Mike O’Neill, BMI’s CEO/president, said it was in 1978 that BMI started to calculate the most played songs, the first being “Our House” by Graham Nash. He also felt that he thought it had to do with the song itself. He called the profession rare and noble as songwriting is more than entertainment. He told the audience that he was proud to be part of the songwriter’s community. Trudie Styler, Sting’s wife, was in attendance. Sting’s song has over 15 million radio plays. “Every Breath You Take” released in 1983, toppled “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” from the Righteous Brothers who held the title for over 22 years.

Sting, lead singer for the band The Police was honored at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in a ceremony on May 14, 2019, at the BMI Awards after his song “Every Breath You Take” became the most played song on the radio from BMI’s repertoire.