The Police were<!-- No longer active. Don't change "were" to "are" --> an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Their core line-up comprised Sting (lead vocals, bass, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police became globally popular from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. The band emerged in the British punk scene, but soon expanded into other styles such as new wave, reggae rock, and post-punk.
The Police's debut album, Outlandos d'Amour (1978), reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and contains the singles "Roxanne" and "Can't Stand Losing You". Reggatta de Blanc (1979) was the first of four consecutive number-one studio albums in the UK and Australia; "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" were the Police's first UK number-one singles. Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) and Ghost in the Machine (1981), were also successful, with two songs, "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", becoming UK number-one singles and top five-hits in other countries. Zenyatta Mondatta was their breakthrough in the US, reaching number five on the US Billboard 200.
The Police's final studio album, Synchronicity (1983), was number one in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and the US, selling over eight million copies in the US. Its lead single, "Every Breath You Take", became the Police's fifth UK number one and their only US number one. The Police were considered one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the US: in 1983 Rolling Stone described them as "the first British new wave act to break through in America on a grand scale, and possibly the biggest band in the world". The Police disbanded in 1984 at the height of their fame. They reunited periodically before fully reuniting in 2007 for a world tour. It was the highest-grossing tour of 2007, making them world's highest-earning musicians in 2008.
The Police have sold over 75 million records, making them one of the best-selling bands. Their awards include six Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards (winning Best British Group once), and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of their studio albums appeared on Rolling Stones list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The Police were included among both Rolling Stones and VH1's lists of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
History
1977: formation
On 25 September 1976, the American drummer Stewart Copeland was on tour as a member of the British progressive rock band Curved Air. In Newcastle upon Tyne, via the music journalist Phil Sutcliffe, Copeland met the singer-bassist Gordon Sumner, a.k.a. Sting, who at the time was playing in Last Exit, a jazz-rock fusion band. Copeland obtained Sting's number from Sutcliffe's partner. Sting moved to London, and on the day of his arrival, sought out Copeland for a jam session. After their debut concert on 1 March 1977 at the Alexandria Club in Newport, Wales (which lasted only ten minutes), the group played London pubs and punk clubs touring as backing band and support act for Cherry Vanilla and for Wayne County & the Electric Chairs. On 1 May 1977, the Police released their debut single "Fall Out" on Illegal Records, recorded at Pathway Studios in Islington, North London on 12 February 1977 (a couple of weeks before the band's debut live performance), with a budget of £150. This is the only Police recording featuring Padovani. Mick Jagger reviewed the single in Sounds.
In May 1977, former Gong musician Mike Howlett invited Sting to join him in the band project Strontium 90. The drummer Howlett had in mind, Chris Cutler, was unavailable, so Sting took Copeland. The band's fourth member was guitarist Andy Summers. A decade older than Sting and Copeland, Summers was a music industry veteran who had played with Eric Burdon and the Animals and Kevin Ayers among others. Strontium 90 performed at a Gong reunion concert in Paris on 28 May 1977, and played at a London club (under the name of "the Elevators") in July. The band also recorded several demo tracks: these were released (along with live recordings and an early version of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic") 20 years later on the archive album Strontium 90: Police Academy.