10 Best Rock Album Openers Of The 1980s

10. Don’t Stand So Close To Me - The Police (Zenyatta Mondatta)

The Police had no issues with the so-called difficult third album, as 1980's Zenyatta Mondatta was a roaring success.

The band already had a strong collection of songs under their belt, including Roxanne, So Lonely, and Message in a Bottle. They needed something of a similar calibre to open up this record, and that's exactly what they managed to make.

Don't Stand So Close to Me is an uneasy song in terms of lyrical content. It recounts a sordid affair between a teacher and one of his students, and what happens when their relationship is discovered.

Despite the adult themes, the British public ate it up and sent it to the top of the charts. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

Backed by the band's trademark combination of reggae and pop rock, Don't Stand So Close to Me is one of the smarter story songs from this period and is definitely one of the darkest. It kicked Zenyatta Mondatta off in style and remains one of the Police's best tracks.