"Fortress Around Your Heart" by Sting

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2437
Date:  08/24/1985
Debut:  51
Peak:  8
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Sting's solo debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles got off to a solid start when its first single "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" got to #3 at Pop and #1 at Rock. That set him up well for this next single which became his second #1 at Rock while making the Pop Top 10. The song also made a brief appearance at AC reaching #32. The album just missed out on the top spot peaking at #2. This would also happen to two other of Sting's albums and as of this posting date he still has yet to score his first #1 solo album. He did make it to the top spot with his former band The Police via their #1 classic album Synchronicity.

ReduxReview:  I'm fairly certain that this is at the top of my list of favorite Sting solo songs. The chorus is so strong and I love the imagery of the lyrics. It sounds like something The Police might have done, but with an added pop/jazz element via someone like Joni Mitchell. Branford Marsalis' sax just adds another excellent layer to the track, which has a regal, majestic, old-world sound to it. While Sting would have better albums and other terrific songs, this track has always stuck with me.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  Although The Dream of the Blue Turtles officially launched Sting's solo career, it wasn't the first time he recorded as a solo artist. In 1982, Sting appeared in the film adaptation of Brimstone and Treacle, a 1976 BBC television play that didn't actually air until 1987. Sting would also contribute songs to the film including his remake of "Spread a Little Happiness," which was originally written for the 1929 music Mr. Cinders, a gender-switching update of the fairy tale Cinderella. The track was issued as a single and it got to #16 in the UK. It failed to chart in the US.

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