The Police Tickets

The Police were founded by American-born drummer Stewart Copeland in early 1977. After going through a brief lineup change early in their career, the band's lineup was solidified with Sting (bass, lead vocals), Andy Summers (guitar, backing vocals) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion, backing vocals). The Police, along with The Clash, are notable as one of the first mainstream white bands to adopt reggae as a predominant musical form, and to score major international hits with reggae-styled material. Although ska and reggae were already very popular in the United Kingdom, the style was little known in the United States or other countries. Prior to the emergence of The Police only a handful of reggae songs - such as Eric Clapton's 1974 cover rendition of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" - had enjoyed any significant chart success.

For The Police, their first album, Outlandos d'Amour was a hardship, working on a small budget, with no manager or record deal. Stewart Copeland's older brother Miles Copeland III heard their track "Roxanne" and immediately got them a record deal with A&M Records. Originally released in 1978, the single was re-released in 1979, and it was then that The Police gained widespread recognition in the United Kingdom, as well as scoring a minor hit with the song in several other countries, notably Australia. Their success led to a gig at the infamous New York club CBGB and a grueling United States tour in which the band drove themselves and all their equipment around the country in a Ford Econoline van.

In October 1979, the group released their second album Reggatta de Blanc, which was a major seller in many countries and which spawned the U.K. singles "Message In A Bottle," their first #1, and "Walking On The Moon," also a chart topper. The instrumental title track would win the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. In March 1980, The Police decided to embark on their first world tour, and they were one of the first major rock bands to play in places like Mexico City, Mexico, Bombay, India and Egypt. The Police toured the world long before they were a world class act. The Mexico City show was filmed by Canal 13. The much generated hype of their new music and tour caused an outbreak of popularity among new wave devotees across the rest of the world.

Pressured by their record company for a new record and a prompt return to touring by fall's end, The Police quickly released their third album, Zenyatta Mondatta in the fall of 1980. The album gave the group their third U.K. #1 hit, "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da", which charted successfully in the United States. Zenyatta Mondatta gave The Police worldwide fame.

By this time Sting was becoming a major star in his own right, and he was clearly intent on establishing a career beyond the confines of The Police. As Sting's fame rose, he began to exert more control over the group, aided by the fact that he wrote the bulk of their material. The Police's fourth album, Ghost In The Machine, co-produced by Hugh Padgham, was released in 1981. It featured thicker sounds, layered saxophones, and vocal textures, spawning the hit singles, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Invisible Sun", and "Spirits In The Material World". The three red pictographs set against the album cover's black background represent "digital" likenesses of the three band members. The Police released their last album, Synchronicity, in 1983. The album is widely regarded as a classic and included notable songs such as "Every Breath You Take", "Wrapped Around Your Finger", "King of Pain" and the foreboding "Synchronicity II". After this album, The Police dissolved only to reunite again over 20 years later.

The Police opened the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on 11 February 2007 in Los Angeles, California, stating, "We are The Police and we are back" before launching into "Roxanne". The band will embark on a world tour in 2007 beginning in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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