song of all time. There's a live version on the 25th Anniversary Deluxe that is pure joy and wonder and everything that makes live music actual magic. I was SO happy to get to listen to this today...get...get it? SO happy. Okay, anyway, yeah 5 stars no question.

I was pleasantly surprised by the range on this album. It's definitely still Peter Gabriel, but it's a very complete and well-done album.

Great artist - great album

4-5 excellent songs and the rest are solid.

Peter's peak! Fantastic album- songs, production, playing, vocals. It was always going to be a hard one to follow. Subsequent albums have their moments, but this is the one.

Heard it before a million times. ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS EVER. Peter Gabriel's voice is like a hug when you're sad. There's not a single bad song on this album. I love it so much. 5/5

I had forgotten how good this record was.

My first reaction was like … It has sledgehammer and in your eyes, this is by default 5/5. Then I listened to the rest and … spoiler alert - it’s solid 5. the Songs filled with compassion and kindness. Music wise it’s really complicated but sounds really tasteful. Some songs of course are not that memorable and hit material, but even greatest album ever does have skippers. Overall I feel like this album can heal, can entertain and it has sledgehammer

Peter Gabriel’s masterpiece, expertly combining both radio-friendly hits and more experimental music, both categories full of emotional and instrumental complexity. Essential.

This album is a little dorky at times, but so am I. Something about tors album speaks to me and it’s an album I can see myself growing with. And “In Your Eyes“ is a no surprise standout.

A smash album from a curious, interesting and unique artist. The 80s synth sounds still work, don’t sound dated. I appreciate that he’s letting the R&B influence permeate naturally, and not doing the “white singer does soul” thing that can be cringe. Feels natural…It’s a good mix of styles that still feel a part of a vision. The Kate Bush duet is a little slow, but i enjoy it…feels like St Vincent based her whole singing by style on KB. Gonna be singing “Big Time” in my head for a week. Fun album overall.

Nothing of Gabriel’s art rock output to this point, Genesis or solo, could have prepared the world for this. His passion for tribal rhythms is still evident, but he dives healing into period perfect synths, gated snare and mix prominent fretless bass. The distinctive elements are the unmistakable voice and the skilful arrangements. Sledgehammer and Don’t Give Up with Kate Bush and Big Time were the major selling singles and honestly they are the standout tracks. Gabriel is clearly at odds with the excess culture of the 80s and his political voice trades places lyrically with songs about people feeling emotionally trapped in small places. Overall, it’s creditable and in retrospect too deeply of its time to be timeless. Good rather than great.

Red Rain Sledgehammer

“Don’t Give Up” does funny things to me - Kate Bush is very persuasive even without the massive nostalgia surge. “Sledgehammer” is slower than I remembered, still a face-slayer. “Big Time” is a good time, and the other singles stick. The rest felt innocuous on first listen, intriguing and deceptively catchy on second. Conceptual air of a therapy session conducted by fax during a mildly innocent cultural appropriation vacation.

I regret not giving him a chance earlier. This is shaping up to be a great album. It has that nice unmistakable 80's sound. I sense this might require more listens to really stick, but I like what I hear.

Gabriel deserved a better career than Phil Collins.

how is Peter Gabriel not on the Time/Life Ultimate Love Songs Collection, a two CD set yours for only 26.99 but if you pay by credit card you'll save ten dollars

This album is pretty damn good. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I’m glad I listened to this record. Despite being a pop album, this album accomplishes a lot. The art pop and Brazilian music influences are very present on the album and I love it. The song also has a lot of jazz and funk influences, certainly a welcome surprise. The song Sledgehammer is a good example of everything the album stands for sonically. The Brazilian influences are present in a lot of parts of the song. The jazzy and funky verses and choruses go so incredibly hard. Lyrically it’s not the most deep song, but Peter Gabriel’s vocals are so good in this album. While the art pop aspects of this album are more present in the second half of the album, Sledgehammer still shows what the album is all about and is definitely the highlight, among the rest of this phenomenal album. Truly amazing, I’d give it a solid 9/10, it really is good.

I'm slowly coming around to this sound - which I think of as the "Phil Collins" sound, though it might be more accurately characterized as the other way around. It's always sounded like muzak to me, like something my mom might have put on while she was cleaning... but it's starting to sound more like an old friend now. I gave it a few listens - favorites are probably "Sledgehammer" "This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" and "In Your Eyes."

