Steam (Peter Gabriel song)

1993 single by Peter Gabriel

"Steam"

Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album  Us
Released| 4 January 1993 (1993-01-04)[1]
Genre| Funk rock[2]
Length|

* 6:03 (album version)
* 5:19 (video edit)
* 4:45 (radio edit)

Label| Geffen
Songwriter(s)| Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)|

* Daniel Lanois
* Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel singles chronology
| "Digging in the Dirt"
(1992)  | "Steam"
(1993)  | "Blood of Eden"
(1993)

|
|

Music video
"Steam" on YouTube

"Steam" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released in January 1993 by Geffen Records as the second single from his sixth album, Us (1992). Gabriel, who wrote the song and produced it with Daniel Lanois, has said that the song is about a relationship in which the woman is sophisticated, bright, cultured, and knows everything about anything while the man knows nothing about anything; however, he does know about the woman, and she does not know much about herself.[3][4] On "Steam", Tony Levin played the bass part with set of drum sticks called funk fingers, which he attached to his digits to achieve a more percussive tone. Levin first used the technique on Gabriel's song "Big Time".[5]

"Steam" reached number ten on the UK Singles Chart, number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. In Canada the single became a number-one hit, topping the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart on the week of 27 February 1993, replacing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" after a 10-week run. "Steam" also charted within the top 10 in Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand and Portugal.

An alternative version of this song called "Quiet Steam" was a B-side on the "Digging in the Dirt" single. It is a lo-fi take on the version that appeared on Us.[6] On Secret World Live, "Steam" is preceded by the "Quiet Steam" version.[7]

## Critical reception

[edit]

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated, that the correspondingly ingenious video for "Steam" "will propel this into the Top 10."[8] Alec Foege from Spin felt the song, "with its pressure-cooked chorus (Give me steam / And how you feel can make you real) and greasy organ riff, practically parodies Prince's 'Cream'."[9] Mike Joyce from The Washington Post named it "such sure-fire Top 40 ammo" and "a likable (if shamelessly obvious) sequel" to Gabriel's 1986 hit "Sledgehammer".[10]

## Music video

[edit]

The music video for "Steam" was directed by Stephen R. Johnson, who also directed the videos for Gabriel's earlier hits "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time". The director said he wanted to cram the video with as many "things" as possible.[11] The music video features digital imagery and numerous instances of sexual symbolism.[12] Gabriel suggested the idea of appearing with a fake muscular physique in the music video, saying that "it was a lot quicker to put on a body like that than actually building up in a gym. I didn't quite have the discipline for that."[13] The music video was later shown on the 1994 video Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0.[14]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

1993  | MTV Video Music Award | Best Male Video | Nominated
Best Visual Effects | Won
Best Editing | Won
1994  | Grammy Award | Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance | Nominated
Best Music Video | Won

## Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Peter Gabriel.[15]

1. "Steam" (LP version) – 6:02
2. "Games Without Frontiers" (Massive / DB mix) – 5:19
3. "Steam" (Oh, Oh, Let Off Steam mix 12") – 6:44
4. "Steam" (Oh, Oh, Let Off Steam mix dub) – 5:44

## Personnel

[edit]

* Peter Gabriel – vocals, keyboards, percussion, horn arrangement
* David Rhodes – guitar
* Leo Nocentelli – guitar
* Tony Levin – bass guitar
* Manu Katché – electronic drums
* The Babacar Faye Drummers – Sabar drums
* David Bottrill – programming
* Richard Blair – programming
* Tim Green – tenor saxophone
* Reggie Houston – baritone saxophone
* Wayne Jackson – trumpet
* Renard Poche – trombone
* Daniel Lanois – horn arrangement

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1993)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[16] | 29
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] | 25
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18] | 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[19] | 31
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[20] | 23
Europe (European Hit Radio)[21] | 4
Germany (GfK)[22] | 48
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[23] | 5
Ireland (IRMA)[24] | 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] | 16
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] | 27
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] | 7
Portugal (AFP)[28] | 8
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[29] | 28
UK Singles (OCC)[30] | 10
UK Airplay (Music Week)[31] | 1
US Billboard Hot 100[32] | 32
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[33] | 1
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[34] | 2
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[35] | 13
US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio and Records)[36] | 9

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1993)  | Position

|

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[37] | 21
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[38] | 40
UK Airplay (Music Week)[39] | 35
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[40] | 25
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[40] | 23

## See also

[edit]

* Number-one Billboard modern rock hits of 1992
* List of RPM number-one singles of 1993

