Peter Gabriel's Best Songs

Among fans of music there are names that stir vivid recollections and emotions. One of those names is Peter Gabriel. Having been in the music business since his late teens, Peter Gabriel has been one of the defining forces in rock music. His songs are still popular today and he even recently provided the end credit song to the Disney Pixar film Wall -E. Here is my list of the ten best Peter Gabriel songs and why I think so.

(1) Solsbury Hill - This is probably the most uplifting song I've ever heard and that's why I've listed it as number one. The song is about personal affirmation. The song was written about Peter Gabriel's decision to leave Genesis. Other songs in music history have been uplifting, but few have had the message this one has had. To me this song shows that decisions are going to have to be made in your life, but you're going to have to do what you feel is right regardless of the consequences.

(2) Sledgehammer - This is probably Peter Gabriel's most well-known song. He wrote it as an homage to the 60s soul music that we was fond of. This song is at number two for me because you can't help but dance to it, even if you can't dance that well you'll still find your feet moving. The lyrics are also brilliant. What at first sounds like nothing more than a nonsense song is actually about sex, but unlike most the music written today it is cleverly disguised.

(3) Shock the Monkey - This is from the album Peter Gabriel 4 which is known as Security in the United States. This song seems to have different meanings to whomever is listening to it, but Peter Gabriel has stated about how we basically become animals when we become jealous. Whatever meaning is found in it, the song is just good. It demonstrates Peter Gabriel's ability to write an interesting lyric and write a catchy hook.

(4) In Your Eyes - If you know anything about 80s movies, then you know about the John Cusack film Say Anything. This is the song that he plays in that now iconic boombox scene. This is probably the greatest love song I've ever heard. Instead of being the straight-forward boy/girl love song, it's a song about the struggles of a relationship, but also the joy you feel when you're looking into the eyes of someone you love and how you feel total when you view yourself through their eyes.

(5) Darkness - This song is from Peter Gabriel's 2002 album Up. It's an uplifting song, but for a different reason than why Solsbury Hill is an uplifting song. The song in its arrangement is extremely dark, but you need to listen to the lyrics. It's a song about recognizing your fears, but accepting them and in accepting your fears, controlling them.

(6) Sky Blue - This is from the same album as Darkness. I don't understand why this particular album didn't sell, because it has some of Peter Gabriel's best songs on it. I enjoy this song especially for the vocalization of The Blind Boys of Alabama.

(7) Come Talk to Me - This song was written when Gabriel was having communication problems with his youngest daughter. It's a song that speaks to anyone having communication problems with anyone we care about. The lyrics seem like nonsense until you realize that they're speaking to the confusion that one feels when there is a communication break down. The images in the lyrics help demonstrate that confusion.

(8) Digging in the Dirt - This song is the polar opposite of the song Darkness in my opinion. This song basically seems to be about finding, or digging into, what it is that has hurt you and made you afraid. But it's also about realizing you need support when you're trying to find out where you've been hurt. The best performance of this song can be seen on Peter Gabriel's Secret World Live concert DVD.

(9) Here Comes the Flood (Shaking the Tree version) - First released on Peter Gabriel 1 it was released again on his compilation Shaking the Tree. Peter Gabriel had never been happy with the original production and so he simplified it when it came time to release it again. The flood of course refers to an emotional onslaught.

(10) Steam - Every bit as good as Sledgehammer which is its musical cousin. This song has more of a funk sound though. The music video is the best part of the song. First you get to see Peter Gabriel dressed up as a pimp (though he was intended to look like a "disco party guy" whatever that is) and then you get to see him represented through the years with his father playing an older Peter Gabriel in one instant. This song will make you dance as well.

Honorable Mention: Biko - This song was written about the anti-Apartheid activist Steven Biko who was murdered in South Africa in 1977. This song is overtly political, but also is one of Peter Gabriel's best. It incorporates two things he's passionate about: human rights and world music (the African beat of the song).