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Cover of Outlandos d’Amour by The Police
Cover: Outlandos d’Amour

Song · The Police

“So Lonely” by The Police

From the album Outlandos d’Amour (1978)

“So Lonely” by The Police appears on 54 radio countdowns from 18 stations between 1989 and 2026. It was first released in 1978 on the album Outlandos d’Amour. Its best result is #94 on the Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1991). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #419 alternative song of all time.

54countdowns
18stations
#94best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1989–2026years charted

Watch

The Police - So Lonely (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (ThePoliceVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"So Lonely" closed out the run of singles from the Police's debut album, Outlandos d'Amour, late in 1978, and it shows off the trick this trio had up its sleeve: reggae's loose-limbed lope, played by a band with punk speed in its legs.

Sting wrote it and sings it, and he's all over the credits, on bass, harmonica and that high, keening voice that turns loneliness into something you can holler along to. Andy Summers's guitar chops and chimes in the gaps, and Stewart Copeland's drums skitter and snap around the beat. The band produced and arranged it themselves, with Nigel Gray and Chris Gray engineering.

The single got a second life when it was reissued in Britain in February 1980 and climbed to number six.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1989 216 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1991 213 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 94 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1991) 100
1991 475 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1992 416 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1994 397 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 428 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 343 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1996 408 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 393 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1996 286 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1998 472 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 206 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 423 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 309 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 458 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 306 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 457 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 276 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 118 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2002 276 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 485 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 276 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 340 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 276 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 255 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 276 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 260 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 276 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 523 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 515 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 502 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 486 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 767 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 502 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 516 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2011 815 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 850 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 514 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 525 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 712 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2014 534 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 684 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 718 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 564 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2019 177 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2021 718 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 178 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s 908
2022 958 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2023 991 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 882 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2024 760 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2025 394 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2026 836 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

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