Outlandos D'Amour by The Police (1990)
Britain's Police got its start in the late-'70s days of punk, but the  trio's background in jazz, fusion, and rock belied the punky image suggested by  the band's dyed-blond hair.  Indeed, where many punks were inspired amateurs,  the Police (Sting on bass and vocals, Andy Summers on guitar, and Stewart  Copeland on drums) were accomplished players who quickly developed a  sophisticated approach to the power-trio format.  Still, this debut album is  filled with growing pains, with a handful of tracks far more interesting than  the rest.  The Police's primary stylistic innovation was to put the pulse of  reggae into a rockier context, a strategy evident in the up-tempo "Can't  Stand Losin' You" as well as in the band's first hit single,  "Roxanne," a love song to a prostitute that would remain Sting's best- known tune until he wrote "Every Breath You Take."  To this day, the  first two notes of "Roxanne" are among the most recognizable melodic  hooks in contemporary music.--John Milward