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Posted on 04/13/2026 2:35:29 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The song was originally released in 1978 ahead of the group’s debut album.
It may not have found success immediately upon release, but The Police’s early single “Roxanne” eventually became one of the band’s signature songs. Today, the track continues to reach new milestones, hitting one billion streams on Spotify. “Roxanne” is the group’s second song to hit one billion streams on the platform, following “Every Breath You Take,” which has now surpassed three billion streams.
“Roxanne” was originally released in 1978 as the band’s first single with A&M records ahead of their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour. As the group tells it, they originally had mixed feelings about the track. “We went into Surrey Sound Studios and it was working pretty well,” Sting shared in a documentary. “We recorded a few tracks, one of which I wrote more or less as a throwaway. That was ‘Roxanne.’”
Their attitude shifted when they played the song for Miles Copeland III, guitarist Stewart Copeland’s brother and the band’s future manager. “Far from saying he thought it was a piece of xxxx, he said it was amazing,” Sting reflected. “I thought, ‘He likes this song. This is fantastic!” It was then that he became the group’s manager, and secured their deal with A&M.
Despite the vote of confidence, “Roxanne” failed to chart upon release. In early 1979, the song was released in North America, where it entered the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually peaked at number 32. The song was then re-released in the U.K., and managed to reach number 12 in the U.K. Singles Chart. “Roxanne” was followed by the singles “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “So Lonely.”
“Roxanne” has been on all of The Police’s greatest hits albums, and been featured in numerous “best of” lists, including Rolling Stones’ 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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That one had to grow on me, but once there, it stayed there.
This was a good song, but not their best.
The most viewed video has 16 billion and it is a kids song.
Sometimes there is not much reason or rhyme to what will get the most views.
Great song!
Huh, I thought those days were over.
Less than a minute too slow, I was ...
Never a fan but good on them.
That’s 27 billion Roxanne’s and 25 billion put on the red light.
There are countless songs that the band thought was just a throw away song, a filler song or a B-Side, and it exploded.
Every Breath You Take
**********
The stalker song.........
LOL... You were right, you weren’t the only one to think of it!
That is one Police tune I don’t like. The reggae beat killed it for me. But it grabbed millions of others who found it unique.
Sting has not put out a great record since 1993 or so.
Now he is out on cheapskate tour by bringing just a guitarist and drummer.
I remember the first time I heard that was in Middle Village in the late seventies. I knew immediately it was a hit. loved it right off.
and you know the rest of NYC: porn in the theatres, peep shows, Times Square was ‘time’ for prostitutes. Colorfully clothed Pimps that looked like Huggy Bear. The city had crime from it everywhere, sickening.
This song had heart.
???
The Police were a three-piece band.
Hahahahahahaha I ABSOLUTELY think of Eddie Murphy every time I hear that!
I always thought that was an awesome album cover.
It seems just...right for that time! (as if my calculator decided to go on the blink at an inopportune time!)
“Now he is out on cheapskate tour by bringing just a guitarist and drummer.”
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You just described the original band. :-)
OY, I really hate this song (always think it was a rip-off of “Ruby, don’t take your love to town” from back in the day).
But, I very much DID like it when it was used in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!
That’s the power of Art!
Also never liked “you’ll never walk alone” from Carousel. Always thought it was trite and kind of hokey. But then, after it was featured in the TV Show Ted Lasso, I watched the vid of Marcus Mumford sing it, and man, I love it now!
That was a life changing vid for me. And the fact of the matter is I still do think it’s trite and hokey, but I get it now, I really get it.
Here’s a link to that video, and stay for the end to see the one fellow’s no-nonsense mom. Heart her to the max!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoSsTXahPA8
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