Happy 74th Birthday Peter Brian Gabriel 02/13/1950 in Surry, England. A living legend in the progressive rock genre. From Garden Wall to Genesis to his solo albums. Musical perfection. Cheers Peter Brian and many more..
Gabriel's voice sits perfectly on the line between Tenor and Baritone, and causes a warbling, a strain that at times sounds so primal - like the howl of a wolf. I think that flexion adds an emotional quality that I find in many of his songs - as if he's 'reaching for it' - and as if he really 'means it.' It's a unique voice for sure. From Genesis to his solo work, his voice adds a definitive touch to the songs that would not be there if a different singer were singing the song.
The 80s was a golden age of music and music video. I was blessed to have been a child of the 80s. I hear music like this and I'm a kid again sitting in my parents living room watching Mtv. Miss those days...
It was not a 'golden age' it was just a decade in time. How pathetic you must be to put so much value to that time in your life compared to the time you live in now. Or are you just trying to be nostalgic for no reason.
That's exactly what it does to me, too. It may sound corny but I get hit with such strong emotions from these videos I kinda tear up a little bc I instantly teleport back to those times and they were just so awesome it makes me miss those days in the worst way. Between remember that, and then when Pete hits those super high notes, it moves me so much. I'm a metal dude, but I recognize transcending talent, and he has it in spades.
@@cycomiko73 It isn't corny at all. With the state of the world today, I often find myself wishing it was the 80s again. I often listen to my 80s lists to just escape all the craziness.
I just wish modern musicians had the same level of originality and creativity. 80s bands didn't care what everyone else was doing. They did their own thing, and it made for a truly magical time in music history for those of us lucky enough to have experienced it.
Lol. They harvested from those before them. Same as it always was. Though it does seem the music of youth has more "hold". Pretty sure the best band ever to exist, Rush, had a word or two. Lol. Oh and eff that one Phil song that 51 percenters love.
Ok once in a while we get shown the light in the strangest places if we look at it right. Jerry Garcia.. This of us that were Ken to a messenge we know now never been conspiracy, only takes us few to make a stink
I don't even know where to start with how talented Peter Gabriel is. His Music has a lot of meaning and creativeness to it. My other favorite song is "Games without Frontiers."
Red Rain, Mercy Street, Family Snapshot, Come Talk To Me, San Jacinto, Sky Blue just to name a few. Peter Gabriel is in my top 10 musicians...brilliant!
It's so multitextured and interesting compared to most pop music even of its own time. I instantly loved this one, and Thomas Dolby's Blinded Me With Science.
@@brandonmoore7497 I remember first hearing Shock the Monkey in the early 80's, still listening to it now and then in the 2020's - that says something! I really liked his Salisbury Hill and Modern Love back in the late 1970's and picked it up as a result. Really like Games with out Frontiers and the album it came off. Peter Gabriel is some sort of performer... 🙃
It's a brilliant song. Too bad most people have no idea what it's about. It has a dual meaning. Gabriel says it's about jealousy, which it may be on the surface, but there's a deeper double meaning that is much more disturbing.
This video, even more than "Sledgehammer," shows why Peter Gabriel was absolutely made for music videos. His songs are as visual as they are auditory, and his sensibility is so unique, a great song comes together with a fantastically confusing video that, despite being made when videos were in their infancy, comes across just as powerfully 30 years later as it did back then. Moreso, probably. He is the David Lynch of pop: idiosyncratic, brilliant, and totally catchy.
Every successive generation complains about how shallow the previous generation is. The oldsters in Gabriel's time said the same thing about his music and his peers. Of course they were both right and wrong. I tend to agree that music sucks these days but it isn't for lack of talent, it's because the **business** was hollowed out by streaming services, and streaming has destroyed the quality of both movies and music.
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 Ridiculous conclusion. Streaming has enabled so many new artists to find audiences whereas before they needed a giant business to back them. Never have we had access to such amazing talent and art before.
Every time I watch this, I come back to the conclusion that 'Shock' is one of the best music videos of all time. For so many reasons: Sir Peter's unparalleled songwriting gift and the really fun way he treats a serious subject through creative allegory. The composition and execution of music that was unlike anything else we were hearing in 1982, including that killer drum line with its punchy gated reverb and what critics called "a relentlessly repeating hook," plus the eye-popping video production in a groundbreaking mini-movie directed by Brian Grant and highlighting Peter's own singing and acting with the African influences he was into at the time. The multi-dimensionally creative Artist Gabriel is an unsurpassed legend in our era of rock music -- clearly up there with McCartney and Page/Plant. Thank you, Peter. Shine on, sir. We need you still.
