This video completely BLEW UP on MTV back in the day and won a record 9 VMAs in 1987. The album this song is from, "So", is a masterpiece. So many great songs on it. I highly recommend also checking out In Your Eyes, Solsbury Hill, Red Rain, Big Time, Don't Give Up (duet with Kate Bush). You should also check out some earlier stuff like Shock the Monkey, Games Without Frontiers... he has so many good songs really. And FYI in case you didn't know, Peter was the original vocalist for Genesis from 1967-1975 (then Phil Collins took over when Peter left).
Kate's very first collaboration with Peter Gabriel was when she provided bscking vocals on two tracks from Peter's 3rd album namely "Games Without Frontiers" (which was released as a single) and "No Self Control".
You should check out "In Your Eyes" Secret World live recording. I know people usually prefer hearing studio versions first but it is truly the definitive version of the song. Plus it includes Paula Cole on backing vocals, who has her own singing career well worth diving into.
Back in the day this was one of those videos that everyone was talking about (just like A-ha's 'Take On Me'). It was a HUGE deal. And it's still amazing to this day. Again just like 'Take On Me'.
Love his songs. My favorite by him is "In Your Eyes" The official music video to it. I remember them playing this "Sledgehammer " music video constantly on MTV in 80's.
Yes! Definitely more Peter Gabriel! This video won nine MTV Music Video Awards (back when MTV actually played music videos around the clock! :-) ) in 1987, including Video of the Year, Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction. Also from that same "So" album are the terrific songs "In Your Eyes" and "Don't Give Up," a hauntingly beautiful duet with Kate Bush. I aso recommend Peter's songs "Shock the Monkey" (1982) and "Solsbury Hill" (his first solo hit back in 1977). And like commenter Peter Dennis recommended, Peter's 10-minute-long 1994 "Secret World Live" tour concert video of "In Your Eyes" is absolutely stunning. But on first listen, I recommend the studio recording and/or original video for "In Your Eyes." (Both are spiritual experiences, in my opinion. :-) ) Peter started off as the lead singer of the rock band Genesis. After Peter went solo, drummer Phil Collins took over the lead vocals and much of the songwriting efforts for the band, now a trio, which went on to achieve its most commercial success in the late 1970s and 1980s without Peter. When Peter was in Genesis, its style was more progressive and experimental and artsy-fartsy (dare I say "flat-out weird!" LOL). And Peter would wear white Kabuki makeup and colorful, "interesting" costumes. For a sample of young, long-haired 20-something Peter in Genesis, you might enjoy their song "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" (1973 live performance video).
Whenever my eldest brother and I heard a song from Peter Gabriel or Genesis we would comment that this is one of the odd times that a member of a group left for solo work, the band continued with one member gone and both of which went on to superstar status. Peter obvious had a different visions the other three did not share. this decision made them all happier, and we got to hear all they have done over the last several decades.
Yep, the classic 1980s video that everyone loved. It was stop action animation, took weeks to complete with Peter Gabriel sitting there having one frame photoed at a time, put together with effects, and boom.
Aardman Studios did the animation! Their characteristic smile is seen on the bumper cars. Aardman did also Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Creature Comforts...
Yes please, more Peter Gabriel would be awesome. There are already lots of great recommendations in the previous comments, I second all of them. Looove this man. Great reaction also, thank you.
Thank you so much for this reaction! This was and still is a classic video and so many people marveled at its ingenuity. This is the first time I’ve seen it in years and I love it!
Sledgehammer was widely seen as one of the best music videos of the '80s. I also recommend Games Without Frontiers (features Kate Bush on backing vocals).
Brilliant!! Peter Gabriel is the ultimate artist. Thjs video was made using stop motion so if you imagine every frame/movement having to be painstakingly captured one by one and I think they may have did it backwards or something crazy like that lol and yes the lyrics are very suggestive lol 😏 so many good Peter Gabriel songs, please react to Peter Gabriel Kate Bush “Don’t give up” ♥️♥️
Peter Gabriel's music is different! Most of his videos are fun and light hearted. I always look forward to your videos. As always you look wonderful! Stay safe sweetheart!!
