Sting is reportedly being sued by his former Police bandmates for missing royalties over their biggest hit, “Every Breath You Take.”
In the lawsuit, filed in the High Court in London, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers alleged that they never received songwriting credits on the 1983 single, according to The Guardian and the Los Angeles Times. Copeland and Summers claim that they never received rightful compensation through royalties, the outlets say.
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Sting, Summers and Copeland for comment.
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The Police, a renowned English rock band, formed in 1977, looping together Sting, Copeland and Summers for an act that rode the new wave to smashing success through the late ’70s and early ’80s. “Every Breath You Take,” off their fifth and final studio album, “Synchronicity,” is by far the group’s most recognizable track.
The band also topped charts with songs like “Roxanne,” “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” before splitting in 1984. Sting went on to become a successful solo act, reconnecting periodically with his Police bandmates to play shows and delight their still-loyal fans, most notably in 2007 for a reunion tour.
The recent legal action taken by Summers and Copeland comes several years after Sting received a massive payday for his catalog of music.
In February 2022, the musician sold his complete songwriting catalog to Universal for an estimated $300 million, hopping on a trend of storied musicians who have forked over their musical histories for whopping sums.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sting sued by The Police over ‘Every Breath You Take’ royalties
