Michael Stipe and his love for Madonna
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The Madonna classic that was inspired by Sting
In terms of music, Madonna and Sting are vastly different in their approach. Although they are both legends in their own right, the genres they thrive within are far removed from one another.
The former is ‘The Queen of Pop’, an icon of the 1980s who has continued to subvert established social mores since she first broke through, championing a progressive form of creativity that is best described as kaleidoscopic. As for Sting, he was the bass-playing genius and frontman of new wave heroes The Police before he became a cerebral solo artist that draws on world music and jazz to deliver cuts such as ‘Englishman in New York’.
Whilst they represent different things musically, Madonna and Sting are actually closely connected. It is alleged that it was Sting who first introduced Madonna to her ex-husband, the film director Guy Ritchie and that Sting’s wife, Trudie Styler, is the Godmother of Madonna and Ritchie’s son, Rocco.
Ironically, despite being ‘The Queen of Pop’ and Sting being a hero of the new wave, the former Police man actually had a defining influence on one of Madonna’s most iconic hits: The 2000 effort ‘Music’. Most people remember the song for Ali G and the hook: “Music makes people come together, and music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel”. Still, its defining feature, the ’80s vibe, would not have come to fruition without the influence of Sting and The Police.
One night, Madonna was at a Sting concert, and when he started playing Police songs, she was so moved by the response it garnered from the audience that it inspired her to write ‘Music’ and its famous chorus hook. “I went to see [Sting] in New York at the Beacon Theater,” Madonna told Rolling Stone in 2000. “I’m obsessed with checking out the audience and seeing how they react. And people were pretty well-behaved and enthusiastically polite for stuff that he was doing off of his new album”.
She continued: “But then, when he did the old Police songs — and it was just him and a guitar, and the lights came down — somehow the energy in the room changed. It ignited the room, and it brought everybody closer to the stage. And suddenly, people lost their inhibition and their politeness, and everyone was singing the songs and practically holding hands — you know what I mean? I mean, it really moved me”.
So, next time you hear the iconic ‘Music’ and the classic line, “Music makes people come together, and music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel”, blares through the speakers, do not forget that it was inspired by Sting. His contributions to popular culture are much more than what meets the eye.
