Bring On the POLL - ILM Artist Poll #116 - THE POLICE - (Results Thread)

There's still a lot of money in radio airplay, it's album sales that have suffered the most from streaming. Not to mention that I'm sure the song itself is getting streamed a lot, to the point where the fractions of pennies add up.

1,354 million plays on spotify

That's a crazy amount of plays especially for an 80s song.

"Spotify pays artists between $0.003 - $0.005 per stream on average"

1,354,000,000 x 0.003 = 4,062,000 (!!)

Sting could probably find more than that in his sofa cushions.

Not to mention the additional millions Sting would've earned in my friend Allison's Cadillac junior year when she played Every Breath You Take -- The Singles over and over and over, sometimes on the same drive.

Growing up and listening to KROQ I always thought "Canary in a Coal Mine" was a single. Great little 2:26 long song.

do we agree it's Stew's best song?

Shocked that this placed so low, great job ILM. I do wonder if it's burn out issue, lyric content or other. I'm just sick of hearing it and didn't make my ballot even tho the song is sort of great.

the Gizmodrome version of "Darkness" with Mark King on vocals. better than the original IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcNWlA11Llk

https://i.imgur.com/6KWmGws.jpg

19. Secret Journey
From: Ghost in the Machine
Single Released: April 1982
436 Points, 13 Votes, 1 Number One

lmao this is peak ILX corny indie fuckery. endearing as hell and absolutely bonkers for a track that ranks up there with "in the air tonight" for establishing an entire sonic template for the 80s. absolutely towering achievement. PAY ANDY.

whoops xpost but secret journey also too low. god bless whoever had it #1 I SWIPE RIGHT ON YOU

#2 on my ballot.

see that's what the EBYT riff would sound like on a good song

Side 2 of Ghost > Side 1 of Ghost

I dig this album track unreasonably and had it top 5. sounds great. catchy as hell. and ~mYsTiCaL~

Where are we stopping today? No rush -- just need to know as I head out.

not gonna lie, my #1

Last three songs on GITM are andy's best song, sting's best song and stewart's best song fyi ;)

#2 on my ballot.

the Gizmodrome version of "Darkness" with Mark King on vocals. better than the original IMO

📹

it sort of marks the beginning of “Serious, Boring Sting.”

100% agree

Where are we stopping today? No rush -- just need to know as I head out.

Going to post up to number 16, will do the Top 15 tomorrow.

getting a little worried “Omegaman” won’t place higher than these two.

Have trouble believing even we would rank "Mother" above "Omegaman".

i think there's about 15 dead certs still to come but there's definitely a few spots left for other things

Awesome I love "Secret Journey" but didn't know if it was beloved or not. Lyric is kinda New Age corny but the production and melody are great and the chorus is a big hook.

https://i.imgur.com/BFNu9Sn.jpg

18. Wrapped Around Your Finger
From: Synchronicity
Single Released: July 8, 1983
473 Points, 17 Votes

This song is vaguely alchemical and probably about a friend of mine, a professional psychic and my tutor in tarot, with bits of Doctor Faustus and The Sorcerer's Apprentice thrown into the pot for good measure.

— Sting, Lyrics by Sting

Sting praised the video, saying:

It's incredibly atmospheric, and I think the set design is brilliant – there's nothing but all those candles, yet it conjures up so many different feelings and possibilities about the song. When Kevin (Godley) and Lol (Creme) came to me with the idea, I got very excited because I realised that they really understood the imagistic approach I wanted. The whole concept is fairly esoteric – it's really a "Sorcerer's Apprentice" type of idea. The song is cunningly being shot at high speed in order to achieve a special effect when it's eventually played back at normal speed. At least, that's the theory...

— Sting, Playgirl, 10/1983

Andy Summers, however, was critical of Sting's overacting in the video.

I never much liked the idea for "Wrapped Around Your Finger." No, I was kind of pissed off about that one. I've never been much of a fan of that song, actually. Sting got to shoot his part last in that video and made a meal of knocking all the candles out. Fuck him.

— Andy Summers, I Want My MTV

haha, andy <3

That is classic.

Omegaman was on my (ten-song) ballot too. I'd be amazed if it didn't make it - more likely to be an odd sleeper top ten placing than miss out entirely.

It was supposed to be the lead single for Ghost until Sting objected.

didn't know that!

I'm picking up food at this Argentine restaurant and of course EBYT is on.

lol, of course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT60P9SKYV8

^^Tiny Tunes parody of EBYT. I wish the actual scene from the show was uploaded, as it was a fine, loving sendup of the original video.

https://i.imgur.com/CRq4oSo.jpg

17. Ωmegaman
From: Ghost in the Machine
Released: October 2, 1981
486 Points, 14 Votes, 2 Number Ones

Phew!

I wanted to say something but obviously couldn't.

never in doubt! appreciate the accurate spelling, bee ok!

that guitar break after the first chorus, fucking glorious

Now to fix my mistake and get this whole countdown back on track...

https://i.imgur.com/ibTyIX0.jpg

30. The Bed’s Too Big Without You
From: Reggatta de Blanc
Single Released: 1979
491 Points, 16 Votes

The themes of the song are loneliness and the pain of the end of a relationship. The lyrics were inspired by an incident in which Sting's first girlfriend, after being heartbroken upon their break-up, committed suicide.

"The Bed's Too Big Without You" was first released on Reggatta de Blanc in 1979. However, the following year, the song saw a single release as a bonus single in the Six Pack box set, which featured the band's five previous British singles (excluding "Fall Out"). Said box set peaked at No. 17 in Britain. The song was also released as the B-side to "So Lonely" in Germany.

A promo video for "The Bed's Too Big Without You" was performed by the band on The Kenny Everett Video Show. It featured the band members miming to the song in a suburban house.

lol

16. The Bed’s Too Big Without You

So Far:

16	492	16		The Bed’s Too Big Without You
17	486	14	2	Ωmegaman
18	473	17		Wrapped Around Your Finger
19	436	13	1	Secret Journey
20	374	11		Every Breath You Take
21	366	11	1	It’s Alright for You
22	354	11		Next to You
23	322	10	1	Darkness
24	312	10		Canary in a Coal Mine
25	276	9		De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
26	271	8		Voices in My Head
27	266	8		Truth Hits Everybody
28	245	8	1	No Time This Time
29	209	6		Demolition Man
30	200	7		Man in a Suitcase
31	183	5	1	I Burn for You
32	176	6		Tea in the Sahara
33	174	6		Bombs Away
34	170	6		Does Everyone Stare
35	165	6		Contact
36	149	5		Murder by Numbers
37	148	5		Shadows in the Rain
38	143	5		Too Much Information
39	119	4		Rehumanize Yourself
40	110	4		Mother

"EBYT" is correctly placed.

As annoying as the chorus is, there's a case for "De Do Do" because at least the guitar work is cool.

woah, sting's girlfriend killed herself because they broke up?? had never heard that before. and straightaway I'm thinking about 'can't stand losing' and the record cover for that is literally a drawing of someone hanging themselves. wtaf?!

I mean I always thought the 'can't stand losing you' sleeve was in poor taste but if sting had actually known someone that took her life after splitting up with him then it seems like a hugely cunty thing to do

:O

"EBYT" is correctly placed.

agreed, and i don't even think it's a case of 'ilm contrariness'. it's a good song, but they really do have ~20 that are better

xxp I thought the person on the sleeve was Sting, but it was in fact Stew.

Going to try and get a bit earlier start tomorrow morning.