Hard to believe the polished, chart-dominating Peter Gabriel of “Sledgehammer” MTV fame was the same fearless experimentalist who once appeared as the grotesque Slipperman in The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Yet 40 years ago today (5/19/86), Gabriel released his landmark mainstream fifth solo album, So — the record that transformed him from cult art-rock visionary into a global superstar.
Produced by Daniel Lanois and recorded largely at Gabriel’s Ashcombe House studio, So is packed with massive singles like “Sledgehammer,” “Big Time,” “Red Rain,” the heartbreaking Kate Bush duet “Don’t Give Up,” and the transcendent “In Your Eyes,” So became one of the defining albums of the 1980s, fueled by constant MTV rotation and Gabriel’s adventurous blend of pop, soul, funk, and world music influences.
Check out Peter Gabriel and his band live at Philadelphia’s Spectrum in 1987 during the So tour.