In episode #25 of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez sail with Reggatta de Blanc by The Police and award their gold, silver and bronze medals for their favorite songs.
Released October 1979, Reggatta de Blanc was the second album by The Police and the record that transformed the trio from promising new-wave outsiders into stars. Produced by Nigel Gray along with the band, the album expanded the reggae-rock and post-punk sound introduced on Outlandos d’Amour.
The title – Reggatta de Blanc – loosely translates to “white reggae,” reflecting the group’s fusion of punk energy, reggae rhythms, jazz textures, and pop songwriting.
The album featured the classic Police lineup: Sting on bass and lead vocals, Andy Summers on guitar and Stewart Copeland on drums. Together they created a sparse but highly rhythmic sound built around Summers’ atmospheric guitar work, Sting’s melodic bass lines, and Copeland’s inventive drumming.
Reggatta de Blanc became the band’s first UK No. 1 album. In the United States it reached No. 25 on the Billboard album chart, helping establish the band’s growing American audience.
The singles “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon” both reached No. 1 in the UK. The singles did not fare as well in the US. “Message” hit #74 and “Moon” did not chart. The instrumental title track earned the band its first Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
The album captured the restless energy of the late-1970s post-punk era while proving that reggae influences could coexist with mainstream rock radio. The Police stood apart from both traditional punk and arena rock by emphasizing space, rhythm, and sophistication over heavy guitar excess.
Many critics and fans view Reggatta de Blanc as the album where the band honed its signature sound, paving the way for later classics like Zenyatta Mondatta and Synchronicity. Follow-up Note: As speculated in the podcast, the Police did not perform at Live Aid. Sting however did play a few Police hits with outside musicians.
Medal Winners
No Time This Time (Listen Here)
Message In A Bottle (Listen Here)
The Bed’s Too Big Without You (Listen Here)
Bring On The Night (Listen Here)
Reggatta de Blanc (Listen Here)
Bonus Tracks
Roxanne (Listen Here)
Next To You (Listen Here)
Nothing Achieving (Listen Here)
Truth Hits Everyone (Listen Here)
So Lonely (Listen Here)
Visions Of The Night (Listen Here)
Fall Out (Listen Here)
Behind The Camel (Listen Here)
Be My Girl/Sally (Listen Here)
Mirror In The Bathroom – English Beat (Listen Here)
Further Reading
Shot In The Heart -Mikal Gilmore (https://www.amazon.com/Shot-Heart-Mik…)
Track Listing
Side 1
Message In A Bottle
Reggatta de Blanc
It’s Alright For You
Bring On The Night
Deathwish
Side 2
Walking On The Moon
On Any Other Day
The Bed’s Too Big Without You
Contact
Does Everyone Stare
No Time This Time
#ThePolice #ReggattaDeBlanc #Sting #AndySummers #StewartCopeland #NewWave #PostPunk #ReggaeRock #ClassicAlbums #1979Music