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
2. ^ Randall, Mac (10 July 2002). "Gabriel, Beck and Miller Struggle With Gravity". The New York Observer. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
3. ^ All About us video compilation, Peter Gabriel, 1993 (VHS format only)
4. ^ All about... us Archived 16 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine header Steam
5. ^ DeRiso, Nick (22 September 2011). "Tony Levin on "Big Time," "Thrak," "Late in the Evening" + others: Gimme Five". Something Else!. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
6. ^ Scarfe, Graeme (2021). Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song. United Kingdom: SonicBond. p. 135\. ISBN 978-1-78952-138-2.
7. ^ Bowman, Durrell (2 September 2016). Experiencing Peter Gabriel: A Listener's Companion. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 161\. ISBN 9781442252004.
8. ^ Masterton, James (10 January 1993). "Week Ending January 16th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
9. ^ Foege, Alec (October 1992). "Spins". Spin. p. 110. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
10. ^ Joyce, Mike (27 September 1992). "Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters & Sinead: Ambitious Angst". The Washington Post. p. G03.
11. ^ Peter Gabriel, "Steam". Pop-Up Video. VH1.
12. ^ Easlea, Daryl (2014). Without Frontiers: The Life and Music of Peter Gabriel. London, UK: Omnibus Press. pp. 291–292\. ISBN 978-1-4683-0964-5.
13. ^ McIver, Joel (22 October 2007). "Angelic Gabriel". Record Collector. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
14. ^ "Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0". YouTube. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
15. ^ McDonald, Steven. "Steam – Peter Gabriel". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
16. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
17. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
18. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1789." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
19. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1729." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
20. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 6\. 6 February 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
21. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 6\. 6 February 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
22. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
23. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12.–18. Mars 1993)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 11 March 1993. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
24. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Steam". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 4, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
26. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
27. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
28. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 7\. 13 February 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
29. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
30. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
31. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 30 January 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
32. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
33. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
34. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
35. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
36. ^ "National Airplay Overview" (PDF). R&R Radio & Records. 12 February 1993. p. 88. Retrieved 9 August 2025 - via World Radio History.
37. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Retrieved 24 March 2018 - via Library and Archives Canada.
38. ^ "Árslistinn 1993". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 4 January 1994. p. 17. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
39. ^ "Airplay Top 50 1993" (PDF). Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 41. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
40. ^ a b "The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52\. 25 December 1993. p. YE-39.

* v
* t
* e

Peter Gabriel

Studio albums|

* Peter Gabriel (Car)
* Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
* Peter Gabriel (Melt)
* Peter Gabriel (Security)
* So
* Us
* Up
* Scratch My Back
* New Blood
* I/O

Live albums|

* Plays Live
* Plays Live Highlights
* Secret World Live
* Live Blood
* Back to Front: Live in London
* Growing Up Live
* Live in Athens 1987

Singles|

* "Solsbury Hill"
* "Modern Love"
* "D.I.Y."
* "Games Without Frontiers"
* "No Self Control"
* "Biko"
* "I Don't Remember"
* "Shock the Monkey"
* "I Have the Touch"
* "Wallflower"
* "Sledgehammer"
* "In Your Eyes"
* "Don't Give Up"
* "Big Time"
* "Red Rain"
* "Shaking the Tree"
* "Digging in the Dirt"
* "Steam"
* "Blood of Eden"
* "Kiss That Frog"
* "Lovetown"
* "While the Earth Sleeps"
* "When You're Falling"
* "The Barry Williams Show"
* "More Than This"
* "Growing Up
* "Burn You Up, Burn You Down"
* "Darkness"
* "Down to Earth"
* "Panopticom"
* "The Court"
* "Playing for Time"
* "I/O"
* "Four Kinds of Horses"
* "Road to Joy"
* "So Much"
* "Olive Tree"
* "Love Can Heal"
* "This Is Home"
* "And Still"
* "Live and Let Live"

Songs|

* "Moribund the Burgermeister"
* "Here Comes the Flood"
* "On the Air"
* "Mother of Violence"
* "Intruder"
* "Family Snapshot"
* "The Rhythm of the Heat"
* "San Jacinto"
* "That Voice Again"
* "Mercy Street"
* "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)"
* "This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)"
* "Come Talk to Me"
* "Love to Be Loved"
* "Secret World"
* "Father, Son"
* "The Tower That Ate People"
* "Sky Blue"

Soundtracks|

* Birdy
* Passion
* OVO
* Long Walk Home

Compilations|

* Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats
* Revisited
* Hit
* Rated PG
* Flotsam and Jetsam