This is a good benchmark album for me to see how far I’ve come after 600 albums because it was one my dad owned on cd and I listened to in high school. Back then I exclusively listened to sledgehammer and when I tried to listen to the whole thing I thought it was boring filler. Now, I really appreciate the album from start to finish. Sledgehammer and it’s music video still can’t be beat but big time, the Kaye bush duet, and in your eyes are all pretty solid. This is also probably the most quintessentially 80s album I’ve gotten outside of shit like Michael Jackson. The synths and other production is just so 80s in a way that’s almost indescribable.

I don’t think this album is anything I would really want to listen to very consistently. Sounds very 80s and that’s about it!

5/10 - Definitely an 80s album. Sounds a bit dated but not necessarily a bad thing if you really like he 80s. Feels like a Sting album meets a Michael Bolton ballad album. Not a huge fan but nothing egregious. Just very middling.

experimental 80s art rock that reminds me in some ways of Kate Bush (maybe because she is featured on "Don't Give Up") REEEED RAAAAIN is coming down is a great opener, I also liked "Mercy Street" and "In Your Eyes", but I think it needs a few more listens to really shine.

Basic 80s album. Even tho it is obvious that Peter Gabriel is a great musician, didn't think there was anything special about this album.

Peter Gabriel’s So, released in 1986, is often hailed as one of his most accessible and commercially successful records. It marked a shift from the more experimental nature of his earlier solo work into a more pop-oriented sound. While that change worked wonders in terms of radio play and visibility, thanks to hits like “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time”, it also came at the cost of some of the edge and mystery that made Gabriel's previous work so compelling. One of the album’s strongest moments is “Don’t Give Up,” a haunting duet with Kate Bush that blends vulnerability with quiet resilience. It shows Gabriel at his most emotionally sincere, supported by Bush’s ethereal voice. Similarly, “Red Rain” opens the album with a cinematic sweep and emotional weight. Unfortunately, not all of the tracks maintain that level of depth or inventiveness. “Big Time,” while catchy, feels more like a product of its era than a timeless track; heavy on flashy production but light on substance. There’s a sleekness to the album that sometimes works against it. The immaculate production can feel a bit sterile at times, smoothing over the rawness and unpredictability that characterized Gabriel’s earlier work. It’s clear he was reaching for a broader audience, and while he succeeded in doing so, some of the material feels too calculated to leave a lasting emotional impact. That said, "So" isn’t a bad album. It's a well-crafted and often engaging record with a few standout songs, but it doesn’t quite live up to its critical reputation as a masterpiece. For those who prefer the more daring, experimental side of Gabriel, So may feel a bit too streamlined. As a result, it lands as a solid, if slightly overrated entry in his discography; worthy of respect, but not necessarily reverence. 3/5

Peter Gabriel has always been one of those guys that I’ve felt like I’m supposed to like. I get why he’s good, his rhythm section is impressive, it’s prog royalty, I get it. but I’m never sold. Also he sounds a LOT like Dave Matthew’s.

Don't Give Up is a proper classic (with such an interesting use of percussion and rhythm for such a popular ballad). The rest is more palatable than I anticipated, with some nice melodies and a couple of interesting experimental pieces (hooray for nine-song albums too!). Still a bit put off by how earnest it all is though. Not at all keen on that bombastic 80s overproduction too (especially evident on both Sledgehammer and Big Time, which are nearly unlistenable for me). And no way can I give more than three stars to an album that has a song with these lyrics: "Show me round your fruit cakes 'Cause I will be your honey bee Open up your fruit cakes Where the fruit is as sweet as can be"

Is Peter Gabriel evil Phil Collins or is Phil Collins evil Peter Gabriel? Based on appearance one would think that it is the former, but upon reading the personal life and political views section of either artist on Wikipedia, it’s pretty clear that it’s the latter. I did not like the songs where there was a woman singing. Sledgehammer obviously most notable song here. It was alright.

Mostly not my thing, but easy enough to understand it being someone else’s thing. This is a round up, only because I’ve given some recent 2s to records that I liked significantly less than this one. I wonder how Phil Collins records will stack up against this.

