View source for Every Breath You Take

{{short description|1983 single by the Police}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Every Breath You Take
| cover      = The police - every breath you take.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[the Police]]
| album      = [[Synchronicity (The Police album)|Synchronicity]]
| B-side     = Murder by Numbers
| released   = 20 May 1983<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified|title=BPI; search "Police"}}</ref>
| recorded   = December 1982{{snd}}February 1983<ref name="sos">{{cite journal |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar04/articles/classictracks.htm |title=Classic Tracks: The Police's 'Every Breath You Take' |last=Buskin |first=Richard |date=March 2004 |journal=Sound on Sound }}</ref>
| studio     = [[AIR Montserrat|AIR]] ([[Salem, Montserrat]])
| genre      = * [[New wave music|New wave]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liketotally80s.com/2007/03/new-wave-hits/ |title=New wave hits of the 80s: all the best new wave songs |date=March 2007 |publisher=Like Totally 80s }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/new-wave-songs/|title=Top 50 New Wave Songs|first=Michael|last=Gallucci|date=7 November 2024|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref>
* [[soft rock]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dmmLAgAAQBAJ&q=Every+Breath+You+Take+-+soft+rock&pg=PA708 |title=The Concise Encyclopedia of American Radio – Google Books |date=12 April 2010|isbn=978-1-135-17684-6 |last1=Sterling |first1=Christopher H. |last2=O'Dell |first2=Cary |publisher=Routledge }}</ref>
| length     = 3:56 (single version)<br />4:13 (album version)
| label      = [[A&M Records|A&M]] (AM 117)
| writer     = [[Sting (musician)|Sting]]
| producer   = * [[The Police]]
* [[Hugh Padgham]]
| chronology = [[The Police]]
| prev_title = [[Secret Journey (song)|Secret Journey]]
| prev_year  = 1982
| next_title = [[Wrapped Around Your Finger]]
| next_year  = 1983
| misc       = {{Audio sample
  | type = single
  | file  = Every Breath You Take by The Police.ogg
  }}
  {{External music video|{{YouTube|OMOGaugKpzs|"Every Breath You Take"}}}}
}}
"'''Every Breath You Take'''" is a song by the English [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Police]] from their fifth and final studio album ''[[Synchronicity (The Police album)|Synchronicity]]'' (1983). Written by [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], the single was the biggest American and Canadian hit of 1983, topping the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart for eight weeks (the band's only {{thinspace|No.|1}} hit on that chart), and the Canadian ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' chart for two weeks. Their fifth UK No. 1, "Every Breath You Take" topped the [[UK singles chart]] for four weeks. It also reached the top 10 in numerous other countries. In May 2019, the song was recognised by [[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]] as being the most played song in radio history.<ref name="BMI 2019">[https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/bmi-announces-top-honors-for-its-67th-annual-pop-awards "BMI Announces Top Honors for its 67th Annual Pop Awards"]. BMI. Retrieved 9 June 2019</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite news |title=Sting's "Every Breath You Take" Is the Most Played Song on Radio [Video] |url=https://guardianlv.com/2019/05/stings-every-breath-you-take-is-the-most-played-song-on-radio-video/ |access-date=10 June 2019 |agency=GuardianIv}}</ref>

"Every Breath You Take" is the Police's and Sting's [[List of signature songs|signature song]], and in 2010, it was estimated to generate between a quarter and a third of Sting's [[Music publisher|music publishing]] income.<ref name=":2">According to Sting's former publisher Tom Bradley. "Writing a Super Hit" by [[David Hepworth]], [[The Word (UK magazine)|''The Word'']] No. 86, April 2010, p. 74</ref> At the [[26th Annual Grammy Awards]], "Every Breath You Take" was nominated for three [[Grammy Awards]], including [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]], [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]], and [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]], winning in the first two categories. For the song, Sting received the 1983 [[Ivor Novello Awards|Ivor Novello Award]] for [[Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically|Best Song Musically and Lyrically]] from the [[The Ivors Academy|British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]] (BASCA).<ref name=":0">Lister, David, "Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion", ''[[The Independent]]'', 28 May 1994</ref>

In the 1983 ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' critics' and readers' poll, "Every Breath You Take" was voted the "Song of the Year". In the United States, the song was the [[List of best-selling singles|best-selling single]] of 1983 and the fifth-best-selling single of the decade. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the {{thinspace|No.|1}} song for 1983.<ref name=":1">[[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1983]]</ref> "Every Breath You Take" was ranked {{thinspace|No.|305}} on the ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time]] and is included in [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]].<ref name=":4">{{cite web |url=http://rockhall.com/exhibits/500-songs-that-shaped-rock-and/ |title=The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll &#124; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum |access-date=2008-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317150057/http://rockhall.com/exhibits/500-songs-that-shaped-rock-and/ |archive-date=17 March 2010 |df=dmy }}</ref> It also ranked number 25 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs.<ref name="billboard1">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-30.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913205956/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-30.shtml |archive-date=13 September 2008 |title=The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs|date=20 September 2008 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=8 July 2009}}</ref> In 2008, ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine named the song among the top 10 British Songs of the 1980s.<ref name=":5">{{cite news |title=100 Greatest Songs Of All Time |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120529202643/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=29 May 2012 |access-date=22 September 2019 |work=Q magazine}}</ref> In 2015, "Every Breath You Take" was voted by the British public as ''[[The Nation's Favourite]]'' [[List of UK singles chart number ones of the 1980s|1980s number one]] in a UK-wide poll for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]].<ref name=":6">{{cite news | url= http://metro.co.uk/2015/07/25/the-nations-favourite-80s-number-one-12-more-classic-80s-chart-toppers-which-didnt-make-the-cut-5312786/ | title= The Nation's Favourite 80s Number One: 12 more classic 80s chart-toppers which didn't make the cut  | work=Metro | first=Caroline | last=Westbrook | date=25 July 2015 | access-date=27 July 2015}}</ref>

