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Episode 63 covers The Police’s fifth and final studio album, 1983’s “Synchronicity.” The band’s most successful release, the album includes the hit singles “Every Breath You Take“, “King of Pain“, “Wrapped Around Your Finger“, and “Synchronicity II“. The album’s title and much of the material for the songs were inspired by Arthur Koestler‘s The Roots of Coincidence. At the 1984 Grammy Awards the album was nominated for a total of five awards, including Album of the Year, and won three. At the time of its release and following its tour, the Police’s popularity was at such a high that they were arguably, according to BBC and The Guardian, the “biggest band in the world”. Mark, Kevin, Alex, and Chris take you on a historical journey surrounding the album as well as share our favorites and not-so favorites from the record. We go on a deep dive track-by-track listen of this album as well as share personal stories of discovering The Police’s “Synchronicity.” Tune in next week for Episode 64 covering a special wrap-up conclusion discussion on our journey with The Police.
Subscribe, Rate, and Review:
Quick Reviews
Mark Able to be firmly in 1983 and also not sound so dated. Great art – always delivers something new on every listen.
Chris A lot of bands try to just get to this point, they were at the top and claimed their spot. The full realization of their unique pop sound.
Alex Second favorite Police album behind the debut. Cohesive (even though back-heavy) and a great way to go out. Makes you wonder what a sixth album would’ve been like.
Kevin Finally the album I was looking for. Not perfect, but solid front to back. Plenty of hits, unknowns, and great moments to keep you coming back.
Love It or Flush It
| M | C | A | K | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Synchronicity I" | 3:23 | L | L | L | L | |
| 2 | "Walking in Your Footsteps" | 3:36 | F | T | L | L | |
| 3 | "O My God" | 4:02 | L | L | L | L | |
| 4 | "Mother" | 3:05 | B | L | T | F | |
| 5 | "Miss Gradenko" | 2:00 | L | F | F | T | |
| 6 | "Synchronicity II" | 5:00 | B | B | B | L | |
| 7 | "Every Breath You Take" | 4:13 | L | L | L | B | |
| 8 | "King of Pain" | 4:59 | L | L | L | L | |
| 9 | "Wrapped Around Your Finger" | 5:13 | L | B | B | B | |
| 10 | "Tea in the Sahara" | 4:11 | T | L | L | L |
Love It or Flush It Legend
L = Love. As many as you like.
F = Flush. Must flush at least one track per album.
B = Buy. Purchased for the ultimate LTS “Best Of” playlist for each of us. One per album.
T = Terminate. Should have never even existed. One per album.
The Rules
Each of us must Love, Flush, Buy, and Terminate AT LEAST ONE track on an album, no matter how great or terrible the album is. Whoever wins the “7 for the Buy” section gets an extra Buy or Terminate to use on the album. Because Chris hosts this section and thus cannot win, he gets an extra Buy or Terminate every 4 albums.
Album Information
Synchronicity is the fifth and final studio album by English rock band the Police, released on 17 June 1983 by A&M Records. The band’s most successful release, the album includes the hit singles “Every Breath You Take“, “King of Pain“, “Wrapped Around Your Finger“, and “Synchronicity II“. The album’s title and much of the material for the songs were inspired by Arthur Koestler‘s The Roots of Coincidence. At the 1984 Grammy Awards the album was nominated for a total of five awards, including Album of the Year, and won three. At the time of its release and following its tour, the Police’s popularity was at such a high that they were arguably, according to BBC and The Guardian, the “biggest band in the world”.[1][2]
Synchronicity reached number one on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, and sold over eight million copies in the US. The album was widely acclaimed by critics. Praise centred on its cohesive merging of disparate genres and sonic experimentation. Rolling Stone described “each cut on Synchronicity [as] not simply a song but a miniature, discrete soundtrack”.[3] It has since been included in the magazine’s lists of the “100 Best Albums of the Eighties”[4] and the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time“.[5] In 2009, Synchronicity was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
