The Police

Originally emerging as contrived punk rockers before evolving into worldwide icons, the Police proved instrumental in mainstreaming New Wave sounds. Drawing from reggae roots while toying with punk energy, the band also explored jazz, global rhythms, and ambient pieces evoking new age textures, forging a sonic identity that set the three-piece apart during their prime years. Equally notable for their runaway commercial achievements across the late 1970s and early 1980s, the group connected simultaneously with album-oriented rock listeners, pop radio fans, and early MTV viewers, amassing a catalog of enduring pop-rock classics such as "Roxanne," "Message in a Bottle," "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," and "Every Breath You Take," the latter a massive success that held the top chart spot for eight weeks during 1983. That single together with its parent album Synchronicity marked the apex of the band's achievements. Internal friction among vocalist/bassist Sting, drummer Stewart Copeland, and guitarist Andy Summers flared after Synchronicity, prompting the Police to dissolve while still at their commercial height. They nevertheless preserved a lasting catalog, later honoring it through a 2007 reunion tour.

A onetime instructor born Gordon Sumner who supplemented his income with jazz bass gigs in Newcastle, Sting first met Stewart Copeland during the drummer's tenure with the progressive rock ensemble Curved Air. When Curved Air reached Newcastle, Sting belonged to Last Exit, a jazz-fusion outfit that issued the single "Whispering Voices" via the independent Wudwink label in 1975. The recording attracted the notice of Carol Wilson, then employed in the publishing arm of Virgin Records operated by Richard Branson. Capitalizing on this interest, the musicians relocated to London, yet the unit disintegrated soon after arrival. Although several members returned north, Sting remained in the capital and contacted Copeland about possible joint work. With Curved Air having recently dissolved, the two decided to collaborate in an effort to penetrate London's active punk circuit.

After recruiting guitarist Henri Padovani, Sting and Copeland launched an early incarnation of the Police. They performed their debut concert on March 1, 1977, and by May issued the "Fall Out"/"Nothing Achieving" single through Illegal Records, an outlet established in part by Copeland's brother Miles, with both tracks penned by Stewart. Around the period when "Fall Out" appeared, Mike Howlett, a bassist freshly departed from the progressive rock group Gong, asked Sting to participate in a project called Strontium 90 alongside guitarist Andy Summers, an alumnus of a later Animals lineup and an initial Soft Machine configuration. Howlett had intended to include drummer Chris Cutler, known for his work with Henry Cow, but Cutler's schedule prevented it, so Sting brought Copeland into the rhythm section. Throughout the early summer of 1977, Strontium 90 laid down demo recordings and staged two live shows, one of which marked their debut at a Gong reunion event in Paris. Although the ensemble disbanded shortly thereafter, Sting extended an invitation to Summers to join the Police. The band operated briefly as a quartet featuring both Summers and Padovani, yet by August the newcomer demanded sole guitar duties. Padovani was soon let go, leaving the Police as a trio.

The group began performing regularly toward the close of 1977, yet struggled to attract followers. Facing financial pressures, they accepted a Wrigley's gum advertisement that required them to bleach their hair, a detail that ultimately defined their signature look even though the commercial itself never broadcast. Not long after, Miles Copeland financed the sessions for the debut album Outlandos d'Amour. Recognizing promise in "Roxanne," he assumed management responsibilities and negotiated a contract with A&M Records.

Miles generated publicity around the singles "Roxanne" and its follow-up "Can't Stand Losing You." Released in April 1978, "Roxanne" was excluded from BBC airplay, a situation Miles reframed as the track being "Banned from the BBC," a designation applied to early pressings despite some exaggeration. The single nevertheless failed to chart. "Can't Stand Losing You" faced BBC prohibition because of its cover imagery depicting a mock suicide by hanging, which the band leveraged to secure a modest number-42 U.K. chart position in late summer 1978. Their third single, "So Lonely," registered no chart impact.

