Sledgehammer

Just heard Sledgehammer on the radio and it still sounds fantastic 35+ years on. It got me thinking about what makes it timeless?

I've just read this article which offers up some reasons perhaps:

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/peter-gabriel/sledgehammer

That whole album sounds incredible

It sounds epic on a great system, the product of many talented people working together. Plus, pop music that is still objectively great music is rare over the last 2 decades.

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-peter-gabriel-sledgehammer

Gabriel at his best, with his talent being drawn out by Daniel Lanois* also operating at his peak. Beautiful record, this.


*there's a good chapter on the production of this album in Lanois' "Soul Mining" book.

I remember hearing this on the radio and being totally shocked as I'd been neck deep in Gabriel 4 at the time which is a lot darker sounding and then here he was suddenly doing pop? Great single and a terrific album.