So

I try not to hold one song against an entire album, but Don't Give Up is such a colossal fucking stinker, this can never get 5 stars.

This has the strongest 80's vibes and I mean that positively. Sledgehammer is an all timer, but it's not a one hit wonder album. Short, succinct and entertaining, but it could have used a couple more heavy hitters. Really stands out against its contemporaries.

A goddamn gorgeous, beautiful album

kinda groovy, not bad

Straight up, this is a phenomenal album. There's so much attention to detail, so much creativity, and so much variety packed into this thing. I was already familiar with the big hits, like "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time," and of course they're fantastic, but man, I was surprised by just how good some of the deeper tracks are too. "Red Rain" is an awesome opener, and "Mercy Street" has this beautiful, almost hypnotic atmosphere that I really enjoyed. Then you've got "That Voice Again," which brings some great energy back into the mix. I love how Gabriel just goes nuts experimenting with different sounds and melodies. It's like he walked into the studio, grabbed every instrument he could find, and said, "Yep, we're using all of these." And somehow, the crazy bastard made it work. What really impressed me is how much care went into every song. There's always something interesting happening, whether it's the production, the instrumentation, or some weird little sound that pops up out of nowhere. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a guy in the background playing a toaster and I just haven't noticed it yet. And then there's "In Your Eyes," which is just a fantastic song with such a wonderful build-up. Despite all this experimentation, the album never feels like a mess. I was hooked pretty much the entire way through. Sure, there were a couple of tracks that I thought were just okay, but honestly, that's like complaining about getting a slightly smaller slice of an otherwise fantastic cake. I'm still eating the damn thing. Just an incredibly well-crafted album that proves Peter Gabriel knew exactly what he was doing. Or he was just pushing every button in the studio and getting extremely lucky. Either way, I'm impressed. 4.6/5

Two things muddy the waters on this album for me. 1. Ridiculous album art. 2. "Don't give up" But it's a 5 star album nonetheless. I've never listened to it before. I only knew don't give up and sledgehammer really. Its really inventive and interesting. Great melodies and arrangements. I am now a fan of Peter Gabriel. Don't give up isn't actually a bad song other that the chorus tbh.

473/1102 ooh this guitar and drum twinkly opening is so Goonies epic 80s vibes please live up to that. it’s kinda giving Phil Collins/Disney Tarzan vibes Sledgehammer lost a bit of the aura that Red Rain created tbh SURPRISE KATE BUSH APPEARANCE?! yayyy That Voice Again sounds so magical and i love his voice/cadence Big Time is Big Bowie vibes imo In Your Eyes had me LEVITATING wow he sounded great in that track and the backing was so ethereal and perfect for a final track faves: In Your Eyes, Red Rain, That Voice Again 90/100

I really liked this album. Such a great representation of the 80s, but also the songs change from synth heavy to more dark and moody before ending with In Your Eyes is grand.

Just not my taste

Per Gabs

I generally let these build up over a week and then do them in shifts when I have time at the end of my week, and when I saw this I was pretty happy. I do not this starts a string of albums I've heard already but that gives me opportunity to love them openly. It's almost insane to think about Peter Gabriel through this album alone and not his work with Genesis, which is a real musical transition and (in my opinion) of much higher quality than much of what Genesis did in the 80s. The album opens with Red Rain, a beautiful song and maybe my favourite off the album just because it's an incredibly tight and strong song and even for almost 6 minutes it just vanishes as I enjoy every second. Sledgehammer seriously needs no introduction, between the insanely innovative and creative music video to being jazzy and smooth it deserves all the acclaim it could ever get. I do wish Don't Give Up had a little more energy, and a little more room for Kate Bush to be Kate Bush. Should've been a slam dunk really but it otherwise good on an album of greats. That Voice Again, Big Time and Mercy Street are both fantastic, and the latter has a really unique sound that feels so Gabriel. On relisten this song is MUCH better than I remember. In Your Eyes is a fantastic album closer, seriously excellent. The bookends of Red Rain and In Your Eyes are generational, and In Your Eyes was the reason I'd already hear this album. It seriously doesn't disappoint. Best song(s): Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Mercy Street and In Your Eyes Worst Song(s): N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 22/88 (above I am a Bird Now, below Van Halen) I genuinely struggled to place this properly, it's right on level with Van Halen or The White Album imo

Cool music video that's for sure

good

So this album skyrocketed Gabriel to Big Time status...and rightfully So. Arguably his best and a must listen. Peter blends in some world music just enough with the synth pop 80s. It's got hits and some slow ones that weird in a good way. Whole record is listenable and was played a lot at all the Busch homesteads. About half the tracks even made it on one of the Fan Faves mixtapes. Expecting zero low scores for this one. 4.25 for dropping the Sledgehammer.