== Origins and songwriting ==
To escape the public eye, Sting retreated to the Caribbean. He started writing the song at [[Ian Fleming]]'s writing desk on the [[Goldeneye (estate)|Goldeneye]] estate in [[Oracabessa]] Bay, [[Jamaica]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/trudie-styler-the-truth-about-trudie-410523.html |title=Trudie Styler: The truth about Trudie |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=2017-04-15}}</ref> The lyrics are the words of a possessive lover who is watching "every breath you take; every move you make". Sting recalled:

{{blockquote|I woke up in the middle of the night with that line in my head, sat down at the piano and had written it in half an hour. The tune itself is generic, an aggregate of hundreds of others, but the words are interesting. It sounds like a comforting love song. I didn't realise at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of [[Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Big Brother]], surveillance and control.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-sting-how-we-mock-our-most-serious-star-our-national-friend-of-the-earth-shouldnt-he-be-a-2320343.html|title=INTERVIEW / Sting: How we mock our most serious Star, our national|date=1 May 1993|website=The Independent|access-date=26 December 2019}}</ref>|title=|source=}}

When asked why he appears angry in the music video, Sting told [[BBC Radio 2]], "I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it's quite the opposite. Hence so."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/indepth/everybreathyoutake.shtml |title=Song Library: Every Breath You Take |publisher=[[BBC Radio 2]] |access-date=8 July 2009}} (Spoken in the second Sting audio clip.)</ref> [[Gary T. Marx]], sociologist and scholar of surveillance studies, wrote in 1988 that, while the song was "a love rather than a protest song", it "nicely captures elements of the new surveillance". He compared the lines to various new technologies of surveillance, including linking "every breath you take" to [[Breathalyzer|breath analysers]], "every step you take" to [[Electronic tagging|ankle monitors]], and "every vow you break" to [[voice stress analysis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://depot.erudit.org/bitstream/000989dd/1/CRC_1988_N09.pdf#page=490 |author=Gary T. Marx| title=The Maximum Security Society|year=1988|work=New Technologies and Criminal Justice |access-date=19 April 2019}}</ref>

According to the [[Phil Spector]] box-set book ''[[Back to Mono (1958–1969)]]'' (1991), "Every Breath You Take" is influenced by a [[Gene Pitney]] song titled "Every Breath I Take". [[The Hassles]]' 1967 song "Every Step I Take (Every Move I Make)," co-written by [[Billy Joel]], also uses this rhyme. [[Led Zeppelin]]'s song, "[[D'yer Mak'er]]" (1973), also contains the words "every breath I take; every move I make".

== Recording ==
The [[Demo (music)|demo]] of the song was recorded in an eight-track suite in [[North London]]'s Utopia studios and featured Sting singing over a [[Hammond organ]].<ref name="sos"/> A few months later, he presented the song to the other band members when they reconvened at [[George Martin]]'s [[Associated Independent Recording#AIR Montserrat (1979–1989)|AIR Studios]] in [[Montserrat]] to work on the ''[[Synchronicity (The Police album)|Synchronicity]]'' album. The band initially tried the song in a variety of different styles and arrangements, such as [[reggae]].<ref name='Studio Sound'/><ref>{{cite web|title=The Police's "Every Breath You Take"|url=https://www.mixonline.com/recording/polices-every-breath-you-take-365310|first=Robyn|last=Flans|date=1 April 2003|website=[[Mix (magazine)|Mixonline]]}}</ref>

While recording, guitarist [[Andy Summers]] came up with a guitar part inspired by the Hungarian composer [[Béla Bartók]] that would later become a trademark lick, and played it straight through in one take. He was asked to put guitar onto a simple backing track of bass guitar, drums, and a single vocal, with Sting offering no directive beyond "make it your own".<ref>Summers, Andy (2006). ''One Train Later: A Memoir'', Thomas Dunne Books, pp. 323–324.</ref> Summers remembered:

{{blockquote|This was a difficult one to get, because Sting wrote a very good song, but there was no guitar on it. He had this Hammond organ thing that sounded like [[Billy Preston]]. It certainly didn't sound like the Police, with that big, rolling synthesizer part. We spent about six weeks recording just the snare drums and the bass. It was a simple, classic chord sequence, but we couldn't agree how to do it. I'd been making [[I Advance Masked|an album]] with [[Robert Fripp]], and I was kind of experimenting with playing [[Béla Bartók|Bartok]] violin duets and had worked up a new riff. When Sting said 'go and make it your own', I went and stuck that lick on it, and immediately we knew we had something special.<ref name="sting2000">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sting.com/news/title/revolver|title=REVOLVER|website=Sting.com|access-date=25 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506160054/https://www.sting.com/news/title/revolver|archive-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>}}

