During the 1980s, when pop icons like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen,
Michael Jackson, and U2 reigned supreme, many regarded The Police as the
biggest band in the world. Yet after only five albums—and at the peak
of their popularity—The Police disbanded and Sting began a solo career
that made him a global pop star. Today, artists from Puff Daddy to Gwen
Stefani credit The Police and Sting as major influences on their own
work, reflecting that The Police were not only a popular, polished rock
act, but a powerfully influential one as well.
In Sting and The
Police: Walking in Their Footsteps, Aaron J. West explores the cultural
and musical impact of Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting. West
details the distinctive hybrid character of The Police’s musical output,
which would also characterize Sting’s post-Police career. Sting’s
long-lived solo career embodies the power of the artful appropriation of
musical styles, while capitalizing on the modern realities of pop music
consumption. The Police—and Sting in particular—were pioneers in music
video, modern label marketing, global activism, and the
internationalization of pop music.
Sting and The Police: Walking
in Their Footsteps will interest more than just fans. By placing the
band within its various musical, cultural, commercial, and historic
contexts, Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps will appeal
to anyone interested in global popular music culture.