48 Years Ago, This Legendary Rock Anthem Hit The Charts

On April 7, 1978, British rock band The Police released the first single from their debut studio album, Outlandos d'Amour. "Roxanne" became a worldwide hit that catapulted the band into the spotlight, where they would remain for decades to come.

Written by The Police frontman Sting, "Roxanne" tells the story of a man's relationship with a prostitute. It was reportedly inspired by Sting's observations of the local sex workers in Paris, France, where the band was regularly performed in 1977.

About the song, guitarist Andy Summers once said: "Sting played it for me in my living room early on. He was very shy at first bringing in his songs. But it was brilliant, and later on we all worked it out in a damp basement in North London [...] And he took it to A&M and got a contract for one single. I don't think it ever broke the Top 40 in America, but eventually it became The Police's signature tune."

As Summers notes, the single did not chart in the United Kingdom when it was first released in 1978. But following the acclaim of "Can't Stand Losing You" and "So Lonely", the band decided to release the single in America the following year—where it peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This was the beginning of a long and prosperous career for The Police, who would continue to grow in popularity throughout the '80s—but "Roxanne" consistently remained their most popular song.

The Police were renowned for their unique time signatures, sharp musicianship, and poetic lyricism that was characteristic of the punk and new wave rock genres. They may not have been commercial giants at the beginning of their career, but critics quickly fell in love with them.

"Roxanne" was named on Rolling Stone's famous list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, coming in at No. 388 in 2006. Two years later, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, despite not winning any awards at the time of release.