It’s unusual for a solo artist’s work to overshadow their work with their previous band. But there’s a strong argument that Gabriel’s solo catalogue eclipses the progressive rock albums that he made with Genesis in the 1970s. Leaving Genesis after 1974’s The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Gabriel took a couple of albums to find his feet as a solo artist.
On 1980’s Melt, Gabriel started dabbling with world music textures. They’ve been in his music ever since, with Gabriel featuring artists like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou N’Dour to a Western audience. He hit the mainstream with 1986’s So, topping the Billboard chart with ‘Sledgehammer’.
After a long lull between albums, Peter Gabriel recently released i/o, an impressively vibrant and tuneful album from a septuagenarian. It’s a good time to take stock of his solo discography. There’s debate about what counts as an album for Gabriel. I’ve included his most popular soundtrack, Passion, but skipped the others. I’ve also omitted albums of cover albums and reworks like Scratch My Back and New Blood.
Peter Gabriel Albums Ranked
#10 Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
1978
On paper, Scratch seemed like a great idea. Gabriel teamed up with Robert Fripp, on hiatus from King Crimson, producing. Fripp produced an impressive album with Daryl Hall around the same time. But Scratch is disappointing – the singles are surprisingly mainstream, and in other places, the record feels raw and rushed. There’s at least one strong deep cut, ‘White Shadow’, with some hints of Gabriel’s progressive rock roots. Great album cover though.
#9 Up
2002
Gabriel started work on Up in 1995. When it finally appeared in 2002, it felt overworked. The single ‘The Barry Williams’ felt instantly dated, a putdown on TV hosts that belonged to the 1990s. It can be a tough listen, as it’s Gabriel’s darkest album, centred on death. It’s one of his more inconsistent records, as some of the slow tracks drag. But at the same time, Up houses some of Gabriel’s most stunning tracks. ‘Darkness’ is an apocalyptic opener, ‘Sky Blue’ is pretty, and ‘The Drop’ is a gorgeously minimal closer. Best of all is ‘Signal to Noise’, with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan featured on vocals.
#8 Peter Gabriel (Car)
1977
Gabriel’s debut album feels like someone constrained by a band, excited to try a bunch of ideas in a solo career. There are still vestiges of his former band’s progressive rock – particularly closer ‘Here Comes the Flood’. But there’s some oddball stuff as well – the barbershop quartet sound of ‘Excuse Me’ and the blues of ‘Waiting for the Big One’ are outliers in Gabriel’s usually dignified catalogue. The most enduring cut is ‘Solsbury Hill’, written in 7/4 about a spiritual experience on the hill in Somerset.
#7 OVO
2000
OVO was the soundtrack for the Millennium Dome Show. The show was a multimedia event that ran exactly 999 times at the Millennium Dome in London during 2000. It’s somewhere between a studio album and a soundtrack. It features an array of guest stars, with vocalists like Neneh Cherry, Cocteau Twin Elizabeth Fraser, Richie Havens, and The Blue Nile’s Paul Buchanan. But it deserves a place at the table here, with strong tracks like the menacing ‘The Tower That Ate People’ and the pretty ‘Downside-Up’.
#6 I/O
2023
Like Up, Gabriel started I/O in the mid-1990s, meaning it took almost three decades to arrive. Even its release took time, with Gabriel releasing a new single every full moon for a year leading in. I/O was his first album to top the UK charts since So, and it’s close in spirit to that 1986 record, with world textures augmenting accessible pop/rock songs. Each song comes in two mixes, a light-side and dark-side version, making a 66-minute record even longer. But it’s often very strong, with highlights like the catchy title track, the intensity of ‘Four Kinds of Horses’, and the pretty opener ‘Panopticorn’.
#5 Passion
1989
I’ve largely skipped Gabriel’s soundtrack work on this list, but Passion is his most beloved. It’s the soundtrack for Martin Scorcese’s controversial film The Last Temptation of Christ. It’s his most world music-influenced record, combined with ambient western sounds. It helped introduce Western listeners to musicians like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Youssou N’Dour, L. Shankar, and Baaba Maal. It’s often instrumental, but Gabriel’s emotive voice takes centre stage on tracks like ‘A Different Drum’ and ‘Gethsemane’.
