“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel is a collision of funk, soul, art rock, and sexual innuendo that turned an avant-garde music veteran into a bona fide pop star at the exact moment when MTV ruled the musical landscape. It’s a song that swings with a horn section, swaggers with rhythm, explodes with visual invention, and still somehow feels intelligent, ironic, and absolutely irresistible. By the time it burst onto airwaves and television screens in 1986, Gabriel had already established himself as one of the most innovative and unpredictable voices in music. But “Sledgehammer” was something different. It was mainstream without compromise, conceptual without pretension, and undeniably physical. In just over five minutes, Gabriel did something very few had managed to pull off—he took the tools of pop spectacle and used them to amplify his own surreal, cerebral sensibilities. The result was not only one of the defining songs of the decade but also a cultural phenomenon that reshaped expectations for what a song, a video, and a performer could be.
The track opens with a persistent beat and a flute-like keyboard line that lures the listener into a groove before detonating into full funk fury. The horns, provided by the Memphis Horns, give the song its propulsion and swagger. These weren’t just any horns; they were the real deal—the same section that had played behind Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Al Green. Their presence in “Sledgehammer” bridges Gabriel’s English art rock background with deep Southern soul, creating a fusion that felt both fresh and reverent. The rhythm section is taut and muscular, led by Tony Levin’s percussive, popping basslines and Manu Katché’s rock-solid drumming, all layered under David Rhodes’ clean guitar work. Gabriel’s voice, meanwhile, grinds and howls its way through lyrics dripping with innuendo, biblical allusion, and sly humor.
