Playing a style of rock that was influenced by jazz, reggae, and punk music,
The Police rode a unique sound into the eighties becoming globally popular and inspiring intense fan loyalty. The group was formed in 1977 by
Stewart Copeland (drummer) who initially recruited
Sting (bassist and lead singer) and Henri Padovani (guitarist). This line-up issued the band's first single ('Fall Out') in May 1977. Andy Summers (guitarist) was then asked to join, with Padovani dropping out, and The Police were born. Sting, a former high school English teacher, turned out to be a
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nimble songwriter and on the strength of his single,
Roxanne got the group signed to a deal with A&M Records. The single was re-released in 1979, and it was then that the Police achieved widespread fame in England. In October 1979, the group released their second album Regatta de Blanc, which spawned the hits
Walking on the Moon and
Message in a Bottle and established the group as stars in England and
Europe, topping the U.K. charts for four weeks. Zenyatta Mondatta, released in the fall of 1980, became the Police's North American breakthrough, boasting such classic Police songs as Dont Stand So Close To Me and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."
Following their whirlwind success of 1980 and 1981, in which they were named the Best British Group at the first Brit Awards and won three Grammys, the band took a break. They came back with Their fourth album, Ghost In The Machine, which featured what critics called a thicker sound with vocal textures and spawned the hit singles, 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' and 'Spirits In The Material World.' They released their last album, Synchronicity, in 1983; widely regarded as a classic, the album boasted such chart topping songs as'Every Breath You Take and 'Wrapped Around Your Finger. Afterward, although there was never an official break-up, each band member gradually began his own solo career. In March 2003, The Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2007, the band reunited for what turned out to be the best selling music tour of the year. Whatever the future holds for The Police, their rock music legacy has already been firmly established.
