owlmoose | police survey results

We have a winner, and it's not close. But first, another quick poll.

[Poll #593597]

127 legitimate answers were given. Out of these, 40 people answered "Roxanne". "Every Breath You Take" placed a distant second at 21. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Don't Stand So Close To Me" essentially tied for third, receiving 17 and 16 mentions respectively. Everything else was in single digits.

The data:

Why "Roxanne"? Good question. It was the band's first single, so perhaps that makes it the first song you think of, on some subconscious level. In many ways, it defined the band's sound. I could come up with lots of other reasons. Any thoughts?

And now, the context. Earlier today,

luvmoose and I were debating which was the best known Police song. We came up with a number of ways to determine this: most airplay over time, most sales, best chart performance, most enduring in people's minds. Then it occurred to me. Why not just ask? So I did.

Thanks to everyone who participated in my thoroughly unscientific research project! If I ever publish, I'll make sure to credit you all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hee! Your charts are totally awesome.

Since I was the prophet of Roxanne (http://www.livejournal.com/users/owlmoose/60464.html?thread=256304#t256304), I can explain why I thought it would lead: in addition to all the reasons you mentioned, it still gets played today. Sometimes it's very random which songs from years past they will elect to keep recycling on the radio, and for whatever reason, Roxanne gets that kind of treatment. I hear it pop up all the time. I bet if you did this poll in 1985 or even 1990 you would get the later-period Police songs dominating, but thanks to the way radio has continued to play Roxanne since then, it has stayed in all our consciousnesses in a way that many of their songs haven't.

There is a technical term for a song continuing to get good airplay years after the fact, often even better airplay than it got in the first place - this is called "Soft Celling", in reference to "Tainted Love" being played approximately ten hojillion times more often in the nineties and since than it did in the early 80s, thereby half-ruining a perfectly awesome once-obscure new wave tune. :D

I picked Every Breath You Take as the other song to do well partly because it was their biggest hit in the first place, but also because of the #$%@#! Puff Daddy thing, which brought it back into the culture in the 90s. I bet if you asked people younger than we mostly are, the poll would be even more biased towards these two songs, because I think they have survived the most.

Your charts are totally awesome.

It's all about the Excel. :) Thanks!

Your airplay theory is interesting. I do feel like I hear Roxanne on the radio pretty regularly, but then I would also say the same about the rest of the top four. I wonder if there's any way to find out? Hmm.

"Soft Celling"

Hah! I had no idea that technical term existed, but it's so appropriately named.

bet if you asked people younger than we mostly are, the poll would be even more biased towards these two songs, because I think they have survived the most.

You could be right about that. If I had been more scientifically rigorous, I would have tracked answers for age, and maybe a couple of other things as well, like familiarity with the band.

Your airplay theory is interesting. I do feel like I hear Roxanne on the radio pretty regularly, but then I would also say the same about the rest of the top four.

I feel like I hear it solidly more often than any of the others, and Every Breath also feels far ahead of the other ones. But this is just a feeling. It would be nice to have hard data :)

"Soft Celling" Hah! I had no idea that technical term existed, but it's so appropriately named.

That's because I just made it up.... right now. ;)

If I had been more scientifically rigorous, I would have tracked answers for age, and maybe a couple of other things as well, like familiarity with the band.

I like the cut of your jib. Ah, the scientific enterprise. :D

That's because I just made it up.... right now. ;)

You're good.

It would be nice to have hard data

Careful, you're waking the research librarian. She's dangerous when roused. ;) I don't know that this data is publically available for free, but I can certainly make a stab at looking for it.

Ah, the scientific enterprise.

Y'know, I thought about going into science. But ultimately, the idea just didn't appeal. So I do this kind of thing for fun instead. I'm such a freak. :)

Careful, you're waking the research librarian. She's dangerous when roused.

*Axe smacks into wall* "119 weeks overdue, dear."

I think I need to find this.

Roxanne was my choice too. Another reason I speculate it's in people's heads is that it's a song that's been very publicly covered at least once, so it's remained in the public eye.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, especially if the cover makes you think of the original when you hear it. Which cover are you thinking of?

The one that comes to mind is from Moulin Rouge. It was such a popular movie and the song was central in it - although if we're going that route there were a truckload of songs covered in the movie. But Roxanne sticks in my head because it was so steamy, and the entire song was used instead of a snippet.

I was thinking about that one, too. That's a great song. It was half the reason I bought the soundtrack.

It was a toss-up between "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take" for me, but I picked "Every Breath" because it has a more anthem-like build than "Roxanne", and I tend to associate songs like that with with standards for artists.

Yeah, that might have gone into my thinking in assuming it to be the most popular. Also, "Every Breath You Take" is, creepily enough, still a standard at weddings. I don't think "Roxanne" is in that category.

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