[Beginner’s Guide] Start Here! A Collection of Sting’s Greatest Songs [2026]

RoxanneSting

Sting at Carnegie Hall: Roxanne (Excerpt)

This song dates back to Sting’s time with The Police, so strictly speaking it isn’t a solo Sting track.

However, he has performed it often in his solo career and showcased several different arrangements, so I’ve included it in the ranking.

Roxanne depicts the romantic entanglement of a man who falls in love with a prostitute, and its “danger-tinged” lyrics and melody are striking, perfectly matching the subject matter.

For this pick, I chose the symphonic version.

Like Englishman in New York, it exudes a refined, aristocratic atmosphere and has been crafted into a highly sophisticated piece.

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Ryo

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All This TimeSting

Sting – All This Time

Released by Sting in 1991, “All This Time” is a classic song he wrote for his late father.

The album it appears on, The Soul Cages, was created around the theme of his father, who passed away just before production.

The intro of “All This Time” features a mandolin, which creates its distinctive sound.

While the track has a pop feel overall, combined with the lyrics it carries a somewhat melancholy atmosphere, making it a touching and memorable masterpiece.

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Hamada Takuya

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Englishman in New YorkSting

Sting – Englishman In New York

It’s a track included on Sting’s 1987 album “…Nothing Like the Sun.” The song is notable for its strong jazz influences and lyrics that seem to reflect his own experience working alone in New York.

EnglishmanSting

Sting – Englishman In New York

This is Sting’s “Englishman” with a soprano saxophone playing the obbligato.

Jazz often brings to mind alto or tenor sax, but pop-tinged, jazz-flavored tunes played on soprano sax like this are really great too.

By the way, where can you get sheet music for songs like this? It’s something we all wonder about.

It’s common to get inspired by an instrument and pick one up, only to find there’s no sheet music available.

If you’ve got a good ear, try transcribing by ear; otherwise, work with someone who can arrange and notate it for you.

Often only the lead melody is published, so for the saxophone solo sections, do your best to tackle them by ear.

At first you might not be able to identify any of the notes, but the thrill when you finally figure them out and can play them isn’t something everyone gets to experience.

A lot of jazz charts are learned by ear anyway, so listen repeatedly with patience and pick out the notes.

And once you can really play it, you’ll have something to brag about!

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sai-kisaragi

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They Dance AloneSting

Sting – They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)

Set in Chile, South America, this number about a woman dancing alone is a track from the 1987 album …Nothing Like the Sun.

As expected, Sting in the ’80s carried strong political messages, using his music to portray the feelings and perspectives of people in different positions.

This song is one such example.

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Murakami Shinpei

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