The recording process was fraught with difficulties as personal tensions between the band members, particularly Sting and drummer [[Stewart Copeland]], came to the fore.<ref name="sos"/> Producer [[Hugh Padgham]] claimed that by the time of the recording sessions, Sting and Copeland "hated each other", with verbal and physical fights in the studio common.<ref name="sos"/> The tensions almost led to the recording sessions being cancelled until a meeting involving the band and the group's manager, [[Miles Copeland III|Miles Copeland]] (Stewart's brother), resulted in an agreement to continue.<ref name="sos"/>

The drum track was largely created through separate [[Overdubbing|overdubs]] of each percussive instrument, with the kick drum coming from the box for the [[Oberheim DMX]] drum machine while the main backbeat was created by simultaneously playing a snare and a [[Tama Drums|Tama]] [[Gong bass drum|gong drum]].<ref name="sos" /> To give the song more liveliness, Padgham asked Copeland to record his drum part in the studio's dining room in order to achieve some "special sound effects". The room, however, was so hot that Copeland's drum sticks had to be taped to his hands to avoid slippage.<ref name="sos" />

Some piano accompaniment of a single repeating note was added to complete the song's [[bridge (music)|bridge]].<ref name="sos"/> Padgham remembered that the band had "agonized over that part for a long time" and that the song "never really had a proper bridge" in its demo form.<ref name='Jake Brown'>{{cite book|title=Behind The Boards: The Making of Rock'N'Roll's Greatest Records Revealed|first=Jake|last=Brown|year=2011|chapter=Chapter 9: Hugh Padgham – Synchronicity|type=Kindle}}</ref> He said that Sting entered the recording studio with a few piano ideas where he "bang[ed] away on the same note".<ref name="sos" /><ref name='Studio Sound'>{{cite magazine|first=Ralph|last=Denyer|title=The Producer Series – Hugh Padgham|magazine=Studio Sound|issue= 4 |date= March 1984 |access-date=20 October 2025 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Studio-Sound/80s/Studio-Sound-1984-03.pdf |page=42 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> Padgham expressed his approval of the piano part, having been reminded of a single note guitar solo from his work producing [[XTC]] and encouraged Sting to use the idea on "Every Breath You Take".<ref name="sos" />

''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' described the song as "a subtly crafted minor [[Key (music)|key]] ballad" (although the song is actually in Ab major tuned to A=432 Hz) and commented on the effect of the "surprising, smokey smooth feel [of the vocal] above the band's patently insistent rhythmic drive."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Reviews {{!}} Singles |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |url= https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1983/Cash-Box-1983-05-28.pdf |date=28 May 1983 |access-date=20 October 2025 |page=8 |via=World Radio History}}</ref>

== Music video ==
[[File:The Police 'Every Breath You Take' music video.png|thumb|right|The Police in the black-and-white music video for "Every Breath You Take", with a silhouetted man washing a large window behind Stewart Copeland in the background. Cinematographer [[Daniel Pearl (cinematographer)|Daniel Pearl]] won the first [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography|MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography in a Video]] with this music video.]]
The song had a [[music video]] (directed by duo [[Godley & Creme]]) loosely based on [[Gjon Mili]]'s short film ''[[Jammin' the Blues]]'' (1944). Shot in [[black and white]] with a navy blue tint, the video depicts the band, accompanied by a pianist and string section, performing the song in a darkened ballroom as a man washes the floor-to-ceiling window behind them. Sting performs his part on [[double bass]] rather than [[bass guitar]].

The video was praised for its [[cinematography]]; [[MTV]] (1999), ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' (1993), and [[VH1]] (2001) named it one of the best music videos ever, placing it 16th, 61st, & 33rd in their respective top 100 lists. [[Daniel Pearl (cinematographer)|Daniel Pearl]] won the first [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography|MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography in a Video]] for his work on the video.<ref name="fisher">{{cite web|first=Bob|last=Fisher|title=A Conversation with Daniel Pearl|work=International Cinematographers Guild|url=http://www.cameraguild.com/interviews/chat_pearl/pearl_interview.htm|access-date=25 October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019061500/http://www.cameraguild.com/interviews/chat_pearl/pearl_interview.htm|archive-date=19 October 2006}}</ref> Released in the early days of MTV, "Every Breath You Take" was one of the earliest videos to enter heavy rotation, which significantly contributed to the song's popularity. American singer-songwriter [[Richard Marx]] remembers that "the first video I watched over and over was 'Every Breath You Take'. It was like seeing a [[Ingmar Bergman|Bergman]] film. Directors usually spelled out every word of the lyrics in a video, but this was the first video I knew that didn't do that. It was abstract." According to [[A&M Records|A&M]] Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services [[Jeff Ayeroff]], "[The video for] 'Every Breath You Take' probably cost $75,000 to $100,000, and we sold over 5 million albums. With a good video, the return on your investment was phenomenal."<ref>Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, ''I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of The Music Video Revolution'', Dutton, New York, 2011</ref>

On 5 October 2022, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' officially released a statement confirming that the music video for "Every Breath You Take" surpassed one billion views on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Rowley |first=Glenn |date=2022-10-05 |title=The Police's 'Every Breath You Take' Surpasses 1 Billion Views on YouTube |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-police-every-breath-you-take-video-one-billion-views-1235150746/ |access-date=2022-10-14 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> 3 years later, in October 2025, the video surpassed 1.5 billion views.

