Anyone who ever listened to The Police would know that Sting harbored ambitions beyond the limitations of one particular style. His former band may have come together during the punk and new wave heyday, but their pop nous and incorporation of reggae ensured that they stood out from their contemporaries. And when it came to carving out a solo career, Sting continued to ignore all notion of boundaries.

His debut solo album, 1985’s The Dream Of The Blue Turtles, established a unique sound that pushed the limits of what was expected of a pop song, as Sting enlisted jazz heavyweights such as saxophonist Branford Marsalis, later Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones and percussionist Omar Hakim.

… Nothing Like The Sun and The Soul Cages followed, in 1987 and 1991, respectively, both topping the charts in the UK and entering the Top 10 in the US. Expanding on the sound he hit upon for …Turtles, Sting also incorporated strains of world music into his sound. The Soul Cages saw him working with a smaller ensemble for a heartfelt meditation on mortality, bringing the curtain down on an extremely fertile period in Sting’s career. Its deeply personal storytelling would lay the groundwork for The Last Ship, Sting’s 2013 studio album, comprised of songs that featured in his stage production of the same name.