Peter Gabriel - So (1986) Despite showing its age with the gated drums and rubbery bass ( both of which are great) this is a 5 star classic where the quality just does not drop. I’ve listened to this loads and had it in vinyl in the 80s but I can’t for the life of me remember a song called “This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)”but there it is. It’s good as well. 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Some tracks feel heavily over-produced, while others are pure magic. You get about four absolute hits—including 'Sledgehammer,' which is an absolute masterpiece—alongside what is otherwise decent '80s prog-pop. Compared to his earlier, deeply experimental material, this is a much more accessible record, though he still pushes boundaries through his innovative use of the Fairlight synthesizer and a brilliant lineup of guest musicians like Stewart Copeland and Kate Bush. Leaning into world music influences gives it unique texture, but overall, it's a fine album, though not quite a great one.

Ooh, another Peter Gabriel album! I figured I'd need to be stricter on this one, since it's the 1st artist to get a second album on the listening list. But: Red rain ✅ Sledgehammer ✅ Don't Give Up ✅ Mercy Street ✅ Big Time ✅ In Your Eyes ✅ Sheesh, I guess it's a 5...!

I really liked this. I was even able to excuse the 80s reverb. Really nicely crafted songs and a good mix of moods to keep the album feeling fresh throughout. You know what you're getting with Peter Gabriel, but I was most pleasantly surprised by the sounds and craft on We do what we're told. I thought it was going to be an instrumental at first, but the voice at the end really elevated it, and more than made up the ridiculousness of the next track (excellent birds). Overall a solid 4

5/5

Standouts Sledgehammer Big Time In Your Eyes

Favorite track(s): Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, That Voice Again, In Your Eyes, Mercy Street, Big Time Unlike Phil Collins's bullshit, Peter Gabriel was actually out there putting out generational music after Genesis. The only thing more legendary than Gabriel's songwriting is Tony Levin's bass work. Heard before Previous rating: 9/10

This album became Peter Gabriel’s most commercially successful. I bought it back then, too, as it was released by AMIGA as an official licensed pressing. It blends pop, soul, and art rock with elements of African world music. Peter Gabriel’s commitment to Amnesty International made him even more likeable to me—even though, at the time, I was more into classic rock and blues (aside from the likes of Neil, Bob, Bruce, and Van). It is thanks to Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon that I later developed a far greater interest in world music than I ever would have imagined. My interest grew even further when he took part in the 1986 "Conspiracy of Hope" tour. By then, I had already discovered U2, and I was a big fan of Joan Baez and Lou Reed. The tour’s finale also featured The Police, Bob Geldof, Carlos Santana, Yoko Ono, and Joni Mitchell. Back then, I only followed all of this via the radio; there was no global television broadcast like there had been for Live Aid. But now, onto the album itself. It kicks off with "Red Rain"—an epic, atmospheric track and a wonderful opener. Next comes arguably the most well-known song, "Sledgehammer," which became a massive hit, propelled by its fantastic music video on MTV. The Memphis Horns really left their mark on that track. The subsequent duet with Kate Bush, "Don't Give Up," is arguably one of the most beautiful ballads in the history of music. On the world-music masterpiece "In Your Eyes," Youssou N’Dour sings in both his native language and English; the track is a perfect fusion of African rhythms and Western pop music. Aside from the well-known singles, I’d say this is the most accomplished piece on the entire album. But then comes "Mercy Street", the most atmospheric, melancholic and intense piece of the entire album! It is incredibly difficult to single out just one song. Following this truly wonderful track comes "Big Time," a loud, shrill song. It satirizes the extreme consumer frenzy, turbo-capitalism, and the shameless hunger for fame and status that characterized the 1980s. "So" is a timeless masterpiece and represents the creative and commercial zenith of Peter Gabriel’s career. The album marks that rare moment in music history where radical, avant-garde experimentation and flawless, radio-ready pop perfection merged seamlessly. "So" is not merely a pop album; it is an artful, emotional, and highly political statement. Thanks to Daniel Lanois’s magnificent sonic production, it became one of the most influential and well-rounded albums in the history of pop music.

