The 10 Greatest Police Songs Few Know But Should

Some of the best Police songs are some of their darkest and "Bring On The Night" fits that description.

The one-two punch of Stewart Copeland's high-hat surfing with Andy Summers simple but effective riff is instantly mesmerizing. This one has to be on every vampire's iPod. Daylight be damned.

Here's a fun Police tune that could have easily been a hit single. It's upbeat, it's fun, and it's got that classic reggae-rock Police vibe. If you're feeling some winter-time blues turn up this song and you'll be quickly cured.

Listening to the band's 1983 album 'Synchronicity' is a lot like watching a classic movie. The supporting cast is every bit as good as the star actors. For every massive hit single there is a great album track like this one "Miss Gradenko". Drummer Stewart Copeland gets songwriting credit on this track which is about secretarial paranoia in the Kremlin.

The 'Ghost In The Machine' album is definitely my favorite of all five Police studio albums. This underrated classic kicks in right away with Sting's bass before it dives right into a dark trip through a man's mind when he has too much idol time. An idol mind can be a devil's workshop. Just ask Sting. Better yet, just listen to this song.

There are moments on the 'Synchronicity' album that foreshadow what was to become of Sting's solo career and this song is an example of that. The lyrics are inspired by the Paul Bowles book 'The Sheltering Sky'.

Though this could easily have been a solo Sting song it's made that much better with the team of Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers behind him. No disrespect to the amazing musicians Sting has worked with but Copeland and Summers were, are, and always will be the best.

Much to my eventual disappointment I didn't get to hear this song when I bought the 'Synchronicity' album on vinyl back in '83. "Murder By Numbers" was included on the cassette and cd versions of the album so whenever I heard people mention this great Police song "Murder By Numbers" or if I heard a DJ play it on the radio I was scratching my head. Thankfully I eventually picked up the cd. Too bad Alfred Hitchcock wasn't around to do the same. He would have loved this song.

This hard-driving apocalyptic song was written by guitarist Andy Summers. He was inspired by the 1973 movie 'Soylent Green' where poverty and climate change have led to food rationing, and a big corporation creates food made by wicked and criminal means. This song is wickedly fantastic.

Before there was Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" there was The Police "Born In The '50s". I can just see Sting proudly singing this one in the studio with his fists clenched and raised way up high. He was the voice of a new generation ready to change the world.

This track includes one of Sting's greatest vocal performances. He sings of humanity's inability to learn from its past mistakes in a tone drenched with sadness over African percussion and the flute before his sadness turns to frustration, thrusting into a high-powered verse at the 1:22 mark of the song.

From the 'Ghost In The Machine' album comes the Police song which defined the classic Police sound. Pounding drums, an amped-up reggae riff, and lyrics with a deep message sung so profoundly by Sting. Third World Countries needed help but had no voice. Sting was their voice.