Yes, i love his singing here, his old Genesis song Anyway has a magnificent tone to his voice. A great, great song and his voice just commands and towers above, on these 2 songs he sounds like one of the greatest English rock singers ever.
I was a teen in the early 80s and think it was the beginning of the end for the music business. Madonna is a far relation of the Bush cult, as well a number of others. They used the void that happened then, and began to control it with technology, that culminated to down loading. Anyone that experienced the 1970s agrees.
The first time I saw this video on MTV back in 1982 as a kid I was left cathartic and with awe. The energy, art, religion, pace, and theatrics of this moved me on many levels both intellectually and emotionally... And perhaps on levels not yet known to mankind.
This Video was way ahead of its time….what a genius Peter Gabriel is….groundbreaker and innovator. Love the musical tension built….and resolves beautifully.
At this point he must of looked at his old band mates having massive commercial success and thought I want some of that so disappeared for a few years and comeback with Sledgehammer and the album So then bingo he had it.
We had it all in the 80s..sex,drugs,great music, massive parties, outdoors, and we was ourselves. Those who don't like the 80s, didn't live in the 80s. Proud to be generation X & my entire teen years was in the 80s. Great memories.
@robertbeneux4923 Oh wow aren't you cool! I bet you peaked in high school and came here hoping this song was going to magically transform back to those years LOL. The fact is you have the 1960's & 1970's to thank for everything you listed so you were not even paying attention. I am a Gen Xer, too, but after the 70's I realized nothing could ever touch those years. NOTHING.
@@nickimorelli9991 Why would u get on here, and insult people?!?! And spread hatred, music, (all) is universal. So, everyone can enjoy it!! And smile. 😁. Not be brought down, depressed, by someone who hasn't matured yet!! Have a great day, anyway.
I love how Peter Gabriel kept his theatricality after leaving Genesis. Musical art and visual art, Gabriel was made for music videos before they were even a thing.
This Peter Gabriel song is very musically groundbreaking with very vulnerable emotions and the vocals and lyrics bring Shock The Monkey to an experimental level. This song metaphorically made a mark on me recently when I randomly heard this song on a local radio station, though I obviously need more time to metaphorically unpack the multiple meaning layers of this original song.
Musically, this song does an amazing thing. Most of the song is just two chords - vi and V, changing from the minor chord very seldom. At two points it completes the downward progression to IV, but the majority of the song in just that one minor chord. This builds up a tremendous amount of tension. Then, at 3:16, the riff changes, adding harmonic motion, releasing the tension, and the effect is staggering. Despite its musical simplicity, this is a remarkably sophisticated song. It's a cliche to say they don't writer 'em like this anymore, but generally speaking, they don't. Frankly, they didn't write 'em like this back then, for the most part. The is the work of a great artist.
A mad scientist of music. He takes forever to assemble an album bc he obsessively builds every sound, tries it 17 different ways, never stops trying to work in one more quirk. To me, Shock the Monkey shows this at its height, in that moment that he and pop reached detente, by meeting halfway in MTV.
@@christopherwinkler4451 As for most songs it sounds like it's about sexual jealousy. Where it differs though is the introspection about automatic vs thoughtful responses. The image of monkeys used in medical experiments was very prominent in the period in which Peter grew up (and even for kids of the 70's and 80's) so he's using that to ironic and poetic effect. Nowadays if you released this song the animal rights people would be in a tizzy.
@mariabowles5415 "The Monkey" is us. It's about the primal side of civilized man having less and less of an outlet in today's society, this is a big experiment and we are just beginning to see the downsides. example: a human being working in a cubicle is like throwing an animal in a cage.
One of the best music videos ever made. Pure Peter Gabriel, at the height of his creative powers. Ingenious music. A musical god, in his own right. Long live Peter Gabriel.
Larry Fast deserves a huge amount of credit for this song and for that whole era of Peter Gabriel's music. He was doing stuff with digital synthesis that is commonplace with today's computers (even today's *phones* can do digital synthesis that is vastly superior to what was generally available back then) but was just not available to musicians in the early 1980s. Check out his work under the name Synergy - it's not all that great musically but it really shows the sonic palette he had available to him. The fusion of his synthesizer abilities with Gabriel's songwriting really made some magic that still holds up today.