== Commercial performance ==
"Every Breath You Take" was released as a single in 1983, with [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] "Murder by Numbers" – a composition by Summers and Sting that had been omitted from the vinyl release of ''[[Synchronicity (The Police album)|Synchronicity]]'' in favour of Copeland's "Miss Gradenko" due to [[LP record|LP]] length limitations,<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBY2zO6E4kI&t=2808s |title=The Police Grooves & Fills {{!}} Stewart Copeland |date=2024-09-24 |last=Drumeo |access-date=2024-09-24 |via=YouTube}}</ref> only appearing as the final track on the [[Compact disc|CD]] and [[Cassette tape|cassette]]. It reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Israel, Ireland, and South Africa.  In Canada, it spent four weeks at No. 1 and an additional six weeks at No. 2. It also reached No. 2 in Spain, Sweden, Norway and Australia, while reaching the Top 10 in most other Western, Northern and Southern European countries.

In the 1983 ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' critics and readers poll, it was voted "Song of the Year". In the US, it was the [[List of best-selling singles|best-selling single]] of 1983 and fifth-best-selling single of the decade. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the {{thinspace|No.|1}} song for 1983.<ref name=":1" />

The single became the biggest US and Canadian hit of 1983, topping the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart for eight weeks (the band's only {{thinspace|No.|1}} hit on that chart). It also topped the ''Billboard'' [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Top Tracks]] chart for nine weeks.

At the [[26th Annual Grammy Awards]], "Every Breath You Take" was nominated for three [[Grammy Awards]], including [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]], [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]], and [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]], winning in the first two categories. Sting received the 1983 [[Ivor Novello Awards|Ivor Novello Award]] for Best Song Musically and Lyrically from the [[The Ivors Academy|British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]] (BASCA).<ref name=":0" />

== Legacy ==
Two cover versions charted on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot Country Songs|Hot Country Singles]] chart in 1983: Rich Landers at number 68 and [[Mason Dixon (band)|Mason Dixon]] at number 69.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|year=2008|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref>

In 1999, "Every Breath You Take" was listed as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Century by [[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/232893 |title=Top 100 Songs of the Century |publisher=Bmi.com |date=13 December 1999 |access-date=25 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://archer2000.tripod.com/sbs/awardsbmi.html |title=Complete list of Top 100 Songs |publisher=Archer2000.tripod.com |access-date=25 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215221253/http://archer2000.tripod.com/sbs/awardsbmi.html |archive-date=15 February 2012 }}</ref> In May 2019, BMI updated the list and "Every Breath You Take" was recognised as the Most Performed Song in BMI's catalogue, a distinction previously held by "[[You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin']]{{-"}} by [[the Righteous Brothers]].<ref name="BMI 2019" /> In 2003, [[VH1]] ranked the song the No. 2 greatest [[breakup song]]. As of 2003, Sting was making an average of $2,000 per day in royalties for the song.<ref>{{cite news |title=CBS – 60 Minutes II 'Sting: All This Time' |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/19/60II/main589570.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118230518/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/19/60II/main589570.shtml |archive-date=18 January 2013 | publisher=CBS News | date=19 December 2003}}</ref>

In 2001, ''[[The Sopranos]]'' episode "[[Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood]]" features a [[mashup (music)|mashup]] combining "Every Breath You Take" with [[Henry Mancini]]'s 1959 song "[[Peter Gunn (song)|Peter Gunn]]".

In October 2007, Sting was awarded a Million-Air certificate for nine million airplays of "Every Breath You Take" at the [[Broadcast Music Incorporated|BMI]] Awards show in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/535578 |title=2007 BMI London Awards |publisher=Bmi.com |date=16 October 2007 |access-date=25 August 2011}}</ref>

"Every Breath You Take" is the Police's and Sting's [[List of signature songs|signature song]], and in 2010 was estimated to generate between a quarter and a third of Sting's [[Music publisher|music publishing]] income.<ref name=":2" /> In May 2019, it was recognised by [[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]] as being the most played song in radio history.<ref name="BMI 2019" /><ref name=":3" /> With nearly 15 million radio plays, Sting received a [[BMI Film & TV Awards|BMI Award]] at a ceremony held at the [[Beverly Wilshire Hotel]] in [[Beverly Hills, California]] to mark it being the Most Performed Song in BMI's catalogue. BMI President and CEO Mike O'Neill stated: "For the first time in 22 years, BMI has a new top song in our repertoire with Sting's timeless hit 'Every Breath You Take,' a remarkable achievement that solidifies its place in songwriting history."<ref name="BMI 2019" />

