Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia · Slate Podcasts

If You Love Sting, Set Him Free Edition Part 1

·1 hr 4 min·5 clips

Sting called Every Breath You Take 'evil and sinister,' yet it became the most played song in radio history.

This episode of Hit Parade, hosted by chart analyst Chris Molanphy, examines the career of Sting and the Police around the 40th anniversary of the song "Every Breath You Take." It focuses on Sting's songwriting and the 2025 lawsuit from his former bandmates over that hit. The episode details Sting's early jazz background in bands like the Newcastle Big Band and Last Exit before forming the Police with drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers. It traces the Police's rise from their 1978 debut "Outlandos d'Amour" and the slow-burn success of "Roxanne" to becoming MTV stars and global icons with albums like "Zenyatta Mondatta" and "Synchronicity." A central topic is the lawsuit where Summers and Copeland seek arranger's credit and compensation for "Every Breath You Take," arguing their iconic guitar riff and drum beat are vital to the song's sound. The episode compares this to the 2022 case where Beyoncé credited the writers of the original "Show Me Love" but not the remixer who created its famous sound. Molanphy notes that "Every Breath You Take" is considered the most-played song in radio history according to BMI data from 2019. He highlights how Sting's demo lacked the atmospheric elements Summers and Copeland contributed, which were also key to Puff Daddy's 1997 sample on "I'll Be Missing You." The narrative explores Sting's reputation for pretentious, literary lyrics referencing Shakespeare, Nabokov, and Greek mythology in hits like "Don't Stand So Close to Me." It recounts how his stage name originated from a bandleader teasing him about a striped sweater. A surprising claim is that the Police's first US top 10 hit was not "Roxanne" but the gibberish-chorused "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" in 1981. The episode reveals Sting wrote "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" in 1977 about his future wife while he was still married. It also notes the Police's "Synchronicity" album blocked Michael Jackson's "Thriller" from the number one spot for 17 weeks in 1983. The tone is educational and analytical, weaving music history with chart trivia and industry insights. It adopts a conversational style, punctuated by numerous musical clips to illustrate its points. This episode would appeal to music history buffs, fans of 80s rock, and those interested in the business of songwriting credits and copyright. Listeners with no interest in Sting, the Police, or the intricacies of pop chart mechanics might choose to skip it.

As heard by us

A sharp route into Sting's origin story and the road that shaped the Sting persona.

The episode uses Fortress Around Your Heart as a clean entry point into Sting's rise, then keeps opening outward to earlier chapters of Gordon Sumner's life.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Follow Sting from a striped-jumper nickname to his October 1985 top-10 pop moment.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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