Song · Sting
“If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free” by Sting
From the album The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985)
“If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free” by Sting appears on 9 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1985 and 2026. It was first released in 1985 on the album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Its best result is #20 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1985. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #27 alternative song of 1985, #3,418 alternative song of all time and #220 of the '80s.
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"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" throws open The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting's first solo album, from 1985, and it was the song he chose to step out from the Police with. He wrote it as a deliberate answer to "Every Breath You Take": where that one watched and clung and owned, this one tells you to let go, though Sting admitted there's a mean streak and plenty of strut in it too.
He brought in a crack new band to make the point: Branford Marsalis on saxophone, Kenny Kirkland on keyboards, Darryl Jones on bass and Omar Hakim on drums, with Dolette McDonald and Janice Pendarvis on backing vocals. Sting produced with Pete Smith, and the groove bounces and swaggers like a gospel-pop revival. A&M put it out with "Another Day" on the flip, and the 12-inch added remixes by Jellybean Benitez and William Orbit.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 20 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1985 | 107 |
| 1985 | 47 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1985 | 91 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 81 | 91X | 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) | 191 |
| 1989 | 211 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) | 495 |
| 1999 | 210 | WLIR / WDRE | WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 300 |
| 1999 | 523 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) | 1002 |
| 2001 | 363 | Virgin Radio | Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 500 |
| 2001 | 727 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2026 | 243 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
Also listed as: If You Love Somebody Set Them Free; If You Love Somebody.
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