5. The Police
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lQlajFq3cE The Police stand out in rock history for their tight playing style and their general stability, which stands in sharp contrast to a number of other entries on this list. They had a unique, evolving sound - listening to their records is to hear them go from raw punk-reggae grooves to polished pop songs with dub and jazz sensibilities. What they retained through their style changes was really tight songwriting and a knack for a killer chorus. Their songs often speak of forbidden and failed love, and in this romantically dystopian worldview they look forward to British bands like The Cure and Joy Division in the 1980s. Though they were "The biggest band in the world" by the time of their final album, Synchronicity, the band's quality began to slowly slip after their awesome third album, Zenyatta Mondatta. Sting must have agreed, splitting with the group in 1986, then going on to have a terrifically successful solo career. The Police stand out in rock history for their early blending of reggae, jazz and punk. They've had their stylistic followers (one of them, Sublime, appeared earlier), but none of them were as polished or professional in their delivery as The Police were.