Peter Gabriel - 'Sledgehammer' Reaction! Innuendo-Filled

"Peter Gabriel" is a British musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer known for his influential career in the music industry. One of his most popular songs is "Sledgehammer," released in 1986. It was the lead single from his fifth solo studio album, "So."
"Sledgehammer" is a lively and energetic track that combines various musical styles, including pop, rock, and funk. The song features a distinctive horn section, catchy melodies, and Gabriel's powerful vocals. Its lyrics are metaphorical and abstract, often interpreted as an expression of desire and passion. The music video for "Sledgehammer" is particularly memorable and innovative, utilizing stop-motion animation and other visual effects.
The song became a commercial success and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. It also received several awards, including a Grammy Award for Best Music Video. "Sledgehammer" remains one of Peter Gabriel's signature songs and a classic of 1980s pop music.

[@module79l28]

Peter Gabriel wasn't just "in" Genesis, he was one of the founding members!

[@BadgerBJJ]

Gabriel Genesis was out there

[@TheDivayenta]

Peter became a great proponent of world music , especially African beats. His Secret World Tour was total magic- with great musicians from around the world and African singers. Check out: In Your Eyes live from that tour. ❤😊

[@dalee72]

And his song Bico too.

[@MS-ns2pj]

Most world music sucks though.

[@coldwhite4240]

The whole Secret World Live tour from the early 1990s is brilliant. The whole thing is on here at kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKuQl5ishb2CitU , but if you like it, do support the man by getting the DVD or download. The entire crew look like they had such a great time, the (then) new singer Paula Cole was fantastic as the female lead on some iconic PG songs in place of Kate Bush and Sinead O'Connor, and as a backing singer too. PG is one of my favourite artists for his lyrical and musical genius and the creativity of many of his video ("Sledgehammer" being one of the best IMO)

[@laraismyname821]

LOL. Yes, you got it. The whole song is a euphemism for taking a trip to sexy town.

[@Music-Is-Real-Love]

💯

[@jefferyshute6641]

Before CGI was such a "thing." True old school animation/claymation. Breakthrough video, truly. Thanks guys!

[@coldwhite4240]

Agreed, and IMO the stop motion and claymation has aged much better than early CGI. Compare the video to Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" which was just the year before this, with "Sledgehammer". As iconic as "Money For Nothing" is, the visuals are clearly seriously dated in comparison. The only part of this that really shows the age is the bit at the end with the dancing girls and the crowd - the hairstyles and fashion.

[@Music-Is-Real-Love]

💯

[@Spazzmatazzz]

If you missed out on 80s MTV? You missed out. Music videos 24/7. And then MTV brought us the never ending scourge of reality TV....

[@TheCornishCockney]

It has been total shit since the early 90’s. MTV had wall to wall music in the first few years,it now has wall to wall sub-humans.

[@Spazzmatazzz]

​@@TheCornishCockney back then, I could go over to any of my friend's houses and MTV was on almost 24/7!​

[@TexasMagnolia]

I loved this video because…it played every 15 minutes on MTV so…my 2 year old son would stop being a madman and watch the video, giving me a much needed break.

[@DerekWitt]

Yep! Sledgehammer was one huge innuendo! Unbeknownst to 12 year old me. 😂

[@bradleyflinn3421]

I'm 40 sumpin; my kids know and love this b/c ME. It's called parenting correctly. Teach 'em the best, the best isn't anywhere where we are now.

[@Music-Is-Real-Love]

💯

[@dalee72]

Those were dancing chickens. Yes, this song is about sex, especially when he was singing about the "open up your fruit cage". The last scene was him wearing a studded bodysuit in the dark with the star like studs in the room. React to his songs Big Time, Shock The Monkey, Digging The Dirt, Shaking The Tree, Bico, Solsbury Hill, Red Rain, In Your Eyes and Don't Give Up (duet with Kate Bush).

[@bossfan49]

Sweet cakes? It goes: Show me 'round your fruit cage 'Cause I will be your honey bee Open up your fruit cage Where the fruit can be sweet as can be

[@thenomadicpen]

Shock The Monkey for sure. When that video came out there was absolutely nothing like it for real. Digging In The Dirt is 🔥too.

[@mikefetterman6782]

Stop animation is an old form of filming. The very first KING KONG movie in 1933 used it for their monsters, and it had been very popular until the digital generation.

[@edwardilowiecki8925]

That was a ground breaking video and took forever to make!