IN MY ALL TIME TOP TEN!!

8/10

Sledgehammer is a stunning song but the rest of the album is meh to me

- i'm not crazy about his vocals, and the instrumentation is sort of dated and not super interesting - like it's not complete garbage but i'm not engaged at all, and these melodies are quite bad - yeah idk bro it's just weird vibes. very close to just saying this is basically trash lol - like phil collins but bad and random

I had hoped for so much more. Nothing new here for me unfortunately. It has 2 great songs and the rest are ok

5/5. No notes. GOAT album.

Really good album

Ok

banger

eh

I really enjoyed this one. Hadn't listened to the full album ever and the last few tracks are really interesting.

Really liked Sledgehammer In your eyes is a classic Mediocre album in general but I enjoyed it more than others

A journey through many moods.

I can't look at this album cover with out thinking "this is what Darth Vader would have looked like if Anakin didn't lay on that volcanic beach so long." The music seems far less sinister, but it's pretty wild work to start this with "Red Rain" (downtempo) and then hit us with "Sledgehammer"(uptempo)( pun intended) right away. That's a big swing in energy and I might have chosen to flip those two tracks.

Didn't really get much time to listen, but it sounded promising. The opener and Sledgehammer were both jams. I'll come back to this.

I love this album, but I've got to be in the mood for it. Some days it feels purely like dentist office music, some days it feels like it's the only thing that matters. The cliches, the synths, the 'classy' vibe, the lyrics on songs like "Don't Give Up", all sometimes feel perfect, like this is the first and only album to sound like this. It feels important.

plus a star for sledgehammer

It never occurred to me before (and probably doesn’t to anyone else) how much Peter Gabriel sounds like Guy Garvey. Or, more precisely how much Guy Garvey sounds like Peter Gabriel. Still, this was a really enjoyable album and another one that I hadn’t heard before. Sledgehammer and Don’t Give Up of course but not the rest.

10/19 Very good. Always liked Peter Gabriel from his days in Genesis

den første sang mindede mig om bruce springsteen

I completely understand why it’s in here and agree with the pick, just not my thing.

I love 80s pop rock, man. I've only listen to Phil Collins' popular songs, but this album sounds a lot like that, which is great. I didn't really dig the slow songs, though, they were a bit boring. Album #146 Peter Gabriel album 1/3 Favorite Track: Sledgehammer

If you don't own it, just buy it now. 6/5 stars.

Sledgehammer is a classic, the rest is just cheesy.

gotta listen more attentively probably. not much stuch, cool to hear kate

Still a classic.

Sledgehammer is a hood classic, rest is solid as well

Since I didn't really like Peter Gabriel's debut album, I think this one is great. I have special memories associated with the song "Sledgehammer." That was the song that was rewritten and performed by a colleagues from the institute band to celebrate graduation of another colleague. The singer of that band and I were friends, and he told me how incredibly difficult the song and the vocal part were. So I tried it myself—and failed miserably. A great album that I should listen to more often. 5/5

8 - GOOD

What's not to like about this album? This is one of those must-have albums - 10/10

un meh total. 3/10

Me subió el ánimo. Sobre todo con el segundo tema

O disco é muito bom, e eu reconheço que ele é muito bom. Digo, é inconfundível. A produção é imaculada, a composição é estonteantemente perfeita. Todas as canções estão no panteão da realeza Pop. Gabriel brinca com uns ritmos interessantes em algumas das faixas aqui. Até uma pegada brasileira aparece. Daora. Mas apesar de tudo, não consigo amar totalmente o álbum. Ainda assim, muito bom. 4/5

Fantastic album! Complex, diverse and an absolute 80s banger. What's not too love!