In 2004, "Every Breath You Take" was ranked {{thinspace|No.|84}} on the ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time]], although it was moved down to {{thinspace|No.|305}} in their 2021 update of the list.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2021-09-15 |title=The Police, 'Every Breath You Take' |url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-30065/the-police-every-breath-you-take-30262/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901130609/https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-30065/the-police-every-breath-you-take-30262/ |archive-date=2024-09-01 |access-date=2024-09-01 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |language=en-AU}}</ref> The song is included in [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]].<ref name=":4" /> It also ranked number 25 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs.<ref name="billboard1" /> In 2008, ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine named "Every Breath You Take" among the top 10 British Songs of the 1980s.<ref name=":5" /> In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation's favourite [[List of UK singles chart number ones of the 1980s|1980s number one]] in a UK-wide poll for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]].<ref name=":6" />

The song is [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] in [[Sean Combs|Puff Daddy]] and [[Faith Evans]]'s 1997 hit "[[I'll Be Missing You]]," which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 11 weeks and won a [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group]]; Sting ultimately participated in a performance of "I'll Be Missing You" at the [[1997 MTV Video Music Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Relive 10 of the most memorable performances from the VMAs|url=https://www.revolt.tv/2017/8/27/20820022/relive-10-of-the-most-memorable-performances-from-the-vmas|author1=KC Orcutt|date=27 August 2017|website=Revolt|access-date=30 October 2019|archive-date=30 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030011302/https://www.revolt.tv/2017/8/27/20820022/relive-10-of-the-most-memorable-performances-from-the-vmas}}</ref>

According to Copeland in 2000:

{{Blockquote|In my humble opinion, this is Sting's best song with the worst arrangement. I think Sting could have had any other group do this song and it would have been better than our version – except for Andy's brilliant guitar part. Basically, there's an utter lack of [[Groove (music)|groove]]. It's a totally wasted opportunity for our band. Even though we made gazillions off of it, and it's the biggest hit we ever had, when I listen to this recording, I think "God, what a bunch of assholes we were!"<ref name="sting2000"/>}}

The song made a comeback as it was featured in the Snow Ball dance scene in [[Netflix]] series ''[[Stranger Things]]'' [[Stranger Things season 2|season 2]] which [[Eleven (Stranger Things)|Eleven]] and [[Mike Wheeler (Stranger Things)|Mike Wheeler]] dances to. Every Breath You Take became popular with [[Generation Z]] and it appeared in videos on [[TikTok]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Giles |first1=Jeff |title=Cyndi Lauper and the Police Added Meaning to 'Stranger Things 2' |url=https://diffuser.fm/stranger-things-2-cyndi-lauper-police/ |website=Diffuser |date=6 November 2017 |access-date=November 6, 2017}}</ref> The scene also won for [[MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Moment]] at the [[2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/mtv-movie-tv-awards-2018-nominations-complete-list-1108100/item/best-movie-1108124 |title=MTV Movie & TV Awards: 'Black Panther', 'Stranger Things' Top Nominations |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=May 3, 2018 |access-date=August 7, 2018}}</ref>

In the same interview, Copeland said Summers should get songwriting credit for "Every Breath You Take." In October 2023, Summers revealed that despite contributing the guitar riff that "has become a kind of immortal guitar part that all guitar players have to learn", he is still pursuing a "contentious" battle with Sting over "Every Breath You Take" songwriting credits. He said that the song was originally "going in the trash until I played on it." He also hinted at a legal battle over the song's songwriting credits. "Watch the press; let's see what happens in the next year. That's all I can tell you."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Maxwell |first1=Jackson |title='That song was going in the trash until I played on it': Andy Summers is locked in a 'contentious' battle with Sting over Every Breath You Take songwriting credits |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/sting-andy-summers-every-breath-you-take-credits |website=Guitar World |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=27 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Curtis-Horsfall |first1=Thomas |title=The Police's Andy Summers is still battling Sting for 'Every Breath You Take' songwriting credit |url=https://www.goldradiouk.com/news/music/police-every-breath-you-take-feud/ |website=Gold Radio UK |access-date=27 December 2023}}</ref> In August 2025, Copeland and Summers sued Sting and his publishing company Magnetic Publishing Limited for writing credits and lost [[Royalty payment|royalties]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2320731/sting-every-breath-you-take-lawsuit-the-police/news/|title=Sting Sued For Millions By Police Bandmates Over "Every Breath You Take" Royalties|date=26 August 2025 |publisher=Stereogum|accessdate=27 August 2025}}</ref>

== Accolades ==
"Every Breath You Take" is listed as one of the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Experience the Music: One Hit Wonders and the Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll|url=http://rockhall.com/exhibits/one-hit-wonders-songs-that-shaped-rock-and-roll/|website=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=5 February 2015|archive-date=9 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509180015/http://rockhall.com/exhibits/one-hit-wonders-songs-that-shaped-rock-and-roll/}}</ref> On the 50th anniversary of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Chart, the song was ranked No. 25 on ''Billboard'''s "The All-Time Top 100 Songs" chart.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Hot 100: The All-Time, Top-Charting Songs Of The Last Five Decades |work=Billboard: The International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment |issue=38 |publisher=14 |date=20 September 2008 |location=New York |page=14 |language=en}}</ref>

== Track listing ==
'''7" single: A&M / AM 117'''
# "Every Breath You Take" – 3:56
# "Murder by Numbers" – 4:31

'''Two-disc 7" single: A&M / AM 117'''
Disc one
# "Every Breath You Take" – 4:13
# "Murder by Numbers" – 4:31
Disc two
# "Truth Hits Everybody" (Remix) – 3:34
# "Man in a Suitcase" (Live) – 2:18