[@TheDivayenta]

Guys are you thinking of The Heat Is On by Glenn Frey? I think that was in BHC.

[@TheNeonRabbit]

If they did this today they'd do it with CGI and it would be boring as fuck. The fun comes from knowing he sat there 12 hours per day for a month while they made tiny movements in the props for each frame.

[@thomasmurray7246]

What a song and I love the bass 💞

[@sherriandwaynejohnson3185]

Who is born January 19 70 so I was a tween/teen in the 80s. I was and still am a huge Peter Gabriel fan. This man is a genius and the legend.

[@landiahillfarm6590]

Two time inductee to the R&R Hall of Fame. Need we say more.

[@mongooz24]

Think you might be talking about A-ha's "Take On Me" when it comes to "let's do everything" techy... Yes, this seems to be about having "fun."

[@waynepike4337]

peter gabriels -secret world tour 'shaking the tree' shows how clever the whole group was.

[@davidbarnes1113]

Have you guys ever heard “Some Like It Hot” by Power Station? I think y’all would appreciate it.

[@AW-yj6md]

Great reaction, loved that ya'll were still groovin the song while you watched this innovative, and still wild video, testimony to how good this song is, your not at all distracted by the video, from the badass groove, and yes, Peter gets a little soul and gospel in there, not the only song he does that with,..it's in his bones, slow songs to,..now the stop motion, has been around, like so many things in the 80's, what was old was turned around, and flipped and used in a different way, still only adding to the innovation of something old,..so many groups, went back to old 1940's era big band influence, horns, saxophones, mixed with Reggae, UB40, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Madhouse, Spandau Ballet,. Rockabilly like Kool Katz,..the 1980's were just a continued innovative string of decades, to me, from the 1960's, on..the Harryhausen effect, used in so many old movies, Sinbad, Jason and the Argonaunts, Jason and the Golden Fleece, stop motion, skeletons fighting people with swords, stuff I grew up watching, as a kid amazed and mesmerized by how this movie magic was done,..low and behold decades later here's Peter Gabriel using it in a highly acclaimed, award winning music video,..and I'm still amazed, mesmerized, and as simple as two chickens taking a turn on a dance floor,..its crazy, and so intricately, painstakingly done, the artistry, I don't remember if Harryhausen was still alive when this was done, I hope he took it as a compliment, like him the artists behind this were so committed to doing this work, and it shows, I see young people react to this and they're just as flabbergasted as we were when this first came out,..do keep going, love that you take the time to check this old music out,..Godspeed, Peace ✌

[@KC-gy5xw]

Ah, I remember, in the 80's seeing him, and singing "Biko, Biko, Biko, Steve Biko" for about an hour, Earls Court. Seriously, one of the highlights of my musical life (along with seeing Bruce Springsteen on the delayed River Tour [still have the sweatshirt, a treasured treasure] at Wembley Arena and Chuck Berry at Alexandra Palace Jazz Festival in 1978, with Chick Corea (my heartbeat) and Herbie Hancock(damn, what a man) on the other stage - I was going back and fro and having the time of my 14 year old life) Bless my older brothers for giving me the gift of all kinds of music

[@mikefetterman6782]

MTV took polls on the 1989-90 New Year;s special. Sledgehammer won for VIDEO OF THE DECADE, and tied with the Eurythemics, SWEET DREAMS as song of the decade.

[@rk41gator]

Peter and Phil both have more than a little soul!

[@johnathanstruble1064]

In by best James Brown imitation, I'm shouting, "SOMEBODY GIVE THE HORNS SOME!"

[@lindasalaki9404]

Great song and video 🔥

[@tbd407]

Crazy that this guy and Phil Collins were in the same band. That's too much talent for one band.

[@themessenger2948]

Wait until you hear about the Yardbirds and the Travelling Wilburys.

[@maverick214]

This video was released 37 years ago. So ahead of it's time.

[@carendudley4288]

Don’t remember the video which seems wack, but voice & sounds excellent ! Thanks.

[@EarthWalker2023]

🔥

[@ozmaile7938]

" Is it sexual ?" Dudes COMPLETELY sexual

[@WineSippingCowboy]

Written by Peter Gabriel. Many of his songs are based on world 🌎 music. But this song is different. He treated this as a tribute to the late Curtis Mayfield. Great video 📹 👍 Peter Gabriel loves performing this in concert. He often dances and acts like a monkey 🐒 L 🤣 L Genesis splits into 3 successful entities. 1 Peter Gabriel. 2 Phil Collins and 3 Mike and the Mechanics. Suggested videos 📹: 1 Peter Gabriel sings Big Time 2 Phil Collins and Sting sing Take Me Home 3 Mike and the Mechanics perform All I Need Is a Miracle.