Sledgehammer is a banger. The rest of the album created a nice atmosphere. I've heard this album before but it grew on me with an extra listed. Solid 3.8/5.

As it happened I’d done a recent deep dive into this album a few weeks back. Good timing with it coming back. Gabriel is a treasure and one of the best “art” rock transitions to a popular solo career. This isn’t a perfect album but it’s pretty close. It’s actually the deeper tracks that stand out today, although Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Big Time, and In Your Eyes are great songs. Don’t Give Up is my favorite song on the album. Mercy Street is also strong. This is a question of rounding and could be a 4 or a 5 depending on the day.

Continues to be an exceptional album to listen to. Full of creativity and depth.

Now this is what 80s music is all about. I've complained all too much in my reviews of cheesy sounding 80s pop albums, and so I love that this is unapologetically an 80s pop album, but in such a stylish way. I would always trust Peter Gabriel to come through with something more arty than what's mainstream. Every song is genuinely so unique, and I love the range of styles and emotions this album gives you. It's such a brilliantly put together pop album that shows an artist at his absolute creative peak.

ABSOLUTE BANGER! It’s “so” good

A third appearance for Mr. Gabriel, this ranks behind Gabriel 3 for me as there are a couple skips on this for me, however this is the one with the big 80s hits

Enjoyed it

I can appreciate, in the context of Peter Gabriel's career, what makes this record interesting, but I'm not sure I can appreciate why it's been included in this list. Gabriel had long been associated with the less commercial, artier end of the musical spectrum, so this pop record was a surprise at the time. Sledgehammer and Big Time remain decent enough pop songs of their day, and Don't Give Up is still a pretty wonderful song that easily stands the test of time, but the rest of it? It's all rather ordinary - it's not bad, I like it, it's just nothing special. Crazy to think that The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was a mere ten years earlier but compared to this, it sounds like something from another dimension.

A lot of songs I'm familiar with on this one album, pretty impressive. Fave track: Sledgehammer

So 80s. 3.5/5

All of Peter’s first five albums are five stars. Oh my god, every track does something new, and whether it’s a duet with Kate Bush (who will also be getting five stars on all HER albums in the book) or one of the greatest music videos of all time, every track stays fresh and exciting. Can’t wait until I pull Melt.

Damn, this was really good! Sledgehammer has been one of my jams for a while, so I was happy to discover that the rest of the album is strong, too. Great blend of funk, R&B, and world music, plus Gabriel’s signature voice. Putting this as a 4 for now but I might adjust it to a 5 after another listen and more reflection.

Not Gabriel at his best but a very solid album with some great tracks.

I mean it’s fine. I kinda feel like because Phil Collin’s, Peter Gabriel doesn’t really need to exsist. Three stars only because sledgehammer fucks so hard

Good lord someone get this guy a lozenge. Alternating between turgid and hyperactive, this album exhibits the worst excesses of late 80s pop - 0 restraint or taste in its use of synthesizer effects and a ridiculous juxtaposition between its studio gloss and Gabriel's attempts to sound world-weary, ragged, and deep (and God forbid, """"funky"""") The Milgram track is kind of interesting but totally undeveloped; then again, maybe that's for the better. I can't imagine he'd be able to handle the subject tastefully. Why did this guy wait until the last track to develop a sense of restraint?

Very good, though Mr. Gabriel’s voice is not for me. It’s not because of the occasional breaks in his voice, though that is hard to listen to; it’s because of his sincere lack of skill in conveying emotion through singing. I believe all the synths; I believe the guitars; Gabriel, not so much. It’s almost a relief when others are featured on songs, such as the chorus on “Don’t Give Up,” or the backing vocals on the outro of “In Your Eyes” (which incidentally is easily the best song on the album), because the mellow white voice of the artist simply does not cut it. His voice is dramatic to the point of near-insincerity, and his incorporation of genre influence outside of the pop sphere strikes me as good, but almost never great. That being said, this is a great album! Consistent in sound and quality, with clear highlights and a distinction between songs, with heavy touches of political consciousness and maturity. It also brings a beautiful little bit of progressiveness to the pop mainstream, in songs like “Sledgehammer,” which in fact made it to the top of the charts. Personal highlights are the aforementioned “Don’t Give Up,” saved completely by the female vocals on the chorus, and “In Your Eyes,” a beautiful, phenomenal work of pop music and one of the best uses of African influence in a pop context I can say I’ve heard. Highly recommend this album, both for its significance in pop culture and the fact that it’s good. 7.8/10 DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: YES REASON: quality and cultural significance.

