Sting is one of rock music’s most versatile vocalists and song scribes. The English singer/bassist started off his career with a bang as a member of The Police alongside Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. While they began as a scrappy punk band, the trio soon expanded their palette to new wave, reggae and post-punk, in addition to proving themselves world class balladeers. When the Police disbanded, Sting’s solo career has seen him delve into even more corners of the musical universe, working in classical, worldbeat and new age music in addition to a stage musical, The Last Ship.
Billboard has compiled a list of the rocker’s top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hits, both with the Police and as a soloist. He’s notched a No. 1 in each iteration: with the Police, in 1983, with “Every Breath You Take” and as a solo act, although with the assistance of Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart, with 1994’s “All for Love” from the movie The Three Musketeers (hence, the song’s three musical musketeers). He’s tallied six top 10s with the Police and another five in his solo career.
This ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (from its inception on Aug. 4, 1958, through April 16, 2022). Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods. Songs are ranked based on a formula blending performance, as outlined above.