History Music / PeterGabriel

** His song "Mercy Street" is about/inspired by the life and works of poet AnneSexton, who wrote a book of poetry called ''45 Mercy Street.''

Then came 1986, and his album ''So'' along with it. It was a smash hit that gave Gabriel his greatest mainstream success, featuring some of his most famous songs (particularly [[DoubleEntendre "Sledgehammer"]] and [[SayAnything "In Your Eyes"]]). Six years later came ''Us'', followed (almost ''ten years later'') by ''Up'', with his most recent being a CoverAlbum, ''Scratch My Back''. He has also done work for various films, most famously "Down To Earth" for ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}''.

* AwardBaitSong: While it doesn't exactly fit the typical stereotype, [[WallE "Down To Earth"]] was actually nominated for an Oscar.

* PopStarComposer: As noted above, composed the scores for ''Birdy'', ''Last Temptation'', and ''{{Rabbit-Proof Fence}}'', and has contributed songs to ''Philadelphia'', ''Phenomenon'' (a remixed version of "I Have The Touch"), ''Against All Odds'', ''Hard To Hold'' (interesting in that he only contributed one song; the rest of the soundtrack was mostly Rick Springfield, who also starred in it), ''[[{{Myst}} Uru]]'', ''[[TheWildThornberrys The Wild Thornberrys Movie]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}''.

* NightmareFuel: "Intruder", one of the most creepy songs ever written.

Gabriel is a pioneer in many respects: he was one of the first popular artists to start including World music (particularly African) influences into his music, and was the first to use the "gated drum" sound as well. He is one of the founders of On Demand Distribution, which has become the leading downloadable music platform in Europe, and is a big supporter of the WOMAD world music movement, in addition to work for Amnesty International and various other charities.

* SanitySlippageSong: "Out Out" could be considered this.

* WastedSong: "Out Out" from ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', which appears briefly and never shows up again (it doesn't help that the soundtrack was never even put on CD and is now out of print).

* AwardBaitSong: While it doesn't exactly fit the typical stereotype, "Down To Earth" was actually nominated for an Oscar.

* EpicSong: "Red Rain", "Signal To Noise", "Down The Dolce Vita". "Here Comes The Flood" was originally this, but Gabriel thought it was too over-the top and later reworked it into a piano-only acoustic version.

After leaving the band, he first gained a hit with "Solsbury Hill," which was, appropriately enough, about his breakup with them. He then went on to release four increasingly experimental solo albums from 1977-1985, [[OneSteveLimit all of which were initially named]] ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Peter Gabriel]]'', but have since been re-titled based on their cover art. They were fairly successful, producing multiple hits, such as "Games Without Frontiers", "I Don't Remember", and "Shock The Monkey".

Then came 1986, and his album ''So'' along with it. It was a smash hit that gave Gabriel his greatest mainstream success, featuring some of his most famous songs (particularly [[DoubleEntendre "Sledgehammer"]] and [[SayAnything "In Your Eyes"]]). Six years later came ''Us'', followed (almost ''ten years later'') by ''Up'', with his most recent being a CoverAlbum, ''Scratch My Back''. He has also done work for various films, most famously "Down To Earth" for ''WallE''.

* ''New Blood''

* {{Bishonen}}: During his early years with Music/{{Genesis}}, up until ''TheLambLiesDownOnBroadway'' era.

** His album "Passion" started out being the soundtrack for "Last Temptation Of Christ" -- but he kept tweaking and changing each of the songs after the film was released, to the point that he didn't feel right calling it "the soundtrack" any more.

* PopStarComposer: As noted above, composed the scores for ''Birdy'', ''Last Temptation'', and ''{{Rabbit-Proof Fence}}'', and has contributed songs to ''Philadelphia'', ''Phenomenon'' (a remixed version of "I Have The Touch"), ''Against All Odds'', ''Hard To Hold'' (interesting in that he only contributed one song; the rest of the soundtrack was mostly Rick Springfield, who also starred in it), ''[[{{Myst}} Uru]]'', ''[[TheWildThornberrys The Wild Thornberrys Movie]]'', and ''WallE''.

