The Police were a British reggae rock/pop band, formed in 1977 in London, England by the lead vocalist and bass guitarist Sting, the lead guitarist and vocalist Andy Summers and the drummer, percussionist and vocalist Stewart Copeland. Guitarist Henry Padovani also founded the group but left shortly after.

The band released their first album Outlandos d’Amour, containing their unique brand of rock music infused with jazz, punk and reggae, in 1978. Although initially gaining an unfavourable review from the BBC, the album slowly earned critical acclaim and commercial popularity, peaking at number six in the UK Albums Chart. The two songs particularly criticised by the BBC, Roxanne and Can’t Stand Losing You (about prostitution and suicide respectively), both charted inside the UK Top 15, with the latter reaching number two. The album’s third single So Lonely also reached number six in the UK Singles Chart.

The group’s second studio album Reggatta de Blanc was released the following year. It shot straight to number one in the UK, selling millions of copies around the world, and spawned the number one singles Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon. The title track Reggatta de Blanc also won them their first Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

During the early 1980s the group released a further three studio albums – Zenyattà Mondatta, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity – which all shot to number one in the UK Albums chart (and reached the Top 5 on the US Billboard 200). The albums produced a number of hits, including Don’t Stand So Close to Me, De Do Do Do De Da Da Da, Invisible Sun, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Spirits in the Material World, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Synchronicity II and – most notably, Every Breath You Take. The latter spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the band two further Grammy Awards.

The Police briefly reunited in 2007 for a thirtieth anniversary tour, but have no plans to release more material in the foreseeable future.