Everyone gets songs stuck in their heads that just won’t go away. They sneak into your subconscious. They are epic earworms that you find yourself humming uncontrollably, singing in the shower, or tapping the beat to with your foot or ballpoint pen when you should be working. Sometimes they even keep you awake at night. Whether they are current hits, one-hit wonders, movie soundtrack gems, holiday favorites, or songs from your youth, their catchy vocals, riffs, hooks, and choruses seem to linger for days.
Here, those songs find a home, no matter the genre. Here, those epic earworms are revisited, explained, and celebrated. Here, you may find the song that haunts you tomorrow. Here is today’s unescapable song of the day…and the story behind it.
Today’s Epic Earworm: The Police — “Roxanne”
Today’s epic earworm is “Roxanne,” the Police classic from the band’s 1978 debut studio album Outlandos d’Amour. The song was certified platinum in the UK, and the album went platinum in five countries, largely on the back of the single’s success. The track was the band’s first hit, reaching #12 in the UK. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. While everything turned out well in the end, the song got off to a rocky start.
The Rollercoaster Ride to Success
The night before recording “Roxanne,” Police lead singer Sting could not sleep. By the time he got to the studio on recording day, he was exhausted. As they started to record the song, he sat on the piano, thinking the lid was closed. It was not. The atonal piano chord that you can hear in the first few seconds of the song, followed by laughter, are the result of that moment. The band thought it was funny and decided to leave it in.
When it came time to decide which tracks made it on the album, the Police were indifferent about “Roxanne.” Sting had actually written the song about a man falling for a prostitute as a throwaway. However, Miles Copeland III, brother of drummer Stewart Copeland, loved the tune. He was instrumental in getting his brother’s band their record deal at A&M, and had come on board as their manager. On his advice, the song made the cut.
“Roxanne” became the album’s lead single…and promptly fell flat. It failed to chart for the band in the UK. The next two singles also disappointed. “Can’t Stand Losing You” only reached Number 42 on the UK charts, and “So Lonely” failed to chart at all.
In 1979, “Roxanne” was finally released as the band’s first single in the United States. When the song charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the song was re-released in the UK. The second time was the charm for the epic earworm, and it started to climb the UK charts. Based on the track’s success, “Can’t Stand Losing You” was also re-released, and it rose to Number Two on the UK charts the second time around. It was a rollercoaster ride to success for “Roxanne,” but it all worked out in the end.
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