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[Beginner’s Guide] Start Here! A Collection of Sting’s Greatest Songs [2025]
Sting, the celebrated British musician whose trio-format Japan tour in September 2025 drew major attention, continues to perform at the forefront with his powerful vocals and a distinctive musical style blending jazz and rock.
Even though he has produced numerous classics as a solo artist since leaving The Police, many people may feel they know him but are surprised by how much they don’t actually know about his appeal.
In this article, we’ll introduce essential tracks from Sting’s solo career—focusing on his signature songs and including more recent gems—that beginners should definitely check out.
Why not take this opportunity to dive into Sting’s musical world?
[Beginner] Start Here! A Compilation of Sting’s Greatest Songs [2025] (1–10)
Fortress Around Your HeartSting
After The Police disbanded, Sting took a new step as a solo artist.
This song is from his solo debut, the classic album The Dream of the Blue Turtles, released in June 1985.
The piece centers on a broken relationship, expressing the anguish of how the emotional walls built to protect the other person ended up becoming a fortress that isolated the self.
Branford Marsalis’s wistful saxophone solo accentuates the song’s melancholy atmosphere.
In the United States, it reached a peak position of No.
8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
With its sophisticated sound infused with jazz, it’s a work well worth checking out.
FragileSting
Sting, the UK-born artist who gained worldwide popularity as the frontman of The Police, has continued to earn acclaim for his sophisticated blend of jazz and rock since going solo.
From his body of work, I’d like to highlight an acoustic ballad included on the album …Nothing Like the Sun.
In its lyrics, he sings that when rain falls, it washes away our blood and lumps of iron alike, illustrating how delicate and fragile life truly is.
In fact, the song was written as a tribute to an engineer who was killed in Nicaragua in 1987, making the futility of human-inflicted violence its central theme.
Released as a single in April 1988, it was also performed at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Give it a listen when your heart is heavy with the world’s events.
The Lazarus HeartSting
Sting, who gained international popularity as the vocalist of The Police.
Even after going solo, he has long been acclaimed for his high level of musicianship, incorporating elements such as jazz.
What I’d like to recommend this time is the opening track of the album …Nothing Like the Sun, released in October 1987.
The piece is based on a “vivid nightmare” Sting is said to have had during production, following the death of his mother.
Its introspective lyrics, imbued with the pain of loss and a longing for renewal, harmonize beautifully with a majestic, dreamlike sound.
The tone of Branford Marsalis’s saxophone resounds with aching tenderness, deeply permeating the listener’s heart.
It’s a perfect choice for a contemplative night—why not listen closely and let it sink in?
Shape of My HeartSting
Sting’s signature work “Shape of My Heart.” Because it was used as the theme song for the internationally popular French film “Léon,” I think many people find it familiar.
From the guitar arpeggio in the intro, the song progresses to the chorus without changing tempo, and its appeal lies in a satisfying development that, in a good way, doesn’t betray expectations.
The song syncs with the film’s melancholy atmosphere, so if you listen to it again after watching the movie, I think you’ll enjoy it on a deeper level.
Rushing WaterSting
Sting, the British artist with worldwide popularity, has continued to earn high praise even after going solo, thanks to his distinctive sound that fuses jazz and rock.
The song I’m introducing here opens his album “The Bridge,” released in September 2021.
Its driving, guitar-forward sound is striking—truly a number that feels like a return to rock.
In fact, the piece portrays inner anxieties and life’s turning points through the motif of a “surging current.” While it depicts the fear of being swept away by an irresistible flow, it also carries a powerful message about breaking free.
Give it a listen when you want to overcome something or need the courage to take a new step forward.
What Could Have BeenSting
Arcane: League of Legends is an animated series based on a globally popular game.
Released in November 2021 as a piece that colors the climax of Season 1, this grand ballad gives voice to the characters’ regrets and their anguished cries for the “future that might have been.” Sting’s deep, resonant vocals blend with violinist Ray Chen’s impassioned performance to create a heartrending atmosphere that tightens around the listener’s heart.
It’s the perfect track for a night spent lingering in the afterglow of the story.
Be sure to check it out.
I Can’t Stop Thinking About YouSting
Sting, the UK-born artist who gained worldwide popularity as the frontman of The Police.
Since going solo, he has released many genre-defying tracks, but this work is packed with the kind of appeal that feels like his rock spirit has been reignited.
He sings about the restless feeling of being consumed by something to the point where your thoughts won’t stop—but in fact, this isn’t a love song.
It’s a piece that portrays the creative struggle of a writer facing a blank page in search of inspiration.
This song was released in September 2016 as a lead single from the album “57th & 9th.” He also performed it when he received the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards that same year.
Be sure to check it out.