Oh goodness, there are so many great songs from Peter Gabriel for you to experience! Big Time, Steam, basically the whole "So" album, Biko (so powerful), Shock the Monkey (the video is another really interesting one!). You could easily react to a block of songs from him several times over.
Tony Levin is an amazing bassist who also did work with Kate Bush. This song and video are iconic. Peter is amazing. Glad you appreciated it. Love your reaction and vid.
Peter Gabriel is one of the best musicians, the best lyricists, and the best SHOWMEN of all time. I've seen him live and he just blows me away every time. The live version of "In Your Eyes" and "Secret World" are so incredible I can't do them justice with words. He's got a whole slew of great tunes to check out on top of that - "Solsbury Hill", "Shock the Monkey", "Don't Give Up" (duet with Kate Bush), "Steam", "Big Time", "Digging In the Dirt"... I'll stop there, but this is a rabbit hole you're going to love diving into. It's worth noting that a very popular 90s female artist, Paula Cole, started out as a member of Peter Gabriel's world tours as a backup vocalist.
Even though Peter Gabriel was massively successful at the time, I feel like he is under appreciated today relative to some of his peers. For me the music really stands the test of time, whereas other bands from the same period don't excite me the way they once did.
So this is the original!?!? I only heard the version of Harry Styles. A great song, a great video too. But what is a Sledgehammer"? Is it what I think it is? 😱 Hahaha. And yes, the song Don't Give Up is a wonderful song. Please give it a listen 😉
My art teacher at secondary school raved about this video.think about what went into this video considering it was the 80's.we didn't have anything close to the tech now.
This is the greatest video of all time . The merging of an Aplus song with visuals that rival the best semi abstract and abstract Artists in the history of mankind . It is basically a love song of courtship . That is the simple part but it has so many other sub themes , motifs , puns etc. that PHD dissertations could be written about Sledgehammer . There are the easy ones like . Which came first the chicken or the egg ? How will the world end and then in that waterfall of paint we see a d’homage to Jackson Pollack albeit , for one second . I think the star scape in the end might have been inspired by the Paddy Chayefsky/ Ken Russell film Altered States . Anyway yours is the best reaction I have seen yet . You get it and you do not seem to have smart Phone era ADD . Thank you and keep it going . I am hitting your button . You earned it !
Oh gosh, sledgehammer is one of Peter Gabriel‘s biggest hits, if not his biggest hit. And yet, one of my least favorites. Please check out other songs by him. In Your Eyes is amazing. San Jacinto. Talk to Me. And of course, Don’t Give Up with Kate Bush. And Salisbury Hill. If you have the inclination, I would suggest you react to the entire concert video of Secret World Live. It’s one of the best live shows ever done. Paula Cole is a back up singer on the tour, before she became famous in her own right. It’s utterly magical and you will not regret the time spent.
Carpet Crawlers (from his Genesis days), Here Comes The Flood, Solsbury Hill, Games Without Frontiers, Red Rain, In Your Eyes are just some of his excellent songs. But really, the only thing better than Peter Gabriel is his duets with Kate Bush: Don't Give Up and Another Day. Just get the tissues out, your eyes are going to get... misty.
I think that this song is about sex and sexual attraction. React to his songs Big Time, Shock The Monkey, Shaking The Tree, Red Rain, Solsbury Hill, Biko, In Your Eyes, Don't Give Up and Steam please.
In many ways this is the most obvious and yet also the worst place to start with Peter Gabriel. He’s such a wonderful, experimental and daring artist, that this incredibly catchy and groovy hit really doesn’t represent his work at all and yet it’s also his most iconic and well known song. Helped in no small way by the video. His solo career (after he left Genesis) started in 1977. His first 4 albums were all just called “Peter Gabriel”. For this album, his 5th, the record company insisted on a ‘proper title’. He went for the smallest ‘anti-title’ he could think of and called the album “So”. You would be doing yourself a disservice not to check out older songs like Humdrum, Here Comes The Flood, DIY, Not One Of Us, I Have The Touch, Rhythm Of The Heat. All released before this album. He’s a phenomenal artists and apparently set for a new album soon. His first album of new work for years.