Red Rain - love the drums and synths. good background song for driving or studying. Bit too repetitive for me. Sledgehammer - A classicccc. Don't we all want a good sledgehammering sometimes. Also the music video is trippy af. Don't Give Up - low key moody song, love the girls voice but it's too slow for me. Cool baseline at the end. That Voice Again - cool hihats and drumming on this one. Like how it builds up to the chorus. Mercy Street - very atmospheric, I liked the flutes and jungle/island sound. Big Time - very 80s Duran Duran. It's ok We Do What We Are Told - OK weird interlude This Is The Picture - excellent snow, birds flying, pictures of people...right In Your Eyes - omg he sings this song!? So good, it's like Africa by Toto 2.0 Giving it a 3 even though I did find another song I added to my favourites because the slower songs were way to repetitive and really testing me not to skip them lol

What the boomers listened to if they wanted to feel sophisticated, I guess. It’s not 80s slop but it’s not very good. Best song: In Your Eyes

I think this album might be too 80s for me.

starts off strong but kinda mid overall

Not very interesting and don't like the 80s sound in general.

When I was a kid I watched the Chum Countdown every week. I was obsessed with pop music and loved to hear songs I like climb the charts. When this record came out it felt like it had a single out that was charting for an entire year. I remember being angry every time I would hear the opening of Sledgehammer cuz it meant I had to sit through 5 minutes of Peter Gabriel for yet another week. I actually put this record on a few months ago out of curiosity and found that I can tolerate it more now but I really hate the way the keyboards and drums sound. In Your Eyes and Don’t Give Up are guilty pleasures

I honestly have no thoughts on this. It's okay. It's a bit dated but otherwise it is competent music.

I feared this album. It features the awful 'Sledge Hammer', very bad memory of my youth. And what I didn't know: 'Don't give up' as well, another awful memory. So far I was wrong. The first three songs, including the two I mentioned and opener 'Red rain' are actually pretty good. They even sound rather okay for a 1986-popalbum. But then... It gets worse and worse, every song more awful than the last one with an absolute low in 'This is the picture'. What on earth is that? This must be one of the worst songs in 86 albums so far. Eighties production is almost laughable of all the songs bar the first three. In 'Mercy Street' and the aforementioned 'This is the picture' nothing at all happens. My god. On the original vinyl 'This is the picture' was the closing track. People must have been so relieved they could start a new album... But on cd and cassette and since 2002 also on vinyl there is a different closer and that's a lot better: 'In your eyes'. The funny thing is that this album is saved from a very bad review by the two hits I had such bad memories of.

The best part of this album was Kate Bush's backup vocals.

here’s a hot take: just bc an album is from the 80s and has one (1) song on it that’s vaguely recognizable bc it gets intermittent radio play on throwback stations does NOT make said album a must listen. now that being said, if i were training an ai model to generate an 80s album, this one WOULD be a must listen

I thought I liked Peter Gabriel but maybe not any more. I found this album quite boring. It was also clearly quite vocally focused, so his voice must be the drawcard and it doesn't appeal to me. Rating: 2

OK album but I found the slower tracks a bit dull and dreary. And they make up most of it

dont give up is corny (but it was probably my favorite) not bad at all, just not my thing or i have to warm up to it. ill come back to it sometime.

Not my taste. Not that bad though, instrumentals are solid just has that pretty generic 80's sound. Kinda sounds like phil collins. "Dont give up" has stood out so far

A couple of tracks had me picturing ‘Mannequin’ type escapades but a whole album was a bit much for me. ‘Shadowy, sinister, secretive art-rocker’ sounded more interesting so it was a good reminder to go back and listen to some of his other work.

Ironically nearly gave up during don’t give up. Kate Bush couldn’t even save this one for me

"Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list" was one of the reviews, and it was my initial gut reaction, but something about the bridge of "red rain" caught my interest. A nice listen,, but heavily too 80s for me 2* Highlight: in your eyes

son: mummy can we buy phil collins albome mum: no son we hav;e phil collins at home.. In all seriousness, this album was a fucking snoozefest. Red Rain and Sledgehammer were dope, but then Don't Give Up Played. Fuck. That. Song. Was. So. Shit. Sledgehammer & Big Time are getting slapped into my 80's shitbox playlist, the rest of these songs can go into the slop. Really wanted to enjoy this one as a fan of Genesis and a bigger fan of Phil Collins, who funnily sounds almost exactly the same but at least his music doesn't bore me to death with it's mediocrity. What a disappointment.

