The Police

The Police

The Police are a British rock band from London, active from 1977 to 2008. The core line-up consists of Sting on lead vocals, bass and primary songwriting, Andy Summers on guitar, and Stewart Copeland on drums and percussion. Henry Padovani is also listed among the band’s members. Emerging from the British new wave scene, they combine rock with punk, reggae and jazz influences, and are also associated with indie rock, pop rock, post-punk and reggae rock.

Career

The band forms in London in 1977 and becomes internationally successful from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Their debut album, Outlandos d'Amour (1978), reaches number six in the UK Albums Chart and includes the singles “Roxanne” and “Can't Stand Losing You”. Their second album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979), is the first of four consecutive studio albums to reach number one in the UK and Australia. Its singles “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon” both reach number one in the UK.

Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) and Ghost in the Machine (1981) extend the band’s international profile. Songs including “Don't Stand So Close to Me” and “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” top the UK Singles Chart and chart strongly in several other countries. Zenyatta Mondatta also marks a major breakthrough in the United States, reaching number five on the Billboard 200.

The final studio album, Synchronicity (1983), reaches number one in multiple countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and Italy. It sells more than eight million copies in the United States. Its lead single, “Every Breath You Take”, becomes the group’s fifth UK number one and their only US number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Recognition and legacy

During this period, The Police are associated with the Second British Invasion, when British acts gain major success in the United States in the early 1980s. The band splits in 1984, then later reunites for occasional performances. A full reunion tour takes place from 2007 to 2008 and ranks among the highest-grossing tours of that period.

The Police sell more than 75 million records worldwide and are among the best-selling music artists. They receive six Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2003, they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Several of their studio albums appear in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the band is included in lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time published by Rolling Stone and VH1.