10 Albums That Defined The 80s
4. Peter Gabriel - So (1986)
At the time of this record, Peter Gabriel had built himself up as an innovative musical thinker. After helping create prog rock with his time in Genesis, he started a highly successful solo career which culminated in this creative peak.
This record could practically be Gabriel's greatest hits album. While still pop, the record pulls from various genres such as world music and baroque music. The singles "In Your Eyes" and "Don't Give Up" seem like they are floating in the air as you listen.
The production of this record by Daniel Lanois helped foreshadow the grandeur of what we see from pop artists today. The way the songs are arranged are so ethereal that they end up sounding like they come from another dimension entirely.
But the production is secondary to Gabriel's melodies, which are some of his best. Even without the singles, album cuts like "Mercy Street" and "That Voice Again" show Gabriel's knack for writing heartbreaking songs. While Genesis still prevailed with Phil Collins throughout the '80s, Gabriel showed he was more than capable of delivering music of equally stellar quality.