King of Pain

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“King of Pain”
“King of Pain” cover
Single by The Police
from the album Synchronicity
B-side "Tea In The Sahara" (Live)
Released January 1984 (1984-01)
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1983
Genre New Wave
Length 4:59
Label A&M - AM 176
Writer(s) Sting
Producer The Police
The Police singles chronology
"Synchronicity II"
(1983)
"King of Pain"
(1984)
"Don't Stand So Close to Me '86"
(1986)
Alternate covers
US 7-inch single cover
US 7-inch single cover

"King of Pain" is a song by The Police, originally released on their 1983 album Synchronicity.

It was released as a worldwide single by A&M Records. It was the second single from Synchronicity in the US and the fourth single in the UK.

Reaching #3 in the US charts in October 1983, the single is The Police's most successful US single (together with "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic") after "Every Breath You Take" based on chart position. In the UK, it reached #17 in the charts in January 1984.

Interestingly, "King of Pain" was the only single from Synchronicity that did not have an accompanying music video.

Contents

[edit] Song Credits

[edit] Other Versions

Alanis Morissette covered this song during her MTV Unplugged performance (released on the 1999 album Alanis Unplugged). "Weird Al" Yankovic also parodied the song with "King of Suede", a monologue of a clothing store owner known for his suede garments.

The song is performed by the indie rock band Brandtson on The Militia Group's compilation, ¡Policia! - A Tribute to the Police.

Mudvayne also covered the song for their 2007 release By the People, for the People.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] 7": A&M / AM 176 Flag of the United Kingdom

  1. "King Of Pain" - 4:59
  2. "Tea In The Sahara" (Live) - 5:05

[edit] 7": A&M / AM-2569 Flag of the United States

  1. "King Of Pain" - 4:59
  2. "Someone To Talk To" - 3:08

[edit] 12": A&M / AMX 176 Flag of the United Kingdom

  1. "King Of Pain" - 4:59
  2. "Tea In The Sahara" (Live) - 5:05

[edit] Legacy

The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, which is known for naming each episode after an 80s hit song, named an episode after this song.