Early days of MTV right here. I was 11 in 1982. My grandparents lived in Queens in NYC and had MTV, probably before the rest of the country. We used to go over to their old run down apartment and immediately turn on MTV. This was on in heavy rotation. My grandmother used to say, "He's such a good looking man, why did he do that to himself?"
So good. This piece of music has intrinsic value, its greatness is tangible. I saw Peter Gabriel at Woodstock 94. I wasn't expecting greatness, I was tired and I wanted to go home. The scale and grandeur of his performance was overwhelming. If you are ever time traveling, I suggest experiencing that show. He made up for Johnny Cash cancelling last minute. So, so good.
They don't do it like this anymore. The year was 1982 and my favorite radio station was on an AM radio! The station was out of San Francisco, it was 610 KFRC! They had this song in their heavy rotation for a reason. It was a great song. After hearing this song I knew Peter Gabriel would be one of my all time favorite artist. Thanks for the great memories. The 80's will always be the best decade for music.
Yes, but it's so much more than that. Just really great musical composition, and Peter is a genius in everything from songwriting to performing and his sense of the important visual elements for his songs.
49 years old and this video still gives me chills! Watching this for the first time in years, I felt transported back to when I watched it on MTV. I miss those times.
I want to say a special thank you for being a special fan, kindly message me on my hangout indicating your name Hangout: official.petergabriel.connect@gmail.com
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hit s a target no one else can see." I often have that old quote by Schopenhauer vibrating in my brain when I watch Peter Gabriel videos. The brain-meltingly good music is always just the start. The work of art, making the outlandish classy and the surreal gut-wrenching vivid, all that blows my mind. Sometimes I giggle out loud trying to imagine how I would botched that video clip if it had been me applying that make up on my face. Whent it's Peter Gabriel, the incredible becomes norm, the far-fetched becomes the vervy obvious. Amazing stuff. So many sub-narratives in the lyrics too. A work of genius truly.
Happy 74th Birthday Peter Brian Gabriel 02/13/1950 in Surry, England.
A living legend in the progressive rock genre.
From Garden Wall to Genesis to his solo albums. Musical perfection.
Cheers Peter Brian and many more..
Thank you 🤗💕🇺🇸
His music has meant the world to me. Listen to SO over and over as a kid
We all love him.
❤🎶💯
74!?!? Omg
80s at its best
Gabriel's voice sits perfectly on the line between Tenor and Baritone, and causes a warbling, a strain that at times sounds so primal - like the howl of a wolf. I think that flexion adds an emotional quality that I find in many of his songs - as if he's 'reaching for it' - and as if he really 'means it.' It's a unique voice for sure. From Genesis to his solo work, his voice adds a definitive touch to the songs that would not be there if a different singer were singing the song.
NPR doesn't need any more music critics, thank you.
That beautiful reedy nature to that voice...you nailed it ! Keep posting away...love it.
Yes but what about the monkey?
You hit the nail on the head that truly is what his voice is like its awesome and unique!
i dont know shit about music, just know the way it makes me feel. you are very good at describing music.
The 80s was a golden age of music and music video. I was blessed to have been a child of the 80s. I hear music like this and I'm a kid again sitting in my parents living room watching Mtv. Miss those days...
Very true. If it hadn't been for Mtv many of us would have never heard/seen such great music.
I wa 19....grew up to peter...Dave & Annie so blessed
It was not a 'golden age' it was just a decade in time. How pathetic you must be to put so much value to that time in your life compared to the time you live in now. Or are you just trying to be nostalgic for no reason.
That's exactly what it does to me, too. It may sound corny but I get hit with such strong emotions from these videos I kinda tear up a little bc I instantly teleport back to those times and they were just so awesome it makes me miss those days in the worst way. Between remember that, and then when Pete hits those super high notes, it moves me so much. I'm a metal dude, but I recognize transcending talent, and he has it in spades.
@@cycomiko73 It isn't corny at all. With the state of the world today, I often find myself wishing it was the 80s again. I often listen to my 80s lists to just escape all the craziness.
I just wish modern musicians had the same level of originality and creativity. 80s bands didn't care what everyone else was doing. They did their own thing, and it made for a truly magical time in music history for those of us lucky enough to have experienced it.
