The Police were an English trio formed in London in 1977 — Sting, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland — who fused rock, reggae, and new wave into some of the biggest records of the era. Synchronicity (1983) is the peak, and Roxanne and Every Breath You Take never left the airwaves. Shop The Police vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
The Police formed in London, England in 1977. The trio of Sting (Gordon Sumner; vocals, bass), Andy Summers (guitar), and Stewart Copeland (drums) became one of the defining bands of the late-1970s and early-1980s. After a rapid rise from the punk and new wave scene to global superstardom, tensions within the band led them to stop recording after their most successful album, and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. They reunited for a major world tour in 2007-2008.
The Police fused rock, reggae, new wave, jazz, and pop into a distinctive, spacious sound built on Copeland's intricate drumming, Summers's atmospheric guitar, and Sting's melodic bass and high, expressive vocals. Their economical arrangements and reggae-inflected grooves made them both critically respected and enormously popular.
The Police's A&M catalog has been reissued in remastered and anniversary editions, and original pressings of Synchronicity and the earlier albums are collected. The band's complete-recordings box sets gather their relatively compact but influential discography.
Listeners new to The Police often start with Synchronicity (1983) or a singles compilation. For related listening, see and .
