Making a name for yourself as a sort of underground, ultra-talented cult musician isn’t easy. Going from that to a chart-topping pop star is almost impossible. Yet, that’s precisely what Peter Gabriel, formerly of Genesis, did with the release of his fifth solo album So on this very day in 1986. You might remember that album from its smash hit single, “Sledgehammer”.
Peter Gabriel mastered this particular transition, and So is still a very valuable, easy-to-love art pop record decades later.
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The Enduring Power of ‘So’ by Peter Gabriel
So was released on May 19, 1986. It was an almost collaborative effort between Peter Gabriel and producer Daniel Lanois. The production and recording behind the album are noteworthy. Gabriel was known for using the Fairlight CMI digital sampling synth for his music, and he continued to use the device on So. However, the sessions for So were much less experimental, and the synth didn’t make as much of an appearance on the album.
Rather, this mid-80s pop album hopped on trends, while still maintaining that Peter Gabriel sound. The album was inspired by African and South American world music styles. To many, So is considered Gabriel’s most accessible record to date. I can certainly see why. It lacks many of the experimental elements of his previous work, and it was an almost instant commercial success. It has been certified platinum five times. And, of course, it gave the world the dance-rock hit “Sledgehammer”.
“Sledgehammer” is an amazing song on a sonic level. However, its accompanying music video only made it better. The music video for “Sledgehammer” was particularly innovative and featured a mix of stop motion, claymation, and pixilation animation. It was more or less unheard of at the time. And it also showed off Gabriel’s sense of humor. In the end, “Sledgehammer” topped the Billboard US Hot 100 chart, among many others.
The title of the record was low-key an act of defiance, too. Gabriel released his albums eponymously before So debuted, and he wanted to give this album an “anti-title” to give a stiff middle finger to his label, which wanted him to market his music in a proper fashion.
Even if Peter Gabriel didn’t want to market this record in a traditional way, So certainly captured the attention and affection of the world anyway.
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