Incredible era of music. These performers were truly and genuinely original with so many different musical genres contributing to 80s music.
Couldn’t have said it better myself maya 👏
I want to go back every day.
Lol. They harvested from those before them. Same as it always was. Though it does seem the music of youth has more "hold". Pretty sure the best band ever to exist, Rush, had a word or two. Lol. Oh and eff that one Phil song that 51 percenters love.
We are a truly blessed generation those of us who experienced the 80's.
Peter Gabriel is inarguably one of my 5 Fave Musicians of ALL TIME!!!!❤️
Ok once in a while we get shown the light in the strangest places if we look at it right. Jerry Garcia..
This of us that were Ken to a messenge we know now never been conspiracy, only takes us few to make a stink
I agree, he is under my top 5
Only 5.
Under 5. Neil Peart, Moon and Beck and Rick wakeman and Bach
There goes your proof😉
I don't even know where to start with how talented Peter Gabriel is. His Music has a lot of meaning and creativeness to it. My other favorite song is "Games without Frontiers."
Digging in the dirt....
Me too!
Peter Gabriel solo>>>Peter Gabriel in Genesis imo
Yaaas!
Red Rain, Mercy Street, Family Snapshot, Come Talk To Me, San Jacinto, Sky Blue just to name a few. Peter Gabriel is in my top 10 musicians...brilliant!
.......Solo le" MENTI SUPERIORI " Della musica Inglese Possono regalare questi capolavori........
Gods, I miss the 80's. Getting old but that music is just timeless to me.
...getting old is not so bad, when you consider the alternative...
The 80's was absolutely the best decade to be young. Nobody will ever have such a great experience now 🥳🎉🍾🎈👯♀️
Meeeee Tooooo❣️🤜🤛
The 1980 s when men were men and women were proud of it
I miss everything about the eighties, particular the money....
One of the most avant-garde musicians of the century.
This song was really popular in the 80's. Still listening
It's so multitextured and interesting compared to most pop music even of its own time. I instantly loved this one, and Thomas Dolby's Blinded Me With Science.
Coal chambers covers this one with ozzy Osborne
My employer created a position called APE- assistant power electrician. We called it Shock the monkey.
If you didn't live in the 80s you won't truly understand pure greatness.
First truly great music video. Gabriel broke new ground here.
PG was easily the best of it
@@sd88g93Get away from me..... Get away from me now! Monkey, Monkeeeiiii! Monkey! 🎶🎵
There were so many genres of music being thrown at us, damn good music all! Just watched a Sly and The Family Stone vid just before.
Facts the best
Frankly Peter Gabriel was 10-20 years ahead of his time both visually and musically. These videos still stand up very well, even in 2023.
I’m listening to Peter Gabriel Shock The Monkey early February 2023
@@brandonmoore7497 I remember first hearing Shock the Monkey in the early 80's, still listening to it now and then in the 2020's - that says something! I really liked his Salisbury Hill and Modern Love back in the late 1970's and picked it up as a result. Really like Games with out Frontiers and the album it came off. Peter Gabriel is some sort of performer... 🙃
So true such a well put together song for its time..great jam definatly shocked the monkey.
It's a brilliant song. Too bad most people have no idea what it's about. It has a dual meaning. Gabriel says it's about jealousy, which it may be on the surface, but there's a deeper double meaning that is much more disturbing.
@@mysticaltyger2009 dual meanings, often like many good songs. :)
This guy is a musical genius...love it
Génesis
@@nadiacomanechi3558 Nah , never liked Genesis
@@rippi37 shame
@@d.d.7720 Why ?
@Duffelbag Drag Ugh...that was done years ago duffelbag Drag
Peter Gabriel is still one of the greatest singer/songwriter of his or any other generation. Music today can't hold a candle to the classics.
He looks like a goat nowadays
FACTS
That song "You're Just Somebody that I Used to Know" is a straight up ripoff of his style, and that dude made millions on that one hit.
Songwriter yes . Singer not so much compared to Phil Collins his contemporary of same style
Here endeth the lesson....PG was a visionary.... DECADES AHEAD
This song NEVER gets old.
I WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF THIS
Peter was a musical visionary
When music videos were little art films. 😍
All his videos were awesome they were innovative. They don’t make music like this anymore!
