Song · The Police
“One World (Not Three)” by The Police
From the album Ghost in the Machine (1981)
“One World (Not Three)” by The Police appears on 10 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 1981 and 2023. It was first released in 1981 on the album Ghost in the Machine. Its best result is #58 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #82 alternative song of 1982 and #2,927 alternative song of all time.
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Sting wrote "One World (Not Three)", music and lyrics alike, for Ghost in the Machine, the album the Police released in October 1981, and the title alone reads like a slogan painted on a protest banner. The band produced it themselves, with Hugh Padgham on board as co-producer and engineer.
Radio never quite let it go: it turned up on countdowns in its own year and was still being counted more than two decades later.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 104 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1981 | 106 |
| 1982 | 58 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982 | 107 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 241 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) | 495 |
| 1999 | 1644 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1645 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1645 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1637 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2002 | 1351 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 390 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2023 | 760 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places | 800 |
Also listed as: One World.
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