Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He first gained recognition as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis, which he left in 1975 to pursue a solo career. His debut solo single, "Solsbury Hill", became a hit. Gabriel released four successful self-titled studio albums, followed by his fifth studio album, "So" (1986), which became his best-selling release, certified triple platinum in the UK and five times platinum in the US. The album's single "Sledgehammer" won nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards and was reported by Time in 2011 as the most played music video on MTV. Gabriel's later solo albums include "Us" (1992), "OVO" (2000), and "Up" (2002). He recorded "Down to Earth" for the Pixar film "WALL-E" (2008), released the cover album "Scratch My Back" (2009), and produced "And I'll Scratch Yours" (2013), a companion album of artists covering his songs. He undertook the "Back to Front Tour" (2012–2014) and the "Rock Paper Scissors Tour" with Sting (2016). In 2023, Gabriel released the album "I/O" and supported it with "I/O The Tour", and he has been releasing songs according to the lunar cycle for a follow-up album, "O\I" (2026). Gabriel has long supported world music, co-founding the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival in 1982 and promoting artists through his Real World Records label. He also co-founded OD2, an early online music download service. He has engaged in human rights activism, releasing the anti-apartheid single "Biko" in 1980, participating in benefit concerts including Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! tour in 1988, co-founding the organization Witness in 1992, and developing the concept for The Elders alongside Nelson Mandela and Richard Branson in 2007. Gabriel has received numerous awards, including three Brit Awards, six Grammy Awards, 13 MTV Video Music Awards, the BT Digital Music Awards Pioneer Award, the Q Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Polar Music Prize. He was named a BMI Icon for his influence on subsequent generations of musicians. In recognition of his humanitarian work, he received the Man of Peace award in 2006 and was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in 2008. AllMusic has described him as "one of rock's most ambitious, innovative musicians, as well as one of its most political". Gabriel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010 and as a solo artist in 2014. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia in 2015. Studio albums Car (1977) Scratch (1978) Melt (1980) Security (1982) So (1986) Us (1992) Up (2002) Scratch My Back (2010) New Blood (2011) I/O (2023) O\I (2026)