Yes also when they spoke truths so profound that the very few could digest it.
Not only is this some killer music , but that face paint, even today, is so damn cool.
This video, even more than "Sledgehammer," shows why Peter Gabriel was absolutely made for music videos. His songs are as visual as they are auditory, and his sensibility is so unique, a great song comes together with a fantastically confusing video that, despite being made when videos were in their infancy, comes across just as powerfully 30 years later as it did back then. Moreso, probably. He is the David Lynch of pop: idiosyncratic, brilliant, and totally catchy.
Bruce Jackson I fully agree
B. Jackson: You're right. And a wonderful writer too. (Wish I'd written that.) Thanks!
but late to the party but well said, rather than rephrase I will just like this comment :)
Fantastic five star video but I do think it tops Sledgehammer, Big Time, or Steam.
I haven’t seen this in decades. Totally agree, this hasn’t aged at all.
This song gets better and deeper with every listen.
Peter Gabriel. Pure Genius.
We don't have talent like this anymore, deep and introspective. ❤
Hozier
Every successive generation complains about how shallow the previous generation is. The oldsters in Gabriel's time said the same thing about his music and his peers. Of course they were both right and wrong. I tend to agree that music sucks these days but it isn't for lack of talent, it's because the **business** was hollowed out by streaming services, and streaming has destroyed the quality of both movies and music.
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 Ridiculous conclusion. Streaming has enabled so many new artists to find audiences whereas before they needed a giant business to back them. Never have we had access to such amazing talent and art before.
You need to check out Lil’ Pump. His work is visionary; best example is “Drug Addicts”, which many would consider his magnum opus.
@@rhabdoviridae Lil Pump is a retárd. Mentioning him in the same sentence with Peter Gabriel is like comparing an orangutan to an astronaut.
He is such a badass. Compete talent that last decades.
Centuries...
Happy 70th birthday Peter Gabriel!!!
he can't be 70! If he is, that means I'm.....oh, nevermind.
@@humbleevidenceaccepter7712 hahahaha x2
Wait... what day, exactly, is his birthday, please???
@@CavAmes19 February 13, 1950.
@@bluesboy8237 Thank you! I was born in February, as well, although a few years later ...
Every time I watch this, I come back to the conclusion that 'Shock' is one of the best music videos of all time. For so many reasons: Sir Peter's unparalleled songwriting gift and the really fun way he treats a serious subject through creative allegory. The composition and execution of music that was unlike anything else we were hearing in 1982, including that killer drum line with its punchy gated reverb and what critics called "a relentlessly repeating hook," plus the eye-popping video production in a groundbreaking mini-movie directed by Brian Grant and highlighting Peter's own singing and acting with the African influences he was into at the time. The multi-dimensionally creative Artist Gabriel is an unsurpassed legend in our era of rock music -- clearly up there with McCartney and Page/Plant. Thank you, Peter. Shine on, sir. We need you still.
way more creative than McCartney or Plant. Gabriel is Bowie's nerdier cuisin.
Peter Gabriel always has such great lyrics and music. I LOVE his voice.
Yes, i love his singing here, his old Genesis song Anyway has a magnificent tone to his voice. A great, great song and his voice just commands and towers above, on these 2 songs he sounds like one of the greatest English rock singers ever.
This has had a permanent spot on my playlist for almost 40 years
And this video remains my all-time favorite.
Mine too.
ME TOO
me tooooo :) monkey
100% in agreement
Growing up in the 1980's amazing music, amazing times.
I consider this the video one of the greatest of the era.
I was a teen in the early 80s and think it was the beginning of the end for the music business. Madonna is a far relation of the Bush cult, as well a number of others. They used the void that happened then, and began to control it with technology, that culminated to down loading. Anyone that experienced the 1970s agrees.
A great video but then he up and did one better with Sledgehammer, arguably one of the top 3 videos of all time if not the best.
Amazing artist!
Lol 🤣 barf song!
Proprio vero!!!
The first time I saw this video on MTV back in 1982 as a kid I was left cathartic and with awe. The energy, art, religion, pace, and theatrics of this moved me on many levels both intellectually and emotionally... And perhaps on levels not yet known to mankind.
Awesome music and artist.