#4 So
1986
Gabriel’s most famous album turned him into a superstar. Coincidentally, Genesis, Phil Collins, and Steve Hackett’s GTR were all enjoying success around the same time. The record’s headlined by a strong clutch of singles. ‘Sledgehammer’, with its stop motion video, was the biggest hit. It was supported by the yuppie-baiting ‘Big Time’, the Kate Bush duet on ‘Don’t Give Up’, and the love song ‘In Your Eyes’. The album tracks aren’t all as strong, but ‘Mercy Street’ is a fan favourite and ‘That Voice Again’ is driving and tuneful.
#3 Peter Gabriel (Security)
1982
Gabriel’s fourth album is arty and esoteric. It continues the world music flavours from his third record, but dials up the tension and the creepiness. The lyrics are also internationally flavoured – ‘The Family and the Fishing Net’ compares a marriage ceremony to a voodoo ritual, while ‘The Rhythm of the Heat’ is about Carl Jung observing a group of African drummers.
Security drags a little at times, but it has some of my favourite Gabriel material. ‘Wallflower’, about a political prisoner, builds to a gorgeously uplifting conclusion. ‘San Jacinto’ is tense and pretty.
#2 Us
1992
Gabriel’s studio albums slowed down after the early 1980s, with Us emerging more than half a decade after So. If So marked Gabriel’s emergence as a radio-friendly artist, Us is its darker, wiser older brother. There are less catchy tunes, but it’s full of well-written tunes that meditate on love and loss. Closer ‘Secret World’ is my favourite from Gabriel’s solo catalogue, while ‘Blood of Eden’ is also beautiful, with the late Sinead O’Connor on backing vocals. There’s also more upbeat fare – ‘Steam’, with a killer bassline, and the catharsis of ‘Digging in the Dirt’.
#1 Peter Gabriel (Melt)
1980
After an uncertain start to his solo career, Gabriel got it right with his third record. There’s a new wave influence, with The Jam’s Paul Weller and XTC’s Dave Gregory contributing, as well as Kate Bush. World textures also make their way into his music on the politically-motivated closer ‘Biko’.
Melt is sonically innovative. Gabriel, drummer Phil Collins, and producer Steve Lillywhite developed the gated reverb snare sound on the opener ‘Intruder’. It’s Gabriel’s most intense album, with psychologically disturbed characters on ‘It’s sonically innovative. Gabriel, drummer Phil Collins, and producer Steve Lillywhite developed the gated reverb snare sound on the opener ‘Intruder’. It’s Gabriel’s most intense album, with psychologically disturbed characters on ‘Family Snapshot’ and ‘Intruder’.
Did I underrate your favourite Peter Gabriel album?
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I’ve got So and Us and the hits Shaking the Tree and love them all. Would like to get I/O, Security, and Melt. Just looked at library database and they have only 4 hard copy CDs of his. That’s criminal. They do have a lot of digital borrowing available, which means you can listen but not copy afaik. There are 114 hits on his name with DVDs and these are movies he’s associated with, I’m guessing as he helped write soundtracks?
I guess maybe it counts if his songs appear on soundtracks too?
I have a lot of time for Shaking the Tree. Remix of I Have the Touch! The title track! Solo piano version of Here Comes the Flood!
I don’t know all the albums and I agree with the number 1 but…..
Based on what I play, the first album is number 2 because of its fun and energy and quirkiness and not taking itself too seriously. After the great Solsbury Hill, Excuse Me and the fabulously OTT Waiting For The Big One are my favourite tracks – ‘Once I was the credit to my credit card’ is up there with my best loved lyrics.
It’s maybe just me but Us seems like the dull commercial retread can’t think of a new direction cash-in of So. Steam is an inferior retread of Sledgehammer and I love the ridiculously over-detailed production of Mercy Street and emotion (rare in his work) of Don’t Give Up.
I don’t know I/O well enough but there are moments in Scratch I like even if it’s annoyingly disparate in feel.
Always good to disagree with you and all the best!
Martin
A couple of people have stood up for the debut already. I love Here Comes the Flood, but like the solo piano version of Shaking the Tree even more.
Steam vs Sledgehammer is an interesting debate. I think Sledgehammer is probably better, but there’s a lot to like about Steam. A killer bassline. There are a couple of slow songs on Us that don’t do much for me, but I adore stuff like Digging in the Dirt, Secret World, and Blood of Eden.
For me, Don’t Give Up is the one point where his work kind of tips from emotional to too saccharine. I like it more than I used to – it’s an interesting melody – but never been a favourite. I prefer Wallflower for a big emotional Gabriel ballad.
