Studio Album · No. 12

57th & 9th Songwriting Credits by Sting

2016 A&M Records 10 tracks 37 min

Produced by Martin Kierszenbaum  ·  Engineered by Robert Orton, Bob Ludwig, Clif Norrell

A&M Records Pop RockRock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Sting carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
10 trackswritten by Sting 0 tracksoutside writers
Sting's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
1
Lyricists
1
Producers
600,000
Worldwide Copies Sold
2016
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Academy Award for Best Original Song (for "The Empty Chair") (2017, Nominated)
Data Insight

Sting writes alone on three of the ten tracks. His touring band takes the credit on the rest: Dominic Miller on seven, with Lyle Workman, Josh Freese and Vinnie Colaiuta sharing the writing on the songs built out of room takes. 'The Empty Chair,' co-written with the film composer J. Ralph, sits apart from the band material, and it is the song that carried the album's Academy Award nomination.

57th & 9th came out on 11 November 2016, billed as Sting's first rock album in thirteen years and cut in about three months at Avatar and Sear Sound in New York. The title names the intersection he crossed every day walking to the studio in Hell's Kitchen. Martin Kierszenbaum produced. It reached number nine on the Billboard 200 and sold over 600,000 copies worldwide in 2016, and 'The Empty Chair,' written with J. Ralph, gave Sting his fourth Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
I Can't Stop Thinking About You
Sting Sting Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
2
50,000
Sting StingDominic MillerLyle WorkmanJosh Freese Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
3
Down, Down, Down
Sting StingDominic MillerVinnie Colaiuta Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
4
One Fine Day
Sting StingDominic MillerLyle WorkmanJosh Freese Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
5
Pretty Young Soldier
Sting StingDominic MillerLyle WorkmanJosh Freese Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
6
Petrol Head
Sting StingDominic MillerLyle WorkmanJosh Freese Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
7
Heading South on the Great North Road
Sting Sting Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
8
If You Can't Love Me
Sting StingDominic MillerVinnie Colaiuta Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
9
Inshallah
Sting Sting Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)
10
The Empty Chair
Sting StingJ. Ralph Martin Kierszenbaum Sting (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 7 contributors

S
Sting
Writer · Vocals
On this album10 written
DM
Dominic Miller
Writer
On this album6 written
JF
Josh Freese
Writer
On this album4 written
LW
Lyle Workman
Writer
On this album4 written
VC
Vinnie Colaiuta
Writer
On this album2 written
JR
J. Ralph
Writer
On this album1 written
MK
Martin Kierszenbaum
Producer
On this album10 produced

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Frequently Asked Questions 57th & 9th

Did Sting write 57th & 9th himself?
Yes. 57th & 9th is fully self-written, with every song an original Sting composition. It was billed as his first rock album in over a decade.
Who wrote "50,000" by Sting?
"50,000" was written by Sting as a reflection on mortality and a tribute to musicians like David Bowie and Prince who died in 2016. It is one of the album's key tracks.
What genre is 57th & 9th by Sting?
57th & 9th is a pop rock and rock album. It marked a deliberate return to guitar-driven, up-tempo songwriting after Sting's classical and folk projects.
Was 57th & 9th by Sting connected to an Oscar nomination?
Sting earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "The Empty Chair," written for a documentary, around the same period. The nomination came at the 89th Academy Awards.
How did 57th & 9th by Sting perform commercially?
57th & 9th reached number nine on the Billboard 200 and sold around 600,000 copies worldwide. It was a solid return to mainstream rock for Sting.
Why is the album called 57th & 9th by Sting?
The title refers to the Manhattan street intersection Sting crossed each day on his way to the recording studio. It reflects the album's New York recording sessions.

Sources

Wikipedia: 57th & 9th MusicBrainz: 57th & 9th release group (Sting) Cover Art Archive: 57th & 9th front cover Cover Art Archive: 57th & 9th by Sting