The Story Behind The Police’s "King of Pain": How Sting’s Wife Inspired the Title

Was this 1983 hit record, recorded by the #1 band of the time actually a solo album in disguise? Synchronicity by the Police with Sting taking center stage: the #1 album was composed almost singlehandedly by this frontman, the 1983 record featured four hit songs, including the massive #1 hit Every Breath You Take. But as good as that one is, it may not be the album’s defining track. Rather, I’d say its commercial runner-up King Of Pain is even more representative of how Sting was feeling at the time. Suffering from a broken marriage. His band breaking up. It’s all in there…King of Pain also features one of the best opening lines you’ll hear in a hit song… There’s a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today...But when it was all said and done, did he take this track too far? Was it too much of a pity party? His future wife, Trudie Styler thought so and called him out on it which is where the Title came from in the first place… It’s such a great story find out next on Professor of Rock.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.