On This Day, July 9, 1983: The Police hit #1 with 'Every Breath You Take'

By Jill Lances

July 09, 2025 at 5:30 am CDT

On This Day, July 9, 1983…

The Police landed their first and only #1 song with "Every Breath You Take," from their #1 album Synchronicity.

The song spent eight weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and hit #1 in Canada and the U.K., spending four weeks at #1 in both countries.

"Every Breath You Take" earned The Police two Grammys, song of the year and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.

Diddy, then known as Puff Daddy, sampled the song for his 1997 hit "I'll Be Missing You," a tribute to the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. That tune, which featured Faith Evans, spent 11 weeks on top of the Hot 100, and won a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group.

In 2024, The Police reissued Synchronicity, with a deluxe box set that included 55 previously unreleased tracks, including alternate takes, instrumentals, demos and live recordings.