[@rebeccalipps23]

What is dda & why does it need representing? Thanks. I was going to ask a while ago, but wasn't quite sure what was being said since it flashed by so quickly in the introductions. Thanks.

[@budmangt2]

Peter was the lead singer in Genesis and Phil was the backup singer and drummer, in the 60s they were a prog-rock band, they had a very different sound back then especially Phil he sort of went POP! Peter was very theatrical live, he made all of his own costumes. Check out this video if you want to see something different than today's music. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3elimeaq9R8icU

[@thisisitreactions]

I love yall! Thanks for educating us! Great suggestion!

[@arsenalmanic]

siiiick

[@carolinafine8050]

3rd Bass in Pop Goes the Weasel samples this song to diss Vanilla Ice for sampling a popular song

[@thisisitreactions]

That's a good call back. I remember Pop Goes The Weasel video. They dissed Hammer too 😂

[@carolinafine8050]

@@thisisitreactions and the Beastie Boys (in Sons of 3rd Bass). MC Serch dissed anyone who was more popular than him.

[@moniqueleroux2198]

OK...not an big 80's fan but Gabriel is solid.

[@lorilxn1597]

Back when MTV was great, nothing but music videos and concerts

[@TheCornishCockney]

Ya mean,I don’t know,ya know. Very eloquent.

[@kenwelch198]

Oh man I forgot about the dancing chickens!

[@michaeltonge1971]

You know what I mean. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. You know what I mean.

[@kierstenridgway4634]

8:53 my mind pretty much lives in the gutter! 😂

[@OneThousandHomoDJs]

In terms of video technology AT THE TIME and the budget for an average video, this clip was like Avatar........no BS. This had a world premiere, like most of the "big" videos, but the way they made it look was a huge deal. Video cost + doing something new with the form = major big deal.

[@lisar3944]

you guys are nailing all the classics from the early days of MTV but where is Billy Idol? I can highly recommend "Dancing with Myself" equally with "Cradle of Love" - both top but for completely different reasons. White Wedding and Rebel Yell are played out ;)

[@caroline-s]

I know I'm late to this reaction, but my favorite Peter Gabriel is his live performance of " in your eyes" from the secret world tour. Here's link if you want to make this grandmas day kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6exZ3d_fLV8gK8

[@darkomtobia]

This video WAS MTv, lol

[@reedwilson64GTO]

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY "Long whip/Big America" (pay attention to the lyrics)

[@danieldougan269]

If your mind is in the gutter with this song, you are exactly right. It's absolutely filthy when you think about it. Peter Gabriel was absolutely singing about sex with as many innuendos as possible. If you had any doubts, look at the sperm at the beginning.

[@WinteryMix84]

That’s where everybody’s mind went! LOL it’s where they wanted you to go. Nothing’ wrong with that!

[@jdktoo]

diggin' in the dirt?

[@jayeell1253]

#naughtybynature sampled this flute sound on #itson. And yes the song is about sex - open up your fruit cake and your fruit cake is a sweet as can be

[@fuzzylogics139]

I would be very surprised if it was not about doing the deed. And not just half assing it, clearly! If a man would come to me and say those things I'd expect it all! lol..

[@stevepincombe3836]

I think o the gutter it is.

[@fernandogarcia2158]

Sup Yall

[@darkmatter6714]

This is a booty call song

[@dylanblue2271]

It's 1 billion percent about sex. It's not even subtle.

[@Kathiebaxter]

Like the song so much more than the video. Video makes me nauseous.

[@margotishrn]

Men always gonna be men bro😂

[@sasapejcin3568]

It is about sex!

[@Orielzolrak]

hellow men! Isn´t use drugs to be imagination artist!!!

[@Music-tg5is]

All euphemisms and symbolic images to represent sex and reproduction.

[@MattSingh1]

*The most-played video in MTV history. Played more than Thriller, Take On Me, Nothing Compares To You, Every Breath You Take, Bohemian Rapsody etc. and will likely never be beaten as most-played as the music video format is largely dead nowadays.*

[@tompahlgooglesucks]

Just think how good it could have been if he could dance