Concert tours|

* This Way Up Tour
* Secret World Tour
* Back to Front Tour
* i/o The Tour

Films|

* Secret World Live
* Growing Up: Live
* Still Growing Up: Live & Unwrapped

Video games|

* Xplora1: Peter Gabriel's Secret World
* Eve
* Myst IV: Revelation

Other|

* Discography
* Genesis
* WOMAD
* Passion – Sources
* The Story of OVO
* Millennium Dome Show
* Play: The Videos
* Big Blue Ball
* And I'll Scratch Yours
* Real World Records
* Real World Studios
* Solid State Logic (SSL)

Peter Gabriel discography

Awards for "Steam"

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Music Video

1980s|

* "Girls on Film" / "Hungry Like the Wolf" – Duran Duran (1984)
* "Jazzin' for Blue Jean" – David Bowie (1985)
* "We Are the World" – USA for Africa (1986)
* "Brothers in Arms" – Dire Straits (1987)

1990s|

* "Leave Me Alone" – Michael Jackson (1990)
* "Opposites Attract" – Paula Abdul (1991)
* "Losing My Religion" – R.E.M. (1992)
* "Digging in the Dirt" – Peter Gabriel (1993)
* "Steam" – Peter Gabriel (1994)
* "Love Is Strong" – The Rolling Stones (1995)
* "Scream" – Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson (1996)
* "Free as a Bird" – The Beatles (1997)
* "Got 'til It's Gone" – Janet Jackson (1998)
* "Ray of Light" – Madonna (1999)

2000s|

* "Freak on a Leash" – Korn (2000)
* "Learn to Fly" – Foo Fighters (2001)
* "Weapon of Choice" – Fatboy Slim featuring Bootsy Collins (2002)
* "Without Me" - Eminem (2003)
* "Hurt" – Johnny Cash (2004)
* "Vertigo" – U2 (2005)
* "Lose Control" – Missy Elliott featuring Ciara & Fatman Scoop (2006)
* "Here It Goes Again" – OK Go (2007)
* "God's Gonna Cut You Down" – Johnny Cash (2008)
* "Pork and Beans" – Weezer (2009)

2010s|

* "Boom Boom Pow" – Black Eyed Peas (2010)
* "Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga (2011)
* "Rolling in the Deep" – Adele (2012)
* "We Found Love" – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris (2013)
* "Suit & Tie" – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z (2014)
* "Happy" – Pharrell Williams (2015)
* "Bad Blood" – Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar (2016)
* "Formation" – Beyoncé (2017)
* "Humble" – Kendrick Lamar (2018)
* "This Is America" – Childish Gambino (2019)

2020s|

* "Old Town Road" – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (2020)
* "Brown Skin Girl" – Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & Wizkid (2021)
* "Freedom" – Jon Batiste (2022)
* All Too Well: The Short Film – Taylor Swift (2023)
* "I'm Only Sleeping" – The Beatles (2024)
* "Not Like Us" – Kendrick Lamar (2025)

* v
* t
* e

MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects

* "Rockit" (1984)
* "Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985)
* "Take On Me" (1986)
* "Sledgehammer" (1987)
* "Hourglass" (1988)
* "Leave Me Alone" (1989)
* "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (1990)
* "Falling to Pieces" (1991)
* "Even Better Than the Real Thing" (1992)
* "Steam" (1993)
* "Kiss That Frog" (1994)
* "Love Is Strong" (1995)
* "Tonight, Tonight" (1996)
* "Virtual Insanity" (1997)
* "Frozen" (1998)
* "Special" (1999)
* "All Is Full of Love" (2000)
* "Rock DJ" (2001)
* "Fell in Love with a Girl" (2002)
* "Go with the Flow" (2003)
* "Hey Ya!" (2004)
* "Feel Good Inc." (2005)
* "We Run This" (2006)
* "Good Life" (2008)
* "Paparazzi" (2009)
* "Uprising" (2010)
* "E.T." (2011)
* "First of the Year (Equinox)" (2012)
* "Safe and Sound" (2013)
* "The Writing's on the Wall" (2014)
* "Where Are Ü Now" (2015)
* "Up&Up" (2016)
* "HUMBLE." (2017)
* "All the Stars" (2018)
* "ME!" (2019)
* "Physical" (2020)
* "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" (2021)
* "Industry Baby" (2022)
* "Anti-Hero" (2023)
* "Houdini" (2024)

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