== Personnel ==
Credits from Richard Buskin and co-producer and engineer [[Hugh Padgham]].<ref name="SoundOnSound">{{cite web |last1=Buskin |first1=Richard |title=Classic Tracks: The Police 'Every Breath You Take' |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-police-every-breath-you-take |magazine=Sound on Sound |access-date=27 July 2023}}</ref>

* [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] – lead, harmony, and backing vocals; [[bass guitar]]s; [[piano]]; [[synthesiser]]s; [[electric upright bass|electric double bass]]
* [[Andy Summers]] – [[guitar]]s, [[guitar synthesiser]]s
* [[Stewart Copeland]] – [[drum kit|drums]], percussion, [[Oberheim DMX]] box

== Charts ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

=== Weekly charts ===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
!style="width: 200pt;" | Chart (1983–2015)
! style="width: 40pt;" | Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row" | Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=235}} N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]] between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 2
|-
{{single chart|Austria|8|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|9|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|1|chartid=6267|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016|refname=CA_1983-07-09}}
|-
! scope="row" | Canada ([[CHUM Chart|CHUM]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=1379 |title=CHART NUMBER 1379 – Saturday, June 18, 1983 |access-date=2016-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107215111/http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=1379 |archive-date=7 November 2006 }}. [[CHUM (AM)|CHUM]].</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
! scope="row" | Denmark ([[IFPI Denmark|IFPI]]){{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
| align="center" | 9
|-
! scope="row" | Finland ([[Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite book | first= Timo | last= Pennanen |year= 2006 | title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 | publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava | location= Helsinki | language= fi }}</ref> 
| style="text-align:center;" | 5
|-
{{single chart|Germany|8|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|songid=974|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|1|song=Every Breath You Take|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
! scope="row" | Israel ([[Israel Broadcasting Authority|IBA]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukmix.org/showthread.php?45645-Israel-Singles-Charts-1987-1995/page2|title=Israel Singles Charts 1987-1995 – Page 2|website=ukmix.org|date=26 August 2016 |access-date=26 December 2019}}</ref>
| align="center" | 1
|-
! scope="row" | Italy (''[[Musica e dischi]]'')<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php |title=Classifiche |work=[[Musica e dischi]] |language=it |access-date=4 June 2022}} ''Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Police" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".''</ref>
| align="center" | 3
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|6|year=1983|week=25|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|3|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|6|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Norway|2|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|year=1983|week=25|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Poland|60|year=2015|chartid=1804|rowheader=true|access-date=23 November 2015}}
|-
! scope="row" | Slovenia ([[SloTop50]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Tedenske-lestvice/?year=2013&week=17|title=SloTop50: Slovenian official singles weekly chart|publisher=[[SloTop50]]|language=sl|access-date=28 April 2013|archive-date=5 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805225816/https://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Tedenske-lestvice/?year=2013&week=17}}</ref>	
| align=center | 18
|-
! scope="row" | South Africa ([[Springbok Radio Top 20]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/sa_charts_1969_1989_songs_(E-G).html|title=SA Charts 1969 – 1989|work=rock.co.za|access-date=24 June 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
! scope="row" | Spain ([[Productores de Música de España|AFYVE]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 2
|-
{{single chart|Sweden|2|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Switzerland|6|artist=The Police|song=Every Breath You Take|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|1|date=19830604|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=The Police|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|5|artist=The Police|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|1|artist=The Police|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
! scope="row" | US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Dance Club Songs|Dance/Disco Top 80]]<ref>{{cite magazine|date=30 July 1983|title=Billboard July 30, 1983|url= http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1983/BB-1983-07-30.pdf|magazine=Billboard|page=39|location=New York, NY, USA|access-date=24 June 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 26
|-
! scope="row" | US [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] Top 100<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19830716.html |title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending JULY 16, 1983 |access-date=2014-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911042506/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19830716.html |archive-date=11 September 2012 }}. [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]].</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 1
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2021–2025 weekly chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
! style="width: 200pt;" | Chart (2021–2025)
! style="width: 40pt;" | Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row" | Bolivia ([[Monitor Latino]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/bolivia/general/20210524|publisher=Monitor Latino|title= Top 20 Bolivia del 24 al 30 de Mayo, 2021|access-date=31 May 2021|language=Spanish}}</ref>
| 14
|-
! scope="row" | Canada [[Canadian Digital Song Sales|Digital Song Sales]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-police/chart-history/cns/|title=The Police: Chart History: Canadian Digital Song Sales|website=[[Billboard Charts#Canadian Charts]]|id=for The Police|access-date=12 July 2022}}</ref>
| 31
|-
{{single chart|Billboardglobal200|35|artist=The Police|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2025}}
|-
! scope="row" | Greece International ([[IFPI Greece|IFPI]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ifpi.gr/digital_iel.html|title=Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 45/2025|publisher=[[IFPI Greece]]|access-date=12 November 2025|language=el|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251112081727/https://www.ifpi.gr/digital_iel.html|archive-date=12 November 2025|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 35
|-
! scope="row" | Israel International Airplay ([[Media Forest]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mediaforest-group.com/weekly_charts.html#!|title=מדיה פורסט {{ndash}} המצעד הבינלאומי השבועי {{ndash}} Week 25 {{ndash}} 15/06 {{ndash}} 21/06/2025|trans-title=Media Forest {{ndash}} International Weekly Chart {{ndash}} Week 25 {{ndash}} 15/06 {{ndash}} 21/06/2025|publisher=[[Media Forest]]|access-date=22 June 2025|date=22 June 2025|language=he|type=Select the year 2025 and the option "25 15-06-25 21-06-25" from the stretched lists, then click "שירים מובילים - רדיו - בינלאומי" to see the chart.}}</ref>
| 16
|-
! scope="row" | Italy ([[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|FIMI]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/archivio-classifiche-settimanali/archivio-classifiche-per-settimana/?tipo=2&anno=2025&settimana=33#tabs-1b|title=Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 33|publisher=[[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana]]|language=it|access-date=20 August 2025}}</ref>
| 74
|-
! scope="row" | Lithuania ([[AGATA (organization)|AGATA]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agata.lt/naujienos/s43-4/|title=2025 43-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)|publisher=[[AGATA (organization)|AGATA]]|language=lt|date=24 October 2025|access-date=24 October 2025}}</ref>
| 47
|-
! scope="row" | Poland ([[Polish music charts|Polish Streaming Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olis.pl/charts/oficjalna-lista-sprzedazy/single-w-streamie|title=OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie|publisher=[[OLiS]]|language=pl|access-date=20 November 2025|type=Select week 07.11.2025–13.11.2025.}}</ref>
| 71
|-
! scope="row" | Portugal ([[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa|AFP]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://audiogest.pt/uploads/files/file_2025-11-04-16-55-02.pdf|title=Top 200 Singles Semana 44 de 2025|page=8|publisher=[[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa]]|access-date=5 November 2025|lang=pt-pt}}</ref>
| 57
|-
! scope="row" | Slovenia Airplay ([[Radiomonitor]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://radioairplay.fm/classifiche-musicali/classifiche/slovenia/radio-airplay/30-2025/|title=Slovenia {{ndash}} Radio Airplay Chart {{!}} Settimana 30.2025 {{ndash}} dal 18/07/2025 al 24/07/2025|trans-title=Slovenia {{ndash}} Radio Airplay Chart {{!}} Week 30.2025 {{ndash}} from 18/07/2025 to 24/07/2025|publisher=[[Radiomonitor]]|date=25 July 2025|access-date=8 September 2025|language=it}}</ref>
| 16
|-
! scope="row" | Spain ([[Productores de Música de España|Promusicae]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elportaldemusica.es/lists/top-100-canciones/2025/44 |title=100 Songs weekly |publisher=[[Productores de Música de España|Promusicae]] |access-date=9 November 2025}}</ref>
| 76
|-
! scope="row" | [[UK singles chart|UK Singles]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20251031|title=Official Singles Chart Top 100|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=1 November 2025}}</ref>
| 88
|-
! scope="row" | US [[Billboard Charts#Rock|Rock Digital Songs]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-police/chart-history/rkt/|title=The Police Chart History: Rock Digital Song Sales|website=[[Billboard Charts#Rock|Billboard Charts Rock Digital Songs]]|id=for The Police|access-date=12 July 2022}}</ref>
| 10
|}
{{col-2}}

