The Police Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In what year was The Police officially formed in London?
A. 1975
B. 1977
C. 1979
D. 1981
Answer: B. 1977
Q2. Who was the original guitarist of The Police before Andy Summers joined?
A. Henry Padovani
B. Robert Fripp
C. Mike Howlett
D. Phil Sutcliffe
Answer: A. Henry Padovani
Q3. What inspired Stewart Copeland to name the band “The Police”?
A. A novel by a famous author
B. The frequent police presence at punk brawls in London
C. A film about law enforcement
D. Sting’s previous job as a teacher
Answer: B. The frequent police presence at punk brawls in London
Q4. Which member of The Police earned his nickname “Sting” from wearing a black-and-yellow sweater that resembled a stinging insect?
A. Stewart Copeland
B. Andy Summers
C. Gordon Sumner (lead singer)
D. Henry Padovani
Answer: C. Gordon Sumner (lead singer)
Q5. What was the band’s debut single, released in May 1977 on Illegal Records?
A. “Roxanne”
B. “Fall Out”
C. “Message in a Bottle”
D. “Can’t Stand Losing You”
Answer: B. “Fall Out”
Q6. The Police’s signature blonde hair look originated from what unlikely source?
A. A punk fashion trend in London clubs
B. A bet among the band members during rehearsals
C. A never-aired Wrigley’s chewing gum commercial directed by Ridley Scott
D. Inspiration from reggae artists
Answer: C. A never-aired Wrigley’s chewing gum commercial directed by Ridley Scott
Q7. What genre fusion made The Police stand out from other punk bands of the late 1970s?
A. Heavy metal and classical
B. Punk, reggae, and jazz
C. Folk and electronic
D. Blues and country
Answer: B. Punk, reggae, and jazz
Q8. Which influential BBC DJ turned down The Police for a radio session early in their career?
A. John Peel
B. Annie Nightingale
C. Tony Blackburn
D. Simon Bates
Answer: A. John Peel
Q9. What was the title of The Police’s debut album, released in 1978 on A&M Records?
A. Reggatta de Blanc
B. Outlandos d’Amour
C. Zenyatta Mondatta
D. Synchronicity
Answer: B. Outlandos d’Amour
Q10. Which hit single from Outlandos d’Amour was inspired by the red-light district in Paris and faced BBC playlist resistance?
A. “So Lonely”
B. “Next to You”
C. “Roxanne”
D. “Born in the 50s”
Answer: C. “Roxanne”
Q11. What does the title Reggatta de Blanc, the band’s 1979 sophomore album, phonetically mean?
A. White Reggae
B. Ocean Voyage
C. Silent Night
D. French Revolution
Answer: A. White Reggae
Q12. Which instrumental track from Reggatta de Blanc won The Police their first Grammy Award in 1980?
A. “Walking on the Moon”
B. “Reggatta de Blanc”
C. “Bring on the Night”
D. “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”
Answer: B. “Reggatta de Blanc”
Q13. What was unique about the recording process for Zenyatta Mondatta, released in 1980?
A. It was recorded live in front of fans
B. It was entirely acoustic
C. It featured guest appearances by Bob Marley
D. It was rushed in three weeks in Holland for tax purposes
Answer: D. It was rushed in three weeks in Holland for tax purposes
Q14. Which 1980 single from Zenyatta Mondatta became the UK’s best-selling single of the year?
A. “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da”
B. “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
C. “Voices Inside My Head”
D. “When the World Is Running Down”
Answer: B. “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
Q15. Inspired by Arthur Koestler’s book, what was the theme of The Police’s 1981 album Ghost in the Machine?
A. Human consciousness and technology
B. Environmental disasters
C. Lost love stories
D. Travel adventures
Answer: A. Human consciousness and technology
Q16. Which 1981 single from Ghost in the Machine was written by Sting years before The Police formed?
A. “Spirits in the Material World”
B. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”
C. “Demolition Man”
D. “Omegaman”
Answer: B. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”
Q17. What psychological concept influenced the title of The Police’s final studio album, Synchronicity, in 1983?
A. Freud’s id and ego
B. Behavioral conditioning
C. Carl Jung’s theory of meaningful coincidences
D. Existential dread
Answer: C. Carl Jung’s theory of meaningful coincidences
Q18. Which Synchronicity track spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and won Song of the Year at the Grammys?
A. “King of Pain”
B. “Wrapped Around Your Finger”
C. “Synchronicity II”
D. “Every Breath You Take”
Answer: D. “Every Breath You Take”
Q19. How many Grammy Awards did The Police win in total during their career?
A. Three
B. Five
C. Six
D. Eight
Answer: C. Six
Q20. In what year were The Police inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
A. 1999
B. 2003
C. 2007
D. 2010
Answer: B. 2003
Q21. What was the primary reason cited for The Police’s breakup in 1984?
A. Financial disputes with their label
B. Health issues with a band member
C. Creative tensions, especially over Sting’s dominant songwriting
D. A major scandal
Answer: C. Creative tensions, especially over Sting’s dominant songwriting
Q22. Which film did Stewart Copeland compose the score for in 1983, shortly after Synchronicity’s release?
A. Dune
B. Rumble Fish
C. Quadrophenia
D. Brimstone & Treacle
Answer: B. Rumble Fish
Q23. What was Sting’s first solo album after The Police, released in 1985?
A. Nothing Like the Sun
B. Brand New Day
C. The Dream of the Blue Turtles
D. Ten Summoner’s Tales
Answer: C. The Dream of the Blue Turtles
Q24. Under the pseudonym Klark Kent, what did Stewart Copeland release in the late 1970s?
A. A full opera
B. Solo singles and an EP
C. A film screenplay
D. A photography book
Answer: B. Solo singles and an EP
Q25. What one-off event reunited The Police in 1992, leading to an impromptu performance?
A. Sting’s wedding to Trudie Styler
B. Sting’s birthday party
C. A charity auction
D. A record label gala
Answer: A. Sting’s wedding to Trudie Styler