5. Passion (1989)

While all of Gabriel’s film soundtracks (Birdy, Long Walk Home, OVO) offer the occasional moment of textural transcendence, they’re mostly skippable for the casual fan. Passion, meanwhile, is absolutely essential. It’s the rare instrumental score that loses none of its cinematic grandeur once removed from its visual counterpart (in this case, Martin Scorsese’s controversial Jesus epic, The Last Temptation of Christ). Gabriel recruited musicians from Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East (most notably Senegalese vocalist Youssou N’Dour and Indian violist L. Shankar), using their disparate talents to assemble exotic, colorful tapestries. Menacing synthesizers and pounding drums rub elbows with surdos, duoudouks, and tablas; Gabriel’s voice is almost entirely absent, but his presence is vibrant.