Peter Gabriel

So

Gabriel's Commercial Breakthrough

Review Score:

(10/10)
1986's So was Peter Gabriel's commercial breakthrough. After almost twenty years of releasing albums, Mr. Gabriel had never cracked the US top ten on either the singles or album charts as a solo artist or with Genesis. That all changed with So, as the album peaked at number two and spawned two top ten singles. The first single, "Sledgehammer" went all the way to number one thanks to a catchy, danceable beat and a classic and inventive video. The song is a departure from his usual world beat sounds and even if it is a definite attempt to be more commercial, the song is among his best. "Big Time" was the other top single, peaking at number eight, and it follows the same formula as "Sledgehammer", with a big hook and a danceable melody. Even though those two songs are the big hits, the most memorable song from the album may well be "In Your Eyes" which has a classic world beat sound from Mr. Gabriel. The song gained new life three years after the album was released, thanks to prominent use in Cameron Crowe's superb film, Say Anything. "Don't Give Up" is a gorgeous song with a haunting vocal performance by Kate Bush. So was a major critical and commercial success and elevated a much deserving Mr. Gabriel to a big time rock star level.

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