Top 10 Peter Gabriel Songs

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Our Top 10 Peter Gabriel songs list examines one of the most fascinating musical artists of the classic rock era. As all Peter Gabriel and Genesis fans already know, Peter Gabriel was the lead singer and leader of the band Genesis during the band’s early years. Peter Gabriel recorded six albums with Genesis from 1969 to 1974. After the release of the magnificent Genesis album “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway,” Peter Gabriel left the band to begin a stellar solo career.

Peter Gabriel’s first solo album was released in 1977. The following three albums were all titled “Peter Gabriel,” making life difficult for record stores in categorizing Peter Gabriel’s albums. In 1986, Peter Gabriel released the album So. The record would go on to become the most successful solo album of his career. At a time when people were criticizing the Phil Collins-led Genesis hit-making machine, Peter Gabriel wound up competing with his former bandmates on the same commercial singles charts.

Our Top 10 Peter Gabriel songs list examines the songs Peter Gabriel recorded during his post-Genesis career. We have not included any material Peter Gabriel wrote with the band Genesis.

# 10 – D.I.Y.

We open our Top 10 Peter Gabriel songs list with the exciting progressive rock funk track “D.I.Y .” The song was released on Peter Gabriel’s second solo album. Peter Gabriel’s sophomore release was issued in 1978. The album featured Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame on guitar. The album also featured Bruce Springsteen’s piano player Roy Bittan.

# 9 – Games Without Frontiers

Continuing with songs from the non-titled Peter Gabriel albums, our top 10 Peter Gabriel Songs list turns to the third album. The great Peter Gabriel song “Games Without Frontiers” was released in 1980. One of the reasons we love this song so much is the fact that the legendary Kate Bush sang backing vocals on the track. Her haunting, high-pitched voice adds such a distinctive sound to the recording. The song “Games Without Frontiers” opened up side two of the album. British record producer Steve Lillywhite produced Peter Gabriel’s third album.

# 8 – Here Comes the Flood

The song “Here Comes The Flood” was the closing track on Peter Gabriel’s debut solo album. The haunting and moody track with its exceptional chorus has always been one of our favorite Peter Gabriel songs. “Here Comes The Flood” is maybe his most underrated composition.

The song featured the London Symphony Orchestra. Additional musicians on the track included Larry Fast on keyboards, as well as King Crimson members Tony Levin on bass and Robert Fripp on guitar. Just think about that, Peter Gabriel had half of King Crimson and the London Symphony Orchestra all playing on this phenomenal piece of music. Simply stunning!

# 7 – Big Time

“Big Time” was one of Peter Gabriel’s biggest hits, pardon the pun. It was released on his mega-selling 1986 album So. The record garnered five hit singles. “Big Time” was a top 10 hit, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. However, Peter Gabriel’s former band, Genesis, was enjoying the same level of success on the charts in 1986. The band Genesis had five top 10 hits from their Invisible Touch album, including a number one single. It’s amazing how both Peter Gabriel and his former band Genesis dominated the music charts in 1986.

The SO album was produced by the legendary musical artist and producer Daniel Lanois. Stewart Copeland of The Police played drums on the track. On the saxophone was Billy Joel’s saxophonist Mark Rivera. Daniel Lanois played guitar on the track. Simon Clarke of Be-Bop Deluxe played bass.

# 6 – Shock the Monkey

The Peter Gabriel song “Shock The Monkey” was released on Peter Gabriel’s fourth solo album. It was the album’s second single release, following the initial single, “I Have the Touch.” The song “Shock The Monkey” was a top 40 hit for Peter Gabriel. It was also the biggest solo hit of his career up to that point in 1982.

Peter Gabriel had always been a performance artist in concert. In the 1970s, a handful of artists like Alice Cooper, The Tubes, Kiss, and Kate Bush put on amazing shows for their concert audiences. MTV would embrace these artists along with Peter Gabriel in the early 1980s. These same artists who presented spectacular shows in concert in the 1970s utilized their theatrical skill in the video format better than most other 1970s rock and roll stars. It was the perfect marriage of rock stars and music videos.

# 5 – Come Talk To Me

“Come Talk To Me” was the fantastic opening track from Peter Gabriel’s 1992 album Us. It was perhaps Peter Gabriel’s most personal record. Peter Gabriel had been experiencing numerous issues with his wife and wrote the song about their relationship. Just the title of the album alone defines the personal point of the record. The excellent track “Come Talk To Me” also featured Sinéad O’Connor on backing vocals. On the album was Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones playing on the track “Fourteen Black Paintings.” Once again, Daniel Lanois produced the album.

# 4 – Red Rain

The mesmerizing composition “Red Rain” was the opening track to Peter Gabriel’s So album. It’s pretty unique to label an album title with just two letters, making up the simple word ‘So’. It’s pretty courageous. The So album is represented on this top 10 Peter Gabriel songs list more than any other Peter Gabriel record. “Red Rain” was another one of those haunting but beautiful Peter Gabriel recordings that captivated Peter Gabriel fans.

Jerry Marotta played drums on the track while Stewart Copeland played the hi-hat ,which we have always found very interesting. It defines how vital the hi-hat is to a song’s groove. Stewart Copeland has always been one of the best at it. Just listen to all those Police recordings.

# 3 – Sledgehammer

Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” was the lead single released from his multi-million-selling album entitled So. The perfectly titled song became Peter Gabriel’s first number-one hit. It was number one in the United States and Canada. It reached number four in the United Kingdom. The song is representative of a diverse range of musical styles, all combined to create a fresh sound that embodies the originality and creative musical heart of Peter Gabriel.

# 2 – In Your Eyes

Coming in at Number two on our Top 10 Peter Gabriel songs list is the song “In Your Eyes.” The song is easily Peter Gabriel’s most loved song of all time. It’s a brilliant piece of music that is one of the strongest compositions of his career. It didn’t hurt that the song was featured in the 1989 film Say Anything in a truly iconic movie scene.

# 1 – Solsbury Hill

One of the most creative and engaging pop songs we have ever heard was Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill.” Peter Gabriel had a unique gift in his ability to set a cinematic scene within his music. His melodies and productions were on a completely different level from all other pop music. “Solsbury Hill” was released on his first solo album in 1977. The song also featured the London Symphony Orchestra on the recording. It is one of the most spiritual pop songs we have ever heard.

Photo: By Skoll World Forum (Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship Ceremony) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Updated June 18, 2025