The Police, a rock band from the late 1970s and early 1980s, has never formally disbanded. Despite never actually breaking up, the band had a “reunion” at the 2007 Grammy Awards. The following day, fans were even more ecstatic to learn that the band members planned to embark on a worldwide reunion tour.
There are still unanswered questions about why The Police decided to take such a long break from working together. From 1984 onwards, the band’s members, including the enigmatic lead singer Sting, Stewart Copeland, who founded the band, and Andy Summers, all took time off to pursue separate careers. Sting’s career was clearly the most well-known of these, and his presence in the group overshadowed the talents of Copeland and Summers.
Many of the issues that arose as the members’ fame grew, particularly with their fourth album Ghost in the Machine, can be traced back to Sting’s celebrity. Lead singers tend to get more attention and are often credited with a band’s success, as is the case with many rock bands. Sting had also proven to be a gifted lyricist and composer, writing the majority of the band’s hits.
Tensions between Sting and Copeland over artistic direction began to rise, as evidenced several public brawls. Sting’s increasing control proved challenging for Copeland, arguably one of the most talented rock percussionists of his generation. Despite their commercial success, the band’s constant infighting and lack of compromise any of the members emerged and became almost as well-known as their songs.
The Police announced plans for a much-needed sabbatical after releasing Synchronicity in 1983 and finishing their world tour. They reunited briefly in 1986 for three Amnesty International benefit concerts, but no plans to record another album or tour were announced after that.
Instead, Sting pursued a successful solo career, experimenting with different musical forms, particularly jazz, as he had wished to do with The Police. Andy Summers, whose talent as a jazz guitarist was barely highlighted the group’s songs, wowed many jazz guitarists with a series of albums. Copeland began his career as a film composer, then went on to compose music for a number of video games, including Spyro The Dragon.
On a few occasions, the Police and the Rolling Stones performed a song or two together. They performed at Sting’s wedding in 1992. They performed three songs together when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Even these brief performances, however, showed signs of stress, indicating that the time was not yet ripe for a reunion.
Fans, music critics, and friends of The Police say that while there were no signs of tension during their Grammy performance in 2007, there were signs of conflict during the reunion tour that followed. In late 2008, Sting released a live recording from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but he stated flatly that no new album or tour should be expected.