Was it easy for Sting to become a superstar? Well, he still spent years going nowhere, playing tiny clubs and starting and folding bands. However, considering his ample talents, particularly his smooth tenor voice, you’d always assume that things would work out.
Sting is, clearly, one of the greatest rock singers of all time. Here are, in my opinion, his 10 best performances, along with a look at his tone, style, and vocal techniques.
- You may also want to further your knowledge of Sting with this guide to The Police’s discography.
Greatest 10 Singing Performances by Sting
10. ”Can’t Stand Losing You”
It would’ve been good enough if he could play bass and get his hair to stick up. But when Stewart Copeland roped in Sting to join his band, he also got a tremendous singer.
Sting was always comfortable in the tenor range that few punk-rock singers of the late 1970s, with the exception of John Lydon, perhaps, could reach. He also had a studied, raspy tone. Both these elements worked wonders on rock radio.
9. ”The Hounds of Winter”
Nothing lasts forever. And even the greatest tenors in rock music eventually lose some of their top end.
The bass notes, if present, tend to linger longer. Sting has a vocal range extending from C2 to A5. It’s quite amazing that he hasn’t made even more use of his impressive baritone. Want to enjoy that? The criminally undercooked “The Hounds of Winter,” essentially a Mark Lanegan song of despair, is your best bargain.
8. ”Desert Rose”
What he did have was a very recognisable voice. When Sting needed a comeback, that’s what he bet big on.
However, he also brought his interest in World Music and his proclivity for collaborations to the fore on “Desert Rose,” where, essentially, Algerian singer Cheb Mami gets the spotlight, somehow helping Sting stand out even more.
7. “We’ll Be Together”
Sting must’ve been confident as he got ready to semi-permanently depart his famous band. And his friends in The Police must’ve been hoping his records would crash and he’d return home.
What’s most remarkable about this era and songs like “We’ll Be Together” is just how comfortable Sting is fronting a jazz-rock combo and delivering sophisticated pop tunes.
This may seem like a throwaway on first listen, but I suggest that you focus on the singing for a while. You’ll be rewarded, I think!
6. ”Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”
He wasn’t a typical frontman of the era like Freddie Mercury or Robert Plant. However, Sting could reach the same high tones with ease and do it with a friendly, warm tone that made The Police a sensation on rock radio.
”Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” is a fantastic performance from start to finish, made all the more so by the way in which he takes complicated musical elements and makes them so easily digestible.
What are the best vocal performances of some of rock’s finest singers? Check out our lists covering:
5. ”Wrapped Around Your Finger”
By the end of The Police, it was obvious that Sting had an ego. How could you not? Many of the songs written during that period feel inspired by Sting’s opinion of himself and by mythology.
By contrast, the music for “Wrapped Around Your Finger” isn’t bombastic. It relies on elaborate melodies and a beautiful, seamless, heady tenor produced by Sting.
4. ”Sister Moon”
Sting’s dream ever since “Every Breath You Take” has been to write songs that will, eventually, become standards. “Sister Moon” hasn’t achieved this yet. But it’s a matter of time.
Much of its greatness is due to Sting’s perfect understanding of his voice and of the rich resonance it produces.
3. ”So Lonely”
Most singers, even professional ones, would attempt to perform “So Lonely” and embarrass themselves. The notes in the chorus are just too high, and the playful reggae-like part in the bridge is too tricky.
However, especially in live performances with The Police, Sting made it all seem too easy. It’s no wonder that Queen‘s Freddie Mercury, supposedly, heard this and remarked that Sting was a singer of the future.
2. “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free”
A million bar bands in a million clubs might cover “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” tonight. But will they get it right?
Part of the appeal of Sting’s vocal performance here is, frankly, the confidence with which he approaches every note, perfectly rounding off the tone, adding a bit of vibrato, dialling it down when necessary.
I suspect that in order to do that properly, you’d need the confidence that comes from having had similar achievements to his.
1. ”Roxanne”
The Police wasn’t exactly a punk band, no matter how much they tried. They weren’t a reggae band either, despite many of their early songs being influenced by Jamaican music.
What they did have was experience, great musicianship, good songwriting, and one of the best singers in pop. All of those elements are at play on “Roxanne,” which, I think, is Sting’s greatest vocal performance captured on tape.
And, if you want a reminder of what a regular singer would do with a song like this, check out Eddie Murphy’s falsetto version in the movie “24 Hours,” or in George Michael’s soulful rendition.