=== Year-end charts ===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ 1983 year-end chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
! style="width: 200pt;" | Chart (1983)
! style="width: 40pt;" | Rank
|-
! scope="row" | Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name="aus83">{{cite web |url=https://i.imgur.com/860ttad.jpg |title=Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983 |publisher=[[Kent Music Report]] |via=Imgur |access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|10
|-
! scope="row" | Belgium ([[Ultratop 50]] Flanders)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1983 |title=Ultratop Jaaroverzichten 1983 |access-date=24 June 2016 |website=[[Ultratop 50]] |language=nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126213619/http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1983 |archive-date=26 January 2014 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 42
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|1|chartid=6699|rowheader=true|access-date=24 June 2016}}
|-
! scope="row" | France ([[SNEP]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://top.france.free.fr/html/annuel/1983.htm|title=Top-1983|website=top.france.free.fr|access-date=24 June 2016|language= fr}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 50
|-
! scope="row" | Germany ([[GfK Entertainment charts|Official German Charts]])<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1983|title= Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1983|access-date=24 June 2016|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment charts]]|language=de}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 38
|-
! scope="row" | Netherlands ([[Dutch Top 40]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1983|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1983|access-date=24 June 2016|website=[[Dutch Top 40]]|language=nl}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 42
|-
! scope="row" | Netherlands ([[Single Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1983&cat=s|title=Dutch Jaaroverzichten Single 1983|access-date=24 June 2016|website=[[Single Top 100]]|language=nl}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 45
|-
! scope="row" | New Zealand ([[Recorded Music NZ]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1983-12-31|title=Official New Zealand Music Chart – End of Year Charts 1983|access-date=24 June 2016|publisher=[[Recorded Music NZ]]}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 35
|-
! scope="row" | South Africa (Springbok)<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 20 Hit Singles of 1983|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/sahits_1983.html|access-date=26 December 2018}}</ref>
| align="center" | 5
|-
! scope="row" | UK Singles ([[UK singles charts|Official Single Charts]])<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=Peter|editor-last=Scapin|chapter=Top 100 singles: 1983|title=BPI Year Book 1984|publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]] |pages=42–43|date=1984|isbn=0-906154-04-9}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 16
|-
! scope="row" | US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot 100]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1983|title=Top 100 Hits for 1983|website=Longbored Surfer|access-date=24 June 2016}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=December 2024}}
| style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
! scope="row" | US [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1983/adult-contemporary-songs|title=Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1983|magazine=Billboard|access-date=7 March 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 23
|-
! scope="row" | US [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] Top 100<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1983YESP.html |title=The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1983 |access-date=2013-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911042042/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1983YESP.html |archive-date=11 September 2012 }}. [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]].</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 2
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2022 year-end chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
! style="width: 200pt;" | Chart (2022)
! style="width: 40pt;" | Rank
|-
! scope="row" | Global 200 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/billboard-global-200/|title=Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2022|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2 December 2022}}</ref>
| 170
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2023 year-end chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
!style="width: 200pt;" | Chart (2023)
!style="width: 40pt;" | Rank
|-
! scope="row"| Global 200 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/billboard-global-200/|title=Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2023|magazine=Billboard|access-date=22 November 2023}}</ref>
| 155
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2024 year-end chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
! style="width: 200pt;" | Chart (2024)
! style="width: 40pt;" | Rank
|-
! scope="row" | Global 200 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2024/billboard-global-200/|title=Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2024|magazine=Billboard|access-date=20 December 2024}}</ref>
| 94
|-
! scope="row" | Portugal (AFP)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.audiogest.pt/documents/files/Top%20Trimestral_AFP-AUDIOGEST_Sem01-52_2024_v2.pdf|title=Top 200 Singles YTD – Semanas 01 a 52 de 2024|page=11|publisher=[[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa]]|access-date=2 April 2025|language=pt-pt}}</ref>
| 131
|}

