Peter Gabriel Songs Ranked
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched a successful solo career with “Solsbury Hill” as his first single. His 1986 album, So, is his best-selling release and is certified triple platinum in the UK and five times platinum in the U.S. The album’s most successful single, “Sledgehammer”, won a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards and, according to a report in 2011, it was MTV’s most played music video of all time. Gabriel has won three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1987, six Grammy Awards, thirteen MTV Video Music Awards, the first Pioneer Award at the BT Digital Music Awards, the Q magazine Lifetime Achievement, the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Polar Music Prize. He was made a BMI Icon at the 57th annual BMI London Awards for his “influence on generations of music makers”. In recognition of his many years of human rights activism, he received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize laureates in 2006, and Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008. AllMusic has described Gabriel as “one of rock’s most ambitious, innovative musicians, as well as one of its most political”. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010, followed by his induction as a solo artist in 2014. In March 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia in recognition of his achievements in music. Here are all Peter Gabriel songs ranked.
Don’t miss out on the memorable music of Peter Gabriel below! Click to enjoy the songs from his solo career!
20. Biko (Peter Gabriel, 1980)
“Wonderful songs from one of the best voices in Rock Business ever;Gabriel does a perfect job,the quality of the recording and the vinyl is excellent!Grreat release!”
19. Burn You Up, Burn You Down (Hit, 2003)
“What’s great about this collection is that it truly does cover Pater Gabriels entire solo career. Given, the majority of it does reside on the 1980’s, but that was his greatest period; being as the bulk of his canon came from the 1980’s that works.”
18. Steam (Us, 1992)
“One of the songs that makes me glad Peter Gabriel went through a ‘poppy phase’, as well as make me wish if Genesis absolutely had to do the same, they still had him in the band when they did it.”
17. Mercy Street (So, 1986)
“One of those songs that comes back to haunt me every now and then, but in the best way. Beautiful, melancholy, and strangely heartwarming? How a song like this can be on the same album as Sledgehammer, demonstrates Gabriel’s genius”
See more: Peter Gabriel Albums Ranked
16. Wallflower (Peter Gabriel, 1982)
“This my pick for the most underrated Peter Gabriel song of all time. Imagine if the best elements of “Biko” and “Don’t Give Up” were combined in one song. “Wallflower” would be the result. It has some of the most powerful lyrics in Peter Gabriel’s entire career, and the music matches the tone perfectly.”
15. Red Rain (So, 1986)
“Red Rain” is almost universally agreed on to be the best song here (even ol’ Prind likes it, and he gave this a six and some Moody Blues piece of shit a ten and he should feel bad about it), and guess what? It’s mine, too! Did that work well or what? It’s elegant, brilliantly arranged, world weary, and haunting, and it’s one of the best songs I’ve heard from him in the admittedly brief trip I’ve had through his career so far.”
14. Shock the Monkey (Peter Gabriel, 1982)
“Difficult to resist this rather dystopian sounding piece of new wave. John Cusack totally should have played this one to get his woman back.”
13. Time of the Turning (OVO, 2000)
“The Time of the Turning, a splendid duet between Richie Havens and Elizabeth Fraser (of Cocteau Twins fame) is probably the best among them (and the reprise, culminating in the crazy Irish-Middle Eastern The Weavers Reel marks one of the finest moments of the album). Also, Father, Son, in his simplicity, is heartfelt and sweet, one of the (rare) tracks with Gabriel himself on vocals (and a great performance as well).”
12. Here Comes the Flood (Peter Gabriel, 1977)
“By far one of the most underrated songs of all time – original album version was good… but version from “Shaking the Tree: 16 Golden Greats”, utterly brilliant. So simple, serene, yet also deep, powerful, just amazing.”
11. Big Time (The Five Doubts, 2008)
“This is a big, vibrant, painting of the 1980’s. Only Peter Gabriel could be pocking a finger in the eye of pop culture in the 1980’s and still have a top 40 smash! Some may say he was embracing everything that was wrong with pop music in the 1980s. I think he was making pop music come to him on his own terms. “amazed When I show them round the house to my bed I had it made like a mountain range With a snow-white pillow for my big fat head!” Indeed.”
10. Blood of Eden (Us, 1992)
“This is one of the most beautiful songs ever! Its one of the songs I would like them to play on my funeral! Chicken fever stuff.”
9. Digging in the Dirt (Us, 1992)
“I was always kind of afraid one of the slugs would try to go up Peter Gabriel’s nose, but i guess there are worse fates. This single featured another of Gabriel’s revolutionary but samey claymation videos. Likewise the song could be perceived as being a bit samey to some of the other songs featuring said videos, and perhaps it was, but it was still quite creative and different from much of the norm in those days.”
8. San Jacinto (Peter Gabriel, 1982)
“San Jacinto” is spiritual, magical, haunting and beautiful with the albums first lyrical peak, perfectly capturing the contrasts and subtly nuancing the “white man’s guilt” that could otherwise easily feel contrived.”
7. Sky Blue (Up, 2002)
“The atmospheric gospel soar of “Sky Blue” touches the heart directly and just when you thought nothing could achieve the same effect. With an absolutely wonderful appearance by the Blind Boys of Alabama.”
See more: Phish Albums Ranked
6. Don’t Give Up (So, 1986)
“Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel were two essential artists of the 80s. Kate and Peter both have very distinctive voices that make any song better, and “Don’t Give Up” is a very beautiful song. It may not be the best use of their priceless voices, but it’s a touching and encouraging song.”
5. Sledgehammer (So, 1986)
“Sledgehammer is a fun and catchy hit, and the version on this twelve-inch is otherwise the LP version but with an extended intro. On the flip side, the two non-So tracks are quite solid but nothing that really sticks out as much as anything on the LP. A nice addition to anyone’s Gabriel collection nonetheless.”
4. Lay Your Hands On Me (Peter Gabriel, 1982)
“The single is obviously the most well known track here and is a memorable effort. Lay Your Hands on Me creates a great atmosphere with the marvellous Peter Hammill very discernible on backing vocals. Hammill is such an underrated artist.”
3. In Your Eyes (So, 1986)
“Warm, tender, creeps in gingerly without overstaying its welcome. Punctuates wonderfully in all the right places. This is a hell of a track.”
2. Games Without Frontiers (Peter Gabriel, 1980)
“Wildly creative, seemingly out of nowhere given that it sounds like no song he created prior. This is the song – and by extension the album – that he intuitively knew he had in him when he left Genesis and would not be able to birth while with Genesis. His first two solo albums were really exercises in shedding Genesis…”
1. Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel, 1977)
“Solsbury Hill” is breathtaking, powerfully beautiful in every way possible, and it needs no introduction or commentary. I know I probably say this far too often, but it is, in my world, easily one of the greatest songs ever written by a human or a mutant/alien masquerading as one.”