The perennial rock sensations The Police, who originally formed in 1977, have started suing each other. They now find themselves in opposition before the UK’s highest court in London. That’s why Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copplland are right now embroiled in a legal fight. The whole thing is based on purported lost royalties for their legendary 1983 hit song, “Every Breath You Take.” This suit has broader implications for songwriting credits and how profits should be allocated for one of the band’s biggest hits of all time.
Not much has changed since — “Every Breath You Take” is still the bestselling US single of 1983, and the fifth bestselling single of the entire decade. This perennial favorite was the biggest hit off their fifth and final album, Synchronicity. Generation after generation, it has proven to be a reliable revenue generator, particularly when P Diddy and Faith Evans sampled it for their 1997 top ten hit “I’ll Be Missing You.” Tonally “Every Breath” aided The Police in becoming the most unlikely suspects to have a US No. 1 single while still active.
Despite the ongoing lawsuit, Sting’s spokesperson has denied that the legal action is directly related to “Every Breath You Take.” However, this statement is a bit disingenuous in that it introduces some mystery about the precise claims of the band members. The Police then exploded onto the international hits scene with classic singles including “Roxanne,” “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” and “Don’t Stand So Close to Me.” They eventually broke up in 1984.
Though the band members have parted ways several times since their original breakup, they have returned to tour and honor their legacy time and again. This year, they commemorated the 40th anniversary of Synchronicity by creating an official TikTok account. Yet this move served to directly engage a new generation of fans. Sting, known for his extensive solo career, performed some of his greatest hits, including “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon,” at the Isle of Wight festival in June.
In 2022, Sting made headlines when he moved his entire songwriting catalogue to Universal, for an estimated $300 million (£222 million). This daring step significantly improved his economic freedom as the conversation about performance royalties raged on.
“It’s not a power thing at all; it’s just about producing exactly the brand and style of music that feels right for you.” – Sting