While Britain remained largely indifferent, the Police built momentum across North America. "Roxanne" entered the Top 40 in both the United States and Canada in early 1979, an uncommon feat for punk-associated acts at the time. American traction prompted a U.K. reissue of "Roxanne" that climbed to number 12, succeeded by a number-two showing for the reissued "Can't Stand Losing You." With accumulating chart progress, including a re-release of "Fall Out" that briefly registered on the U.K. singles survey, the Police undertook a lengthy American tour while completing their next album. Titled Reggatta de Blanc, the sophomore effort debuted at number one in October 1979, propelled by the chart-topping singles "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon." Although neither track reached the U.S. Top 40, with the latter peaking at number 74, Reggatta de Blanc still attained number 25 on the Billboard Top 200, and its title instrumental earned the band's first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

The Police achieved another U.K. success in February 1980 when a reissued "So Lonely" reached number six, yet the year is chiefly remembered for their global breakthrough with Zenyatta Mondatta. Issued in October 1980, the album topped the U.K. chart and reached number five stateside. Its opening single "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" marked the group's first U.S. Top Ten entry, while in Britain it arrived second and climbed to number five. "Don't Stand So Close to Me," positioned as the lead single in the U.K. and the second in the U.S., outperformed its counterpart by hitting number one domestically and securing a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. The album track "Behind My Camel" also captured that year's Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Riding continued commercial gains, the Police traveled to Montserrat to work with producer Hugh Padgham on their fourth album. Ghost in the Machine arrived in autumn 1981, claiming the U.K. summit and number-two placement in the U.S. Its ascent was driven by "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," a worldwide Top Ten hit that received heavy MTV rotation. "Spirits in the Material World" became another international success, peaking at number 11 in America and number 12 in Britain, while "Invisible Sun" reached number two in the U.K. Album-rock airplay also intensified, illustrated by "Secret Journey" attaining number 46 stateside.

Amid Ghost in the Machine's dominance, each Police member pursued individual opportunities. Sting revived an acting career he had begun in 1979 with a role in Franc Roddam's cinematic version of the Who's Quadrophenia. He appeared in Brimstone and Treacle, whose soundtrack incorporated three new Police recordings including the moody "I Burn for You," and played a significant part in David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune. Copeland gravitated toward film scoring, contributing music to Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish. Summers, meanwhile, partnered with Robert Fripp on the 1982 album I Advance Masked.

All prior accomplishments were eclipsed by Synchronicity, the 1983 release that became a multi-million seller. Much of its impact derived from "Every Breath You Take," a brooding ballad that topped charts in both the U.S. and U.K. The track quickly became a standard, earning Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. BMI later designated it the most-played song in its catalog after surpassing 15 million radio spins. Additional singles sustained the album's reach: "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "King of Pain" both entered the U.S. Top Ten, though the former only managed number 17 in Britain, while "Synchronicity II" gained traction on MTV and radio, peaking at number 16 on the Top 40 and winning a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.

Synchronicity ruled 1983, occupying the U.S. number-one position for 17 weeks while contending with Michael Jackson's Thriller. The Police backed the album with an extensive stadium tour extending into 1984, yet Sting grew eager to explore other avenues. After the trek concluded in March 1984, the band entered a hiatus. Sting focused on his solo debut The Dream of the Blue Turtles, recorded with jazz musicians including Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, and Omar Hakim. In the United States, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" and "Fortress Around Your Heart" delivered two Top Ten hits, while "Love Is the Seventh Wave" and "Russians" reached numbers 17 and 16 on Billboard's Top 40, rendering Sting ubiquitous throughout 1985. He supplied the "I want my MTV" line on Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing," guested on releases by Phil Collins, Miles Davis, and Arcadia, contributed to Hal Willner's Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill tribute, and toured with the Dream of the Blue Turtles band, an experience documented in Michael Apted's film Bring on the Night, released late that year.

The Police reconvened in June 1986 for three Amnesty International: A Conspiracy of Hope benefit concerts, which prompted an attempt to record a fresh album the following month. Before entering the studio, Copeland fractured his collarbone in a riding accident. The mishap intensified existing strains, and the trio managed to complete only a single track, a reworked "Don't Stand So Close to Me." Added to the 1986 compilation Every Breath You Take: The Singles, the song achieved modest chart success. After its release the band parted ways permanently.

Across the subsequent two decades the members' paths intersected sporadically. Andy Summers appeared with Sting both on recordings and in performance, and the full lineup joined for an impromptu set at Sting's 1992 wedding to Trudie Styler. They reunited formally in 2003 for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which planted the idea for a comprehensive 2007-2008 reunion tour. That trek, the highest-grossing of 2008, included a guest appearance by original guitarist Henri Padovani and concluded with an August 2008 concert at Madison Square Garden. Certifiable: Live in Buenos Aires, a combined video and CD package capturing the reunion shows, surfaced in November 2008, bringing the Police's reunion and overall career to a close.