Haha, I love this song. Um. But now I find the music video a little bit annoying. How time changes things! It was amazing back then of course. Maybe my eyes are getting old and tired to cope with the video effects. I found myself blinking way too much. :D
This video completely BLEW UP on MTV back in the day and won a record 9 VMAs in 1987. The album this song is from, "So", is a masterpiece. So many great songs on it. I highly recommend also checking out In Your Eyes, Solsbury Hill, Red Rain, Big Time, Don't Give Up (duet with Kate Bush). You should also check out some earlier stuff like Shock the Monkey, Games Without Frontiers... he has so many good songs really. And FYI in case you didn't know, Peter was the original vocalist for Genesis from 1967-1975 (then Phil Collins took over when Peter left).
I would warmly recommend "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel featuring Kate Bush. One of the most beautiful duets ever.
Kate's very first collaboration with Peter Gabriel was when she provided bscking vocals on two tracks from Peter's 3rd album namely "Games Without Frontiers" (which was released as a single) and "No Self Control".
You should check out "In Your Eyes" Secret World live recording. I know people usually prefer hearing studio versions first but it is truly the definitive version of the song. Plus it includes Paula Cole on backing vocals, who has her own singing career well worth diving into.
You need to do more Peter Gabriel, this video won awards, iconic for the time 🥰
Back in the day this was one of those videos that everyone was talking about (just like A-ha's 'Take On Me'). It was a HUGE deal.
And it's still amazing to this day. Again just like 'Take On Me'.
Yep, and it was MTV's #1 music video for that year.
I was going to say the Holy Trinity of music videos that blew our minds in the 80s was Sledgehammer, Take On Me, and Thriller.
Love his songs. My favorite by him is "In Your Eyes" The official music video to it. I remember them playing this "Sledgehammer " music video constantly on MTV in 80's.
Solsbury Hill by him is magical
Peter Gabriel has a very beautiful and distinctive voice. Great reaction to this video. You can’t go wrong with any of his music.
Thanks for watching!
Yes! Definitely more Peter Gabriel! This video won nine MTV Music Video Awards (back when MTV actually played music videos around the clock! :-) ) in 1987, including Video of the Year, Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction. Also from that same "So" album are the terrific songs "In Your Eyes" and "Don't Give Up," a hauntingly beautiful duet with Kate Bush. I aso recommend Peter's songs "Shock the Monkey" (1982) and "Solsbury Hill" (his first solo hit back in 1977). And like commenter Peter Dennis recommended, Peter's 10-minute-long 1994 "Secret World Live" tour concert video of "In Your Eyes" is absolutely stunning. But on first listen, I recommend the studio recording and/or original video for "In Your Eyes." (Both are spiritual experiences, in my opinion. :-) ) Peter started off as the lead singer of the rock band Genesis. After Peter went solo, drummer Phil Collins took over the lead vocals and much of the songwriting efforts for the band, now a trio, which went on to achieve its most commercial success in the late 1970s and 1980s without Peter. When Peter was in Genesis, its style was more progressive and experimental and artsy-fartsy (dare I say "flat-out weird!" LOL). And Peter would wear white Kabuki makeup and colorful, "interesting" costumes. For a sample of young, long-haired 20-something Peter in Genesis, you might enjoy their song "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" (1973 live performance video).
They dont make music like this anymore and thats a damn fact.... pure gold
Whenever my eldest brother and I heard a song from Peter Gabriel or Genesis we would comment that this is one of the odd times that a member of a group left for solo work, the band continued with one member gone and both of which went on to superstar status. Peter obvious had a different visions the other three did not share. this decision made them all happier, and we got to hear all they have done over the last several decades.
Btw, his soundtrack album to the film ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ is amazing. It’s called ‘Passion’.