November 2024 still rockin to this tune 🎉😂❤❤😅😊
11:09 UTC 12 December 2024❤
@@humbleevidenceaccepter77122:38 a.m. 12-15-24
I’m listening to Peter Gabriel Shock The Monkey late December 2025
This Video was way ahead of its time….what a genius Peter Gabriel is….groundbreaker and innovator. Love the musical tension built….and resolves beautifully.
Hi I recommend an Indie Rock Song and video called 'Looking into The Mirror' By Robert Nix
Thankyou for helping us survive childhood with your wildness, certainly took our mind off it so we didn't have to ❤
When brilliance overtook the radio waves.....still doing it...
This song and video do an incredible job of illustrating the creative musical genius of Peter Gabriel. This song is timeless.
🎊🐒🎉🥰
It is. Gabriel's music is pure genius.
Agreed, friend....Greeting from Italy
Peter's Music was always... Out there.
That's why people loved it!
Peter Gabriel is an immensely underrated talent. He is a gifted artist.
Superb lyricist. People should go back to his Genesis days and listen to what that band could *really* do.
Underrated???? no way, walk the world.
underrated? what the? hes awesome and most people know it
I just realized he sang so many hits I love; I had no idea. His music is so diverse. He is my new favourite musician.
At this point he must of looked at his old band mates having massive commercial success and thought I want some of that so disappeared for a few years and comeback with Sledgehammer and the album So then bingo he had it.
This song never gets old ❤
Peter Gabriel is vastly underrated, IMHO. Quite weird around the edges, to be sure, but just raw emotion coming out there.
+Jenna West I second that.
I don't see how he is underrated? He got plenty of recognition throughout his career and is a multimillionaire.
Nothing wrong with weird...Not enough of that in my opinion.
Jenna West he was is and always will be amazing
Jenna West Usually, a certain amount of weirdness is required to write and/or play a song that will grab someone.
No more Red rain. Peter. Praying for you! Much ❤️ love in Christ.
Wild stuff! The way the lamps move to the music really stuck in my mind all these years
P. Gabriel ist ein Musik Revolutionäre und Entdeckter
Love ❤️ this 😎 Proud to be a child of the 80's
Me too though of the 60's!😂
We had it all in the 80s..sex,drugs,great music, massive parties, outdoors, and we was ourselves. Those who don't like the 80s, didn't live in the 80s. Proud to be generation X & my entire teen years was in the 80s. Great memories.
Me too!!! Born in '70.
AWESOME TIMES. '73 here.
@robertbeneux4923 Oh wow aren't you cool! I bet you peaked in high school and came here hoping this song was going to magically transform back to those years LOL. The fact is you have the 1960's & 1970's to thank for everything you listed so you were not even paying attention. I am a Gen Xer, too, but after the 70's I realized nothing could ever touch those years. NOTHING.
@@nickimorelli9991 Why would u get on here, and insult people?!?! And spread hatred, music, (all) is universal. So, everyone can enjoy it!! And smile. 😁. Not be brought down, depressed, by someone who hasn't matured yet!! Have a great day, anyway.
@@brianhutzler Oh boo hoo the truth hurts you I guess. How mature.
My god, this song! 🎶
That's what I'm talking about!
@@nancysmith8626 and the VIDEO!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯 mindblown…. Could NEVER have fully understood it as a child. But NOW…
Yes I'm an older person and these songs bring back memory's.
I am 60 + and I agree to that. I have al Genesis Phil and Peter albums. Ok many more too but Peter kicks my butt to get up.😉
I'm with you,timey. The memories this invokes...
To me this has always been one of those "ahead of it's time" songs!
Song is so danceable, doesn’t matter what he’s singing about. Such a fun record.
Agreed. If only I could dance.
The 80's WERE danceable!!
A very subliminal description of the female beauty ...that it would incorrectly take feminists wrong
But a disturbing video.
Thing about Peter Gabriel is he’s talking about something profound.Genius!
I love how Peter Gabriel kept his theatricality after leaving Genesis. Musical art and visual art, Gabriel was made for music videos before they were even a thing.
80's explosion 💥
This Peter Gabriel song is very musically groundbreaking with very vulnerable emotions and the vocals and lyrics bring Shock The Monkey to an experimental level. This song metaphorically made a mark on me recently when I randomly heard this song on a local radio station, though I obviously need more time to metaphorically unpack the multiple meaning layers of this original song.
Love him or not, Gabriel is a musical genius. Great song writer; a real wordsmith.
