Throwback Threesome – The Police

Emerging in 1977, the Police brought a style of rock influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz to the British new wave scene. The trio of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland packed a lot into nine years, including five studio albums, three live albums, seven compilation albums, twelve video albums, four soundtrack albums, and 26 singles. The Police sold over 75 million records worldwide. Their fans would have eagerly welcomed more.

After the group disbanded in 1986, Sting continued his successful solo career, which he had launched the previous year. The Police reunited for their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2003. They got back together again for a world tour that ran from May 2007 to August 2008.

It’s hard to choose only three singles from the Police to highlight, but these videos are among their more interesting:

• Walking On The Moon (1979)

  “Walking on the Moon” was shot at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 1979. It features the band playing next to a Saturn V moon rocket with NASA footage spliced in between.

• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (1981)

  For “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” the band was filmed on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, where they recorded their 1981 album, Ghost in the Machine. The Police were deeply influenced by the music of the Caribbean.

• Every Breath You Take (1983)

  One of the truly iconic music videos of all time is 1983’s “Every Breath You Take.” It was shot in black-and-white with the Police accompanied by a pianist and string section. Sting plays an upright bass rather than his usual bass guitar.