The Police

London, 1977: three musicians with wildly different backgrounds decided to blend punk's raw energy with reggae rhythms and jazz sensibility, and the result was one of the most distinctive bands of their generation. Sting (Gordon Sumner) brought bass lines that were as melodic as the vocals, Stewart Copeland delivered some of the most inventive drumming rock had ever heard, and guitarist Andy Summers wove textured, atmospheric chords that gave the band its unmistakable sound. They weren't your typical punk outfit, and that's exactly what made them stand out.

The Police built their reputation through relentless touring before breaking through with Outlandos d'Amour in 1978. From there, the momentum never stopped. Reggatta de Blanc, Zenyatta Mondatta, and Ghost in the Machine kept raising the stakes, but Synchronicity in 1983 was the knockout blow — a record that put them in arenas worldwide and gave us Every Breath You Take, one of the most recognizable songs ever written. The reggae-tinged new wave sound they pioneered influenced countless artists who followed.

The band's inner tensions, particularly between Sting and Copeland, are the stuff of rock legend, and they called it quits in 1986 at the absolute peak of their powers. A brief 2007 reunion tour reminded everyone just how tight and vital they still were. Few bands managed to be simultaneously critical darlings and massive commercial forces the way The Police did.