Brilliant
One of my all-time faves!🐒
Musically, this song does an amazing thing. Most of the song is just two chords - vi and V, changing from the minor chord very seldom. At two points it completes the downward progression to IV, but the majority of the song in just that one minor chord. This builds up a tremendous amount of tension. Then, at 3:16, the riff changes, adding harmonic motion, releasing the tension, and the effect is staggering. Despite its musical simplicity, this is a remarkably sophisticated song. It's a cliche to say they don't writer 'em like this anymore, but generally speaking, they don't. Frankly, they didn't write 'em like this back then, for the most part. The is the work of a great artist.
Wonderfully explained! The video is better than anything my brain could dream up for this song.
Very well said Darren. I am amazed with your wording and opinion of this creatively put together song.
@@JaneFrieman well, I've got to do something with that degree in music composition. It's not like I'm getting paid to compose lately...
@@dazieger Good luck in your future musical endeavors.
he's a brilliant artist.
A mad scientist of music. He takes forever to assemble an album bc he obsessively builds every sound, tries it 17 different ways, never stops trying to work in one more quirk.
To me, Shock the Monkey shows this at its height, in that moment that he and pop reached detente, by meeting halfway in MTV.
I've always loved the instrumental sound of this one, it just has that nostalgic yet timeless '80s sound to it.
Timeless and beautiful. He knew how to perfectly translate his songs into visuals.
I forgot just how good this tune is . ❤
This song should be very relevant in today's society
First time hearing it. What is this song about?
@@mariabowles5415 According to Peter, it's a song about jealousy and how those kind of feelings can make people behave.
@@christopherwinkler4451 As for most songs it sounds like it's about sexual jealousy. Where it differs though is the introspection about automatic vs thoughtful responses. The image of monkeys used in medical experiments was very prominent in the period in which Peter grew up (and even for kids of the 70's and 80's) so he's using that to ironic and poetic effect. Nowadays if you released this song the animal rights people would be in a tizzy.
@mariabowles5415 "The Monkey" is us. It's about the primal side of civilized man having less and less of an outlet in today's society, this is a big experiment and we are just beginning to see the downsides. example: a human being working in a cubicle is like throwing an animal in a cage.
Mmmm what a handsome talented man. Love you Peter Gabriel ❤️!!!!!
Talent personified! ❤ Looks to boot! ❇️✨
This song is my childhood ❤️
Masterpiece ❤❤
seen him live recently and worth every penny spent. Thank you Peter Gabriel for all you share with the world.
Saw him in Columbus,Oh . Amazing. Saw him eight years ago with Sting. Unreal. One of the best artist period.
I saw him in Columbus also. Great show!! First time I got to see him live.
Gabriel is a brilliant and rare gem from Genesis to his solo career!
One of the best music videos ever made.
Pure Peter Gabriel, at the height of his creative powers. Ingenious music. A musical god, in his own right.
Long live Peter Gabriel.
Dwarfs are always a good choice.
I agree 💯%
Whenever I stumble upon this tune, it always sounds 'modern'. Gabriel was way ahead of his time .. incredible.
#genius
It's good but does sound incredibly dated
Larry Fast deserves a huge amount of credit for this song and for that whole era of Peter Gabriel's music. He was doing stuff with digital synthesis that is commonplace with today's computers (even today's *phones* can do digital synthesis that is vastly superior to what was generally available back then) but was just not available to musicians in the early 1980s. Check out his work under the name Synergy - it's not all that great musically but it really shows the sonic palette he had available to him. The fusion of his synthesizer abilities with Gabriel's songwriting really made some magic that still holds up today.
If it was ahead of his time, it would not have been a hit.
Another gem by Peter Gabriel.
I wanna say Happy early 72nd to Peter Gabriel! Peter don't monkey with the monkey
One of my favourite songs of 80'ies ❤❤❤❤
This song is everything….
Peter Gabriel's a genius and great humanitarian! I just love him and his music!!!
Early days of MTV right here. I was 11 in 1982. My grandparents lived in Queens in NYC and had MTV, probably before the rest of the country. We used to go over to their old run down apartment and immediately turn on MTV. This was on in heavy rotation. My grandmother used to say, "He's such a good looking man, why did he do that to himself?"
Me too! NOW LOOK AT US! HA! Times change. Now we look scary.
That's so funny. I can relate.