Thanks for writing in!
I think, I enjoy Gabriel’s soundtracks much more than his albums but you’re right on the money selecting Passion as his best soundtrack but I think, I would put it as my number one overall! 🙂
I’ve seen Rabbit-Proof Fence, but on a plane, so I probably didn’t get the full benefit of the soundtrack. What other Gabriel soundtracks do you like?
Well, yeah it’s Long Walk Home which is the music from the Rabbit-Proof Fence and he also did soundtrack from 1985 movie called Birdy too plus already said about Passion Music for The Last Temptation of Christ. Might be all his soundtracks, would have to double checked that?
Did you know all his albums are on bandcamp? Here’s those couple:
https://petergabriel.bandcamp.com/album/birdy-music-from-the-film
https://petergabriel.bandcamp.com/album/long-walk-home-music-from-the-rabbit-proof-fence
🙂
Certainly some food for thought here, Graham. As it would take some serious re-listening to rank the whole set (well done you), I’ll offer my top few.
1. Us — one of the best albums about being an adult, ever. If you disagree, I’ll see you behind the bike sheds after school.
2. So — Simply irresistible, from dramatic opener “Red Rain” to experimental closer “We do what we’re told”.
3. Car — Despite a muddy mix, there is so much musical exuberance here. Kiss that frog!
4. Plays Live — Fabulous concert performances. Plus you get the wonderful “I go swimming”.
5. Passion — No interest in the film but what an interesting soundtrack collection!
I would have picked you as a Security kind of guy. Sounds like I should track down I Go Swimming at least.
I don’t know his albums too well other than So and Us. He is such a visual artist to me…and from what I’ve heard of his new album…it sounds much like his 80s and 90s work to my untrained ears. I do like what I’ve heard from it so far.
I think the new one sounds a lot like So. Up was a bit weirder, but I/O kind of comes back closer to the mainstream.
He is one of the hardest artists for me to peg…you can’t really put him in a box. I admire him for that.
His new music is very accessible.
With you on your #1 but you definitely underrated solo albums 1 and 2…
I’ve done a bunch of these lists and it’s certainly unusual to have an artist’s early albums down the bottom of the list. I feel like he found his identity as a solo artist with that third record.
That’s true, but I’d say there are absolute key PG songs on those first two albums which trump anything he’s done post-‘So’. ‘Indigo’, ‘DIY’, ‘White Shadow’, ‘Mother Of Violence’, ‘Here Comes The Flood’, ‘Moribund’, ‘Modern Love’, ‘Humdrum’, ‘Here Comes The Flood’, etc. etc…
Lots of people have been writing in to defend the first two albums, so I’m looking like a minority. According to Rate Your Music’s aggregate ratings, 3 > So > Passion >IV > Up.
And where is ‘Plays Live’ btw?! Has to be in the top ten.
You could also argue that EVERY character on Melt is ‘psychologically disturbed’, apart from Biko obviously…
Whichever one has Solsbury Hill on it. Or Games Without Frontiers. Those are his only songs I like.
So I or III?
I guess. I never could remember which is which. Even the album covers don’t help me remember.
I didn’t know the first album was nicknamed Scratch. I knew the other two were called Melt and Car but I didn’t know scratch.
Interesting order – I’d probably go So-Melt-and then maybe a constantly revising order from there.
A friend saw him earlier this year and said his voice sounded as good as ever!
So and Melt are certainly popular choices.
So is the only one I have. I need to get more of his stuff. Shame on me.
If you wanted to cite the only non-Gabriel sung track from the PG era, ‘More Fool Me’.
I’ve (sadly) been disappointed by what I’ve heard from “I/O” (though I understand it is working well in concert setting) . . . but I am with you 100% on “III/Melt” being a masterpiece for the ages, and the best thing he did post-Genesis.
“IV/Security” would be my clear #2, then a long drop off to “So” and “I/Car” and “II/Scratch,” then . . . I don’t really like much of the rest of them, with the exceptions of a few specific cuts, e.g “Digging in the Dirt,” which is awesome. I also liked his “Down to Earth” from the “Wall-E” soundtrack, as another one-off.
Of ones you didn’t mention, I also liked his soundtrack to “Birdy” back when it came out. Haven’t spun it in decades, though, so not sure if it holds up in 2023!
I always assumed Birdy was a bunch of reworks from his other albums, but it looks like half the tracks are original, so maybe it’s worth checking out.