@stereogum: Guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland are taking legal action against their former bandmate Sting over royalties for "Every Breath You Take," the Police's megahit released 42 years ago. The chart-topping song was the best selling single of 1983 and has been recognized as “the most played song in radio history.” While Summers came up with its iconic arpeggiated riff, Sting wrote the chord progression on organ, along with the lyrics and melody, and the singer/bassist retained sole writing credit. The question over credit came up in a public way in 1997 when Puff Daddy sampled Summers’ lick and utilized Sting’s vocal melody for “I’ll Be Missing You,” also a #1 hit. As far as songwriting royalties, Sting famously took every cent it made. Summers and Copeland's writ issued in London's High Court was not unexpected. “’Every Breath You Take’ was going in the trash until I played on it,” Summers told podcaster Jeremy White in 2023 before hinting that the "contentious" topic would reappear in the press in the coming year. Sting’s 1982 demo for “Every Breath You Take” was released for the first time last summer on a deluxe edition of the Police's final album 'Synchronicity.' 'The Sun' claims that these days he earns £550,000 a year from the track.

#Sting #ThePolice #StewartCopeland #AndySummers

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Wednesday 27 August 2025 13:54:03 GMT