"the rest of the country"...typical NYer....we had this shit in Texas at the same time
@@urawilson Yep, saw it on MTV in Florida at the time, too.
That's when MTV was great!
Your right that the 80s music was the best and the 60 70s thankyou Peter g and who put it on hear ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊😊
This song was my gateway drug to Peter Gabriel. I am a happy addict.
So good. This piece of music has intrinsic value, its greatness is tangible. I saw Peter Gabriel at Woodstock 94. I wasn't expecting greatness, I was tired and I wanted to go home. The scale and grandeur of his performance was overwhelming. If you are ever time traveling, I suggest experiencing that show. He made up for Johnny Cash cancelling last minute.
So, so good.
They don't do it like this anymore. The year was 1982 and my favorite radio station was on an AM radio! The station was out of San Francisco, it was 610 KFRC! They had this song in their heavy rotation for a reason. It was a great song. After hearing this song I knew Peter Gabriel would be one of my all time favorite artist. Thanks for the great memories. The 80's will always be the best decade for music.
***** LOL
The 10's! Now that's funny! LMAO!!
Sorry music between 2000-10 SUCKS! What are you 12 years old? LMAO!!
wickedout2010 LOL 10's. Worst shit ever.
I too was a KFRC listener. I remember them using journeys-lights as a promo.
Forever love this ❤ still have the 45 record 😅...
One of Peter Gabriel's top 3 songs ever. This video should have way more views. This was an 80's dance club staple.
Yes, but it's so much more than that. Just really great musical composition, and Peter is a genius in everything from songwriting to performing and his sense of the important visual elements for his songs.
Practically every song from his first album were great, Solsbury Hill, Humdrum, Here Comes the Flood to name a few.
Heard on the radio most played vidio MTV history
Oh really I forgot
Peter's videos were amongst the best!
Peter was 32 years old here...that is crazy to think about...very mature yet playful. Seems timeless...
Take me back to MTV in the 80's . Who wish we were still in the 80's ❤️
Hello 🌹🌹
Still trying to muster up 1.21 gigawatts to make the trip back!🎸
@@WillyMaykitDiecast heck ya !!!
Why??did they used to play music on MTV..what a novel idea,lets see if it takes!
Yes I agreeeeeeeeeee !!!!!💓💓💓
My fave song ever. This ages me but Idc, got the tape, cd and this place
Cant stop wont stop listening
Pure brilliance.
One thing for sure is that his voice is very unique.
He sounds even better live. I was surprised.
Unique? Not quite just enhanced to make it appear that way.
@@williamphillips-b2n Listen to a live performance of the song. His voice is not enhanced.
49 years old and this video still gives me chills! Watching this for the first time in years, I felt transported back to when I watched it on MTV. I miss those times.
Hell Yeah!!!!!!!! 80's Era!!!!!! Great MTV!!!!! Great Artist!!!!!!!! I'm 70 now, Still Rock n Roll!!!!!!!!!!! Peter made Great MTV Videos!!!!!!!
Starting at 1:44 when he begins to rise out of the water...what a strangely intense (and disconcerting) moment. Bravo.
This music video reminds me of Brazil (1985). Surreal and industrial.
Such a catchy beat😊
The best Peter Gabriel song and video ever.
I want to say a special thank you for being a special fan, kindly message me on my hangout indicating your name
Hangout:
official.petergabriel.connect@gmail.com
This man was a visionary
Why saying “was”? He’s not dead yet
@@sheilacaffrey6424 sorry I thought I heard something about him passing away
this was my fav song when it came out
Thank you Peter for this song.
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hit s a target no one else can see."
I often have that old quote by Schopenhauer vibrating in my brain when I watch Peter Gabriel videos. The brain-meltingly good music is always just the start. The work of art, making the outlandish classy and the surreal gut-wrenching vivid, all that blows my mind. Sometimes I giggle out loud trying to imagine how I would botched that video clip if it had been me applying that make up on my face. Whent it's Peter Gabriel, the incredible becomes norm, the far-fetched becomes the vervy obvious. Amazing stuff. So many sub-narratives in the lyrics too. A work of genius truly.
podia achar tudo po rum instante
Always loved this song.
I can’t believe I had completely forgotten about one of the greatest 80s song ever created. Gabriel is just too damn talented!
A Great song! and Era, A time where you could still leave your front door open all day! 😊
This song is genius