=== Decade-end charts ===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Decade-end chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
! style="width: 200pt;" | Chart (1980–1989)
! style="width: 40pt;" | Rank
|-
! scope="row" | US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]<ref name=1980s>{{cite magazine|title=The Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits of the 1980s |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6296897/billboard-hot-100-1980|magazine=Billboard|access-date=14 July 2015}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 5
|}

=== All-time charts ===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ All-time chart performance for "Every Breath You Take"
! Chart (1958–2021)
! Position
|-
! scope="row" | US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-hot-100-singles|title=Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 35
|}
{{col-end}}

== Certifications and sales ==
{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Every Breath You Take"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1983|certyear=2024|access-date=3 June 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|nocert=true|relyear=1983|salesamount=150,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Billboard|title='Synchronicity' Sets A&M Sales Mark|volume=95|issue=52|date=24 December 1983|page=83}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1983|certyear=2023|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|type=single|id=13087|access-date=6 November 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|award=Gold|number=3|relyear=1983|certyear=2025|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|type=single|access-date=August 7, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|award=Platinum|number=4|relyear=1983|certyear=2024|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|type=single|id=13178|access-date=9 September 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=1983|certyear=2024|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|type=single|source=radioscope|access-date=9 January 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=1983|certyear=2024|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|type=single|id=file_2024-10-11-09-34-50.pdf|access-date=11 October 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=Spain|type=single|award=Platinum|number=6|relyear=1983|certyear=2025|certmonth=1|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|access-date=7 January 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2004|certyear=2024|id=2122-2080-1|artist=Police|title=Every Breath You Take|type=single|access-date=8 November 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|relyear=1983|certyear=1983|artist=The Police|title=Every Breath You Take|type=single|access-date=7 February 2013}}
{{Certification Table Separator|title=Streaming}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Greece|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=2024|certweek=51|id=20241227101207|archive-date=27 December 2024|access-date=27 December 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|streamsonly=true}}

== See also ==
* [[List of best-selling singles in Spain]]
* [[List of number-one singles of 1983 (Canada)]]
* [[List of number-one singles of 1983 (Ireland)]]
* [[List of UK singles chart number ones of the 1980s]]
* [[List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1983|List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones of 1983]]
* [[List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1980s|List of ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1980s]]
* [[Monorhyme]]

{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar04/articles/classictracks.htm Classic Tracks: The Police's 'Every Breath You Take']
* {{discogs master|type=single|60159}}

{{The Police}}
{{Navboxes
| title      = Awards for "Every Breath You Take"
| titlestyle = background: lightblue
| list1      =
{{Grammy Award for Song of the Year 1980s}}
{{Ivor Novello Best Song}}
}}
{{Billboard Year-End number one singles 1980–1999}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Every Breath You Take}}
[[Category:1983 songs]]
[[Category:1983 singles]]
[[Category:The Police songs]]
[[Category:A&M Records singles]]
[[Category:Black-and-white music videos]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Song of the Year]]
[[Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Israel]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in South Africa]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Godley and Creme]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Hugh Padgham]]
[[Category:Songs written by Sting (musician)]]
[[Category:UK singles chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs about stalking]]
[[Category:Songs about jealousy]]
[[Category:1980s ballads]]
[[Category:Rock ballads]]
[[Category:New wave ballads]]
[[Category:British soft rock songs]]