I'm not really feeling this album—it feels awfully dated. While I was already familiar with the two big singles, Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes, the rest of the album leaves me feeling unfulfilled. One of the main reasons is the production. The 80s synth-heavy sound and the polished, almost sterile production techniques haven’t aged well for me. It’s a product of its time, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it feels like So leans too heavily into the trends of the era, rather than transcending them. Emotionally, while Gabriel grapples with personal and political themes throughout the album, there are moments where it doesn’t connect with me as deeply as I'd hoped. Don’t Give Up, for instance, is a beautifully crafted duet with Kate Bush, but the emotional weight of the lyrics feels diluted by the overly polished production. It’s almost as if the emotion is there in theory, but not in execution. Maybe pop music is just not the thing for me. It needs to be way more visceral and raw. That said, I do understand its cultural significance. So marked a pivotal point in Gabriel’s career, merging art rock with mainstream appeal, and songs like In Your Eyes are undeniably iconic. However, even with that context, I’m left feeling like the album is more a relic of its time than a timeless piece of work. For me, it doesn’t quite transcend the 80s sound enough to feel relevant or emotionally resonant today. 2/5

I was born after 1982 (not much after) so this would not be on my list.

i love peter's voice but god he overproduced the shit out of this album. far too many dramatics, far too much social pandering, such a sappy, hammy sounding album. i love over-explaining and over-criticizing but i dont want to even critically examine this and have to listen to it again. and jesus christ Don't Give Up has to be the worst way possible to use a Kate Bush feature. i need to go listen to Hounds of Love

I want to listen to bikini kill

Some things should stay in the 80s.

That third track was one of the worst things I’ve ever heard. Sacrilegious to Kate Bush frankly

I love the vibes here, but the songs are too long and too repetitive for me, making it a bit boring

Felt loooooong

The kind of music you would hear in a sappy Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks movie about anthropomorphic animals that overcome great tribulations with the power of friendship

Is this really just a vehicle for “Sledgehammer” to make this list? I have seen enough movies and been to enough grocery stores to know what awaits me under that ten pounds of lead, but what worries me is the rest of this. We have to pad out an entire record with songs that are conceivably even worse than Sledgehammer? Not my day. Oh well, start smashing away at my cranium Big Pete. I’m ready to hate again. Red Rain - Brian Adams for pseudo-intellectuals. You see peasant I don’t listen to your mainstream “Summer of ‘69.” I listen to a guy who does the same shitty thing but he is British and has a synth player. I am simply on an elevated plane. Sledgehammer - Hammer Smashed Face was actually about the hammer in this song. Amazing how nepotism tinges the music industry. Did he say “open up your fruit cage?” Jesus Christ. Well. This is zero stars. Not even flute can save you. Don’t Give Up - That’s right, don’t give your IP address to anybody. They could discover that you listened to Peter Gabriel. That backing vkcal is HORRIBLE. So cheesy. I have never seen a better advertisement for suicide in my life. That Voice Again - oof this friggin’ BLOWS. In Your Eyes - Big garbaggio’s theme song. From the Dump Barge festooned off the coast of StinkTown USA, Weighing in at 682 pounds, the disgusting one, BIG GARBAGGIO. He is pelted with garbage (it is a beautiful compliment) Mercy Street - Please pay me some of the mercy that may be found in this street. Big Time - Can you use the word in a sentence? Yes. Peter Gabriel’s 1986 album “So” sucks Big Time. Ahh yes. B-I-G T-I-M-E. We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37) - History doesn’t smile upon the “we were just following orders” defence. This really is bad to me. I’m sorry. I just don’t like pop for the most part, and when I see the internet ordain certain pop albums as somehow elevated, I just get irritated. Im sure it’s because of my stunted intellect but I just dint care for most of the sounds pop has to offer. Yes, this is obviously an artistic cut above an LMFAO release from 2009 or Ke$ha’s greatest hits but I still think it’s a weak, watery grave that I was ensnared in for the interminable length that this record went. I’m no David Blaine, so unfortunately I just drowned. That’s the real Mindfreak. Magic heads, don’t get mad that I mixed up the two most famous magicians. Blow your trumpet, Gabriel. Get me outta here. 1 HIGHLIGHTS: Noooo. Nah. Uhh. Nooo. I’m sorry. Yeah uh huh. No, yeah I’m sorry no. Yup, nope. Yeah uh huh. Yep, nope I’m afraid. Yeah. Alright. Oook. buh bye now.