Many bands call it a day when, critically and commercially, the writing is on the wall, but not The Police. Appropriately for an outfit so musically singular, their split eschewed this standard and occurred when they were at the peak of their powers. For instance, their fifth and final album, 1983’s Synchronicity, was a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic. However, despite such fanfare, Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland could go no further.
Contextually, Synchronicity saw the trio experiment with more genres than they had before, and successfully blend them into a refined, soundtrack-like palette. The lead single was ‘Every Breath You Take’ – long deemed the era’s quintessential rock ballad, but, in a reflection of Sting’s songwriting prowess, actually examines the era’s obsession with “surveillance and control”.
Nevertheless, the atmospheric piece epitomised the artistic grandeur of the album, and before too long, the trio’s final outing was nominated for five Grammys at the 1984 ceremony, taking home three.
So, why did The Police split at their peak? Unsurprisingly, things weren’t straightforward. Yet, it was a mixture of both growing resentment between frontman Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland, their age (with Sting ten years younger than guitarist Summers), and the fact that the flaxen-haired frontman had outgrown the operation.
This was due to the perceived creative constraints of the trio. Despite being younger, Sting felt he was too old to be in a band, and that, well, he simply knew his songwriting was much better than that of the others.
Sting was once keen to note that The Police “achieved an amazing amount of stuff in the short time we were together.” Yet, in spite of this, he concluded: “I just wanted a broader palette because I was song-driven and not necessarily band-driven.”
In other interviews, he has claimed that internal frustration was exacerbated because he was “usually” the one informing his bandmates that their songs weren’t good enough. Every instance of this was deeply uncomfortable, he maintained, likening it to “a bit like saying their girlfriend’s ugly.” Understandably, there were only so many times he could experience this ring of hell before looking for a way out.
While The Police would periodically reform for special occasions after their original 1984 split, including their record-breaking 2007 world tour, for guitarist Andy Summers, their disbandment has always been because of Sting. When speaking to Ultimate Classic Rock in July 2024 about the box set release of Synchronicity, he revealed his regrets about the breakup and placed the blame firmly at Sting’s door.
“It was a tough album, period”, he said soberly. “Sting was obviously feeling his oats and wanted to leave the band and go out on his own.” He also noted that, in “a sort of anal way”, the vocalist was ready to finish off the band’s five-album contract with A&M Records and then move on to something else.
“Of course, any band would stay, naturally, because it was going so brilliantly well. We dominated the world,” he concluded damningly.” “No one wanted us to break up, but Sting wanted to go and be the thing all on his own.”
Editors’ Picks
- 1980s Rock
- Andy Summers
- Band Breakups
- Creative Tension
- Music History
- Rock Ballads
- Sting
- Synchronicity
- The Police
