Oh “Joy”: After 21 years, Peter Gabriel returns to ‘Billboard’ airplay charts

Peter Gabriel‘s recent song “Road to Joy” has led him back to the Billboard airplay charts for the first time in years.

Gabriel hasn’t appeared on a Billboard airplay chart as a lead artist since 2002. He did chart in 2008, but it was as a featured artist on a song called “Burn You Up, Burn You Down,” credited to Big Blue Ball. 

In 2002 he reached #20 on Billboard‘s Adult Alternative Airplay chart with the song “More Than This,” from his album Up.

But now he’s back with “Road to Joy,” which has debuted at #37 on the Adult Alternative Airplay. The funky track, produced by Gabriel and Brian Eno, is somewhat reminiscent of his 1993 single “Kiss That Frog.”

“Road to Joy” is the sixth song that Gabriel has released from his upcoming album, i/o, which still doesn’t have an announced release date. He’s been releasing one song from it during the full moon each month; the one he put out on August 1 is called “Olive Tree.”

In the ’80s and ’90s, Gabriel was all over the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with hits like “Shock The Monkey,” “Sledgehammer” and “In Your Eyes.”