* TheSongBeforeTheStorm: "Down The Dolce Vita" from ''Car'', both in the context of the song itself (it's literally before an impending storm) and the album as a whole (it's the penultimate song on the album, preceding and leading directly into the even more bombastic original version of "Here Comes The Flood").

* StudioChatter: At the beginning of "Not One Of Us".

* WastedSong: "Out Out" from ''{{Gremlins}}'', which appears briefly and never shows up again (it doesn't help that the soundtrack was never even put on CD and is now out of print).

* SpiritualSuccessor: "Steam" is basically Gabriel's attempt to recapture the sound and feel of "Sledgehammer". Whether he succeeded or not and its overall quality is [[YourMileageMayVary up to the listener]].

** Well, I don't see how that could be that frighten[[HighOctaneNightmareFuel AGGHJESUSTAPDANCINGCHRIST]]

* BeyondTheImpossible: On ''[[CoverAlbum Scratch My Back]]'', he manages to make Music/{{Radiohead}}'s "Street Spirit" ''even more depressing''.

* Creator/{{Hipgnosis}}: Did the cover art for his first three albums.

''Scratch My Back'' was originally going to have a companion album, ''I'll Scratch Yours'', with the artists whose songs Gabriel covered covering some of his in turn, including [[VelvetUnderground Lou Reed]], Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, Arcade Fire, and more; while these covers were being released as singles, coupled with the corresponding artist's cover, no news on either the album or the next single has been heard for some time.

* BeyondTheImpossible: On ''[[CoverAlbum Scratch My Back]]'', he manages to make {{Radiohead}}'s "Street Spirit" ''even more depressing''.

* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: Stephin Merritt of TheMagneticFields had this to say about Gabriel's cover of "Book of Love":

* {{Determinator}}: KateBush reports that during a late night in the studio, Gabriel fell asleep and KEPT SINGING.

* FirstAndForemost: "In Your Eyes" has been covered by multiple different artists, from PostPunk to Christian, but none of them have ever even made a dent in the original's popularity.
* FreudWasRight: Probably intentional. Most of the lyrics of "Sledgehammer" and "Kiss That Frog" are innuendos, and "Big Time" is all about the desire to own a big house, a big car; live in the big city, etc.
** "And the bulge of my [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre big big big big big big big big big big big big big big BIG]]!"

* SingingSimlish: The end of "Solsbury Hill" and "Kiss That Frog", and throughout "I Don't Remember".

* LonelyPianoPiece: The remake of "Here Comes The Flood".

* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: When Stephin Merritt of TheMagneticFields was asked about Gabriel's cover of his song "Book of Love", he said that Gabriel took a love song about feeling insufficient and helpless and turned it into "God singing to you about his creation".

* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: When Stephin Merritt of the MagneticFields was asked about Gabriel's cover of his song "Book of Love", he said that Gabriel took a love song about feeling insufficient and helpless and turned it into "God singing to you about his creation".

* {{Bookends}}: the song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOYK7sG5c2Q Big Time]] starts and ends with an American voice saying 'Hi There!'

* CloudCuckooLander: Peter definitely comes across as this.

* CrossDresser: During the early years of Music/{{Genesis}}, he wore a long red dress and a fox's head on stage, [[http://www.multinet.no/~jonarne/Hjemmesia/Favorittartister/peter_gabriel/Genesis_PeterGabriel_Foxtrot_Paris_Januar1973.jpg like so]].

** "And the bulge of my [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean big big big big big big big big big big big big big big BIG]]!"

* JerkAss: See TakeThat below.

* [[RealLifeWritesThePlot Real Life Writes The Song]]: The song "Family Snapshot" was inspired by the assassination attempt on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace George Wallace]].

** Gabriel refused to attend the induction of Music/{{Genesis}} into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, and referred to them disparagingly as "[[JerkAss My old band from school]]."
* TheSongBeforeTheStorm: "Down The Dolce Vita" from ''Car'', both in the context of the song itself (it's literally before an impending storm) and the album as a whole (it's the penultimate song on the album, preceding and leading directly into the even more bombastic original version of "Here Comes The Flood").

* UnusualEuphemism: "Sledgehammer" is about Gabriel's "sledgehammer", IfYouKnowWhatIMean.

* ''[[CoverAlbum Scratch My Back]]''