PETER GABRIEL - STEAM

Released: January 4, 1993

Charts:  US: #32   UK: #10 

Steam was one of Peter Gabriel’s most commercially successful singles from “Us”, following the massive success of “So”. The song featured a funky, horn-driven arrangement similar to “Sledgehammer”, leading many to compare the two. It showcased Gabriel’s continued exploration of groove-based rock with influences from soul and R&B. The track was particularly well received in North America, hitting #1 on the RPM 100 chart in Canada, where it replaced Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You after its ten-week reign. In the U.S., it topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Steam” was Peter Gabriel’s last major hit in both the UK and the US.

Gabriel described the song’s theme as a relationship dynamic where the woman is sophisticated and knowledgeable about everything, while the man knows little—except for his deep understanding of her, something she herself lacks. This echoes the dynamic of Sledgehammer, both musically and lyrically, with its overt sexual references and high-energy funk elements. The song was co-produced with Daniel Lanois, continuing their successful partnership from “So”, and featured a polished, danceable rhythm.

The music video, directed by Stephen R. Johnson, followed the same visually ambitious and surreal style as his previous work on “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time”. Johnson aimed to pack the video with as many eye-catching elements as possible, resulting in a visually chaotic but highly engaging spectacle. The video featured extensive digital imagery and motion capture effects, created by Homer & Associates, the same team that worked on the 1992 film “The Lawnmower Man”. Gabriel spent two days performing movements that were then digitized and incorporated into the video’s surreal animations. 

The video won the Grammy Award for Best Short-Form Music Video in 1994, marking Gabriel’s second consecutive win in that category—he had won the previous year for “Digging in the Dirt”. “Steam” was also included in the 1994 Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0.

At the 1993 Grammy Awards, Gabriel opened the ceremony with a performance of “Steam”, featuring the cast of Cirque du Soleil.