Gabriel refused to title any of his first four solo albums, which were all labelled Peter Gabriel using the same typeface, but different cover art. He wanted them to be considered similar to consecutive issues of a magazine instead of individual works; they are usually differentiated by number in order of release, or sleeve design, I, II and III being referred to as Car, Scratch and Melt respectively, in reference to their cover artwork. His fourth solo album, also called Peter Gabriel in the UK, was titled Security in the U.S., at the behest of Geffen Records. Even after acquiescing to distinctive titles, he has continued to use words as short as possible to title his albums: So, Us, and Up. His most recent 2xCD greatest hits compilation was called, simply, Hit, with one CD being labeled merely Hit and the other Miss (although all the previously released songs on the CDs charted on Billboard magazine lists.)

Although he had already achieved critical, and some commercial, solo success (e.g. “Games Without Frontiers” from his third album and “Shock the Monkey” from his fourth), Gabriel achieved his greatest popularity with songs from the 1986 So album, highlights being the ’60s-tinged pop and suggestiveness of “Sledgehammer” (a #1 smash in the US, knocking Genesis’s Invisible Touch off of the top spot), “Big Time”, the ballad “Don’t Give Up” with Kate Bush about the devastation of unemployment, and the love song “In Your Eyes”. “In Your Eyes” later became ingrained in pop culture in a scene where it is played on John Cusack’s boom box in the 1989 film Say Anything…. Gabriel co-produced So with Daniel Lanois, also known for his work with U2.

Gabriel’s song “Sledgehammer” which dealt specifically about sex and sexual relations, was accompanied by a much lauded music video, which was a collaboration with director Stephen R. Johnson, Aardman Animations, and the Brothers Quay. The video won numerous awards at the 1987 MTV Music Video Awards, and set a new standard for art in the music video industry. A follow-up video for the song “Big Time” also broke new ground in music video animation and special effects. The song is a story of “what happens to you when you become a little too successful” in Gabriel’s words.

Gabriel played a prominent role in supporting Amnesty International at this time, appearing on the 1986 U.S. A Conspiracy of Hope Tour and on the 1988 worldwide Human Rights Now! Tour.