The Police was a three-piece British new wave band which was strongly influenced by reggae. Coming to prominence in the wake of the punk rock phenomenon, they rose to become one of the most popular groups in the world from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. The almost endless repetition of a word or a phrase often takes a central theme in the music of The Police.

Although there was never an official break-up, each band member gradually began his own solo career. A short-lived attempt to reunite in 1986 produced only a subdued re-recording of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" (as well as a similar re-recording of "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" - unreleased at the time, but now available on the DTS CD version of The Police: Every Breath You Take - The Classics), in addition to playing a short series of American concerts for the Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope Tour. By this time, it was clear that Sting had no intention of continuing with the band, having already released a successful solo debut LP in 1985, the jazz-influenced The Dream of the Blue Turtles.

In 1992, Sting wed Trudie Styler. Summers and Copeland were invited to the ceremony and reception. Aware that all band members were present, the wedding guests pressured the trio into playing, ultimately performing "Roxanne" and "Message In A Bottle". Copeland said later that "after about three minutes, it became 'the thing' again."

On March 10, 2003, the Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed "Roxanne", "Message In a Bottle", and "Every Breath You Take" live, as a group.

In 2004, Henry Padovani (who was the band's guitarist before he was replaced by Summers) released an album with the participation of Stewart Copeland and Sting in one track, reuniting the "original" Police members in a performance for the first time since 1977.