Cool album

Solid

Very 80s. Not a criticism, because it was fun, and 'Sledgehammer' is a good track, but I won't seek out any more PG on the strength of this.

skipped

My first 5⭐️ album so far. Have known and liked several songs, but never listened to the album. A surprising blend of prog rock, world beat and highly polished pop.

In Collection

Muy buen álbum de excelente artista. No tiene el crédito que se merece. Me comí una salchipapa

Al principio no me gustó taanto, me pareció un poco aburrido y como vengo poniendo puntajes muy altos pensé en ponerle 3, pero lo escuché de nuevo y muy bueno. Además debería ser lo normal poner muchos puntajes altos.

I liked this one, enjoyed the sounds of the mid 80s pop. But it was still unique and interesting enough to stand out from everything else in the era.

Ihan kivaa kasarimusaa.

This album was huge when released in 1986 and is classified as art pop/rock with worldbeat influences. This is a great album with innovative music (i.e. worldbeat) and excellent production. It may sound "80s" but he was one of the pioneers of it. It also had a great video with Sledgehammer. The musicians are great, specifically Tony Levin and David Rhodes. There really isn't a bad song on this album but to pick a few favorites: Red Rain Sledgehammer Don't Give Up (with Kate Bush) Mercy Street Big Time In Your Eyes

Probably as good as the synth-schlock of the 80s is going to get.

I am already fluent in this album. I absolutely love it. I was introduced to Peter Gabriel’s music with his album after this, called Us. Us is one of my favorite albums of all time. So is solid, albeit more mainstream. Peter Gabriel’s voice is so special and I love how dramatic his music is and how wide his range of instrument usage is.

6.0/10. A nice album that spawned from a former member of Genesis, who went on to have a massively successful solo career. It brought experimental sounds and certainly unique music and composition, but forced catchy mainstream hooks to make people listen, and it got the public used to it and catapulted him into stardom. I thought most of the songs were too long and got a little repetetive at times, but overall the sound was good and still enjoyable, but not something I feel a drawing to listen to again.

Que delicia de album :D

Atmospheres brooding give out notes fighting with self invite others to move

Musically distinct, lyrically great

I would have hoped to enjoy this a bit more due to personal ties but I am just a little indifferent about it it to be honest. Unfortunate but no point in pretending I like something more than I do.

Extremely inoffensive, didn't hate this by any means but I am in no rush to listen to it and it's 80s drum samples again. Culture Club yesterday followed by this makes me never want to listen to 80s pop music again

Big, over-produced 80s pop albums can be so great when done well

all the best parts of 80s music

The one that has Sledgehammer, as well as Red Rain and In Your Eyes. Great stuff

Why is Peter Gabriel just evil Phil Collins?

Very solid prog pop album. Will listen to again and will look into more of his back catalog along with early Genesis. Enjoyed a lot.

Starts off strong for me, kind of fades a bit in middle then last song is a right good one.

In Your Eyes will always hold a special place in heart.

Great album, but oddly not great as sunny-day-driving music. Something about it felt incongruous as I was listening while driving to the market today. Production techniques, perhaps? Still enjoyed every song on it, though. The most popular ones less so, but they are actually holding up for me.

I was most recently (and probably for the first time) exposed to Peter Gabriel when I heard the end credit song in Wall-E, which is with him and an African gospel choir, and probably other collaborators, and I liked it for its African inspiration and uplifting chorus. That's something I can say about this album as well. His cadence, prose, and lyricism are all unique, but enjoyable to me. And, well, this album kind of does it for me more than Cyndi Lauper, to give a recent example, even though this is also "sort of" corny, but very cool, 80s pop. If I gave CeeLo Green a three, this surely deserves a four.