SO underrated
Yep, the classic 1980s video that everyone loved. It was stop action animation, took weeks to complete with Peter Gabriel sitting there having one frame photoed at a time, put together with effects, and boom.
The Harry cover is what got me into Harry! I was in high school for this song/album and was quite impressed with Harry and his band.
This video was considered ahead of it's time back in 1986! Great memories!!
I remember when this hit the scene. We just thought it was the most clever thing ever for a video and a great song to blast in the car. Which we did.
His first ever hit with Genesis to hit the UK chart was called I know what I like in my Wardrobe ( honestly )
Aardman Studios did the animation! Their characteristic smile is seen on the bumper cars. Aardman did also Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Creature Comforts...
Yes please, more Peter Gabriel would be awesome. There are already lots of great recommendations in the previous comments, I second all of them. Looove this man. Great reaction also, thank you.
Thanks for watching! 😊
Thank you so much for this reaction! This was and still is a classic video and so many people marveled at its ingenuity. This is the first time I’ve seen it in years and I love it!
Thank you. Finally! Someone commented about the euphemisms in the lyrics. Very few pick up on it, but you caught on!
Another Peter Gabriel song that not enough people react to is the live version of "Downside Up" with Melanie Gabriel which is spectacular.
Sledgehammer was widely seen as one of the best music videos of the '80s.
I also recommend Games Without Frontiers (features Kate Bush on backing vocals).
Solsbury hill
Red rain
Shaking the tree 1997 with shaggy
Shaking the tree (Original version)
In your eyes
Shock the monkey
Brilliant!! Peter Gabriel is the ultimate artist. Thjs video was made using stop motion so if you imagine every frame/movement having to be painstakingly captured one by one and I think they may have did it backwards or something crazy like that lol and yes the lyrics are very suggestive lol 😏 so many good Peter Gabriel songs, please react to Peter Gabriel Kate Bush “Don’t give up” ♥️♥️
I love that song. It aged so well
Peter Gabriel's music is different! Most of his videos are fun and light hearted. I always look forward to your videos. As always you look wonderful! Stay safe sweetheart!!
Thank you!
This video was genius
Oh goodness, there are so many great songs from Peter Gabriel for you to experience! Big Time, Steam, basically the whole "So" album, Biko (so powerful), Shock the Monkey (the video is another really interesting one!). You could easily react to a block of songs from him several times over.
Peter Gabriel has a great song called, I have the touch😀
Tony Levin is an amazing bassist who also did work with Kate Bush. This song and video are iconic. Peter is amazing. Glad you appreciated it. Love your reaction and vid.
Thank you for watching!
Peter Gabriel is one of the best musicians, the best lyricists, and the best SHOWMEN of all time. I've seen him live and he just blows me away every time. The live version of "In Your Eyes" and "Secret World" are so incredible I can't do them justice with words. He's got a whole slew of great tunes to check out on top of that - "Solsbury Hill", "Shock the Monkey", "Don't Give Up" (duet with Kate Bush), "Steam", "Big Time", "Digging In the Dirt"... I'll stop there, but this is a rabbit hole you're going to love diving into. It's worth noting that a very popular 90s female artist, Paula Cole, started out as a member of Peter Gabriel's world tours as a backup vocalist.
please do Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush , don’t give up ❤️ Love from Toronto
This video and song blew my mind as a kid :)
You made me laugh with the would you like to see more Peter on the channel.. Lol 😂
Even though Peter Gabriel was massively successful at the time, I feel like he is under appreciated today relative to some of his peers. For me the music really stands the test of time, whereas other bands from the same period don't excite me the way they once did.
One of those songs you can't just listen to once in a sitting. I always put it on repeat. Really up there with best ever made IMO.
Well, now you've got to do the Peter Gabriel/Kate bush duet, Don't Give Up, a gorgeous song, and an amazingly beautiful video.
You are so cool! Thanks for checking this out. His live Athens 87 version will show you why he is so revered. Great reaction!!
Thanks for watching!
