How Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" Inadvertently Became a Hollywood Soundtrack Staple
Certain songs have transformative powers, and Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” is definitely one of them. This became clear in 2005, when film editor Robert Ryang used the 1977 classic rock staple in his re-cut trailer for the classic 1980 horror film The Shining. Ryang cleverly paired director Stanley Kubrick’s chilling visuals with Gabriel’s bouncy and bucolic folk-rock ditty, and just like that, a terrifying psychological drama became a lighthearted rom-com about a dad with writer’s block. The video went viral, spawning tons of imitations.