Roxanne (The Police song)

For other uses, see Roxanne.

"Roxanne"
Original 1978 UK sleeve
Single by the Police
from the album Outlandos d'Amour
B-side"Peanuts"
Released7 April 1978
Genre
Length3:02 (Single version)
3:15 (Album version)
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Sting
Producer(s)The Police
The Police singles chronology
"Fall Out"
(1977) 		"Roxanne"
(1978) 		"Can't Stand Losing You"
(1978)
Sting singles chronology
"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying (with Toby Keith)"
(1997) 		"Roxanne '97"
(1997) 		"Brand New Day"
(1999)
Alternative cover
UK 1979 reissue
Audio sample
Music video
"Roxanne" on YouTube

"Roxanne" is a song by British rock band the Police. The song was written by lead singer and bassist Sting and was released as a single on 7 April 1978,[5] in advance of their debut album Outlandos d'Amour, released on 3 November.[6] It was written from the point of view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute. When re-released on 12 April 1979,[7] the song peaked at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart.

The song ranked No. 388 on the Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[8] and was voted No. 85 by VH1 on its list of the "100 Greatest Rock Songs".

"Roxanne" was first song the band performed live at the 2007 Grammy Awards to kick off their 30th Anniversary Reunion Tour.[9] In 2008, "Roxanne" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[10]

  1. ^ Gable, Christopher (2009). The Words and Music of Sting. Praeger Publishers. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-2759-9360-3.
  2. ^ Prince, David J. (23 December 2009). "The Decade in Music: Top 50 Moments page 3 > The Police Rock the Grammys". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  3. ^ Piccoli, Sean (5 July 2007). "The Police adjust to touring in the 21st century". PopMatters. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  4. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (17 July 2000). "A Flock of Haircuts: New Wave". Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-312-19821-3.
  5. ^ Clarkson 1996, p. 75.
  6. ^ Mojo (2007). Irvin, Jim (ed.). The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion (4th ed.). Canongate Books. p. 412. ISBN 978-1-8419-5973-3.
  7. ^ Clarkson 1996, p. 86.
  8. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1–500)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006.
  9. ^ Greene, Andy (16 May 2013). "Flashback: The Police Reunite in 2007". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  10. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame – r". Grammy Hall of Fame Award. The Recording Academy. Retrieved 21 December 2012.