So this is the original!?!? I only heard the version of Harry Styles. A great song, a great video too. But what is a Sledgehammer"? Is it what I think it is? 😱 Hahaha. And yes, the song Don't Give Up is a wonderful song. Please give it a listen 😉
You should watch Peter and one of your faves, Kate Bush, and their video for Don't Give Up. It is so moving.
I would love if you did a video on Sinead O'Connor' "Troy". Amazing song! And her "Jerusalem" too! 😊
Please Next React To
The Beloved - Sweet Harmony
React to his song steam, its crazy🤣🤣🤣
I recommend checking out "Shock The Monkey" by him, there's an incredible live version of it here on the tube.
Wasn’t this the first video on MTV? Like, ever. When mtv showed music videos
My art teacher at secondary school raved about this video.think about what went into this video considering it was the 80's.we didn't have anything close to the tech now.
Love the song. the video not so much. I am just used to seeing him in live clips
This is the greatest video of all time . The merging of an Aplus song with visuals that rival the best semi abstract and abstract Artists in the history of mankind . It is basically a love song of courtship . That is the simple part but it has so many other sub themes , motifs , puns etc. that PHD dissertations could be written about Sledgehammer . There are the easy ones like . Which came first the chicken or the egg ? How will the world end and then in that waterfall of paint we see a d’homage to Jackson Pollack albeit , for one second . I think the star scape in the end might have been inspired by the Paddy Chayefsky/ Ken Russell film Altered States . Anyway yours is the best reaction I have seen yet . You get it and you do not seem to have smart Phone era ADD . Thank you and keep it going . I am hitting your button . You earned it !
Thank you!
A friend played in 6 months non-stop so was tired of a period. Works great these days, great video! Don't give up with Kate Bush...
Oh jesus, I remenber thinking the special effects were so realistic🙄, still one of my favourites from the 80s though.
😂
I'm having a PMD Binge :)
Please react to Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush - 'Don't give up' 🤩
Oh gosh, sledgehammer is one of Peter Gabriel‘s biggest hits, if not his biggest hit. And yet, one of my least favorites. Please check out other songs by him. In Your Eyes is amazing. San Jacinto. Talk to Me. And of course, Don’t Give Up with Kate Bush. And Salisbury Hill.
If you have the inclination, I would suggest you react to the entire concert video of Secret World Live. It’s one of the best live shows ever done. Paula Cole is a back up singer on the tour, before she became famous in her own right. It’s utterly magical and you will not regret the time spent.
I know you like Kate Bush. You need to react to Don't Give Up which is a duet between her and Peter.
Carpet Crawlers (from his Genesis days), Here Comes The Flood, Solsbury Hill, Games Without Frontiers, Red Rain, In Your Eyes are just some of his excellent songs. But really, the only thing better than Peter Gabriel is his duets with Kate Bush: Don't Give Up and Another Day. Just get the tissues out, your eyes are going to get... misty.
I think that this song is about sex and sexual attraction. React to his songs Big Time, Shock The Monkey, Shaking The Tree, Red Rain, Solsbury Hill, Biko, In Your Eyes, Don't Give Up and Steam please.
In many ways this is the most obvious and yet also the worst place to start with Peter Gabriel. He’s such a wonderful, experimental and daring artist, that this incredibly catchy and groovy hit really doesn’t represent his work at all and yet it’s also his most iconic and well known song. Helped in no small way by the video. His solo career (after he left Genesis) started in 1977. His first 4 albums were all just called “Peter Gabriel”. For this album, his 5th, the record company insisted on a ‘proper title’. He went for the smallest ‘anti-title’ he could think of and called the album “So”. You would be doing yourself a disservice not to check out older songs like Humdrum, Here Comes The Flood, DIY, Not One Of Us, I Have The Touch, Rhythm Of The Heat. All released before this album. He’s a phenomenal artists and apparently set for a new album soon. His first album of new work for years.
Hey can you check out bo burnham he has good production on his recent stuff
Haha, I love this song. Um. But now I find the music video a little bit annoying. How time changes things! It was amazing back then of course. Maybe my eyes are getting old and tired to cope with the video effects. I found myself blinking way too much. :D
😂😂😂