On this day May 20, 1986, Peter Gabriel released his fifth studio album, So, a groundbreaking record that became his most commercially successful release. The album reached #2 on the US Billboard 200 and dominated international charts, hitting #1 in the UK, Canada, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand.
So marked a departure from Gabriel’s earlier experimental sound, embracing a more accessible, pop-oriented style while maintaining his artistic depth. The album featured a mix of rock, world music, and soul influences, producing some of his most iconic tracks.
One of the standout songs, Sledgehammer, became a massive hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and earning Gabriel a Grammy nomination. The song's innovative music video, featuring stop-motion animation and claymation, became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the most celebrated videos in history.
Fun fact: Sledgehammer holds the record as the most played music video of all time on MTV.
Trivia question: What famous animation studio collaborated on the stop-motion effects for the Sledgehammer music video?
So marked a departure from Gabriel’s earlier experimental sound, embracing a more accessible, pop-oriented style while maintaining his artistic depth. The album featured a mix of rock, world music, and soul influences, producing some of his most iconic tracks.
One of the standout songs, Sledgehammer, became a massive hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and earning Gabriel a Grammy nomination. The song's innovative music video, featuring stop-motion animation and claymation, became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the most celebrated videos in history.
Fun fact: Sledgehammer holds the record as the most played music video of all time on MTV.
Trivia question: What famous animation studio collaborated on the stop-motion effects for the Sledgehammer music video?
