How ‘Sledgehammer’ Became One Of The Most Innovative Music Videos Ever—The Daily Earworm
Peter Gabriel’s 1986 smash “Sledgehammer” is one of the most creative and innovative music videos of all time. Today’s Daily Earworm examines the success of the song and the video, and some of the grueling work that went into the making of what became one of the landmark videos of an era.
The Song
As English progressive rocker Peter Gabriel wrapped up recording songs for his fifth solo album, entitled So, he stopped his band from packing up their gear and presented them with one more song to record. Gabriel had originally intended to record that song, “Sledgehammer,” for his next record after So. His drummer at the time, Manu Katché, was already prepared to hop in a cab, but Gabriel convinced him to stay to record this one last song.
Liking the audio tracks he had laid down, Gabriel contacted the legendary Memphis Horns and Otis Redding trumpeter Wayne Jackson to assemble a horn section to record with the track. After the track was finally finished, Gabriel liked the song so much that he not only included it on So, but he pushed his label to make it the lead single for the album.
The Music Video
When it came time to shoot a music video for “Sledgehammer,” Aardman Animations and the Brothers Quay were brought in to provide claymation, pixilation, and stop motion animation to give life to the images created by the song’s lyrics. The video was shot frame by frame in what were sometimes agonizingly long sessions. At one point, Gabriel lay under a sheet of glass for 16 hours with raw fish to film a single scene of the video. In total, over 100 hours were spent shooting the video, as each second of video required around 25 unique poses from Gabriel.
One of the animators from Aardman Animations, Nick Park, was tasked with filming the headless chicken dancing scene. Park perfected his work with plasticine/clay animation on that scene. The process of working on the video later fed into his creation of the claymation series “Wallace & Gromit.”
The Success of “Sledgehammer”
“Sledgehammer” was released in April of 1986 to huge success. The song climbed to #1 on the charts in Canada and Luxembourg, as well as topping the Billboard Hot 100, Dance, and Rock charts in the United States. As a special added bonus for Gabriel, he knocked his old band, Genesis, out of the top spot on the Hot 100.
The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The video was nominated for a whopping ten MTV Video Music Awards, and it won in nine of the ten categories. The nine wins by “Sledgehammer” remain an MTV VMA record.
The Legacy
Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” wasn’t just a fun, catchy song. When paired with its innovative music video, it became a staple of pop culture. That video and Dire Straits’ video for “Money for Nothing” are two of the most iconic and memorable music videos ever made. The technology that was used to create each was pioneering and set a new standard for videos. For Gabriel, “Sledgehammer” remains the only song of his that topped the Billboard Hot 100. For the industry, though, the song is one that smashed the mold of what a music video should and could look like.
The Daily Earworm is a daily column that tells the stories, from the historic to the lesser-known, of some of the music industry’s greatest songs, albums, and artists. Here are some other music tales that you may find interesting:
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