The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

What this video is

Released in October 1981 as the second UK single and debut international single from Ghost in the Machine, 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' arrived precisely as MTV launched in the United States in August 1981 — a confluence that transformed The Police into one of the first bona fide MTV-era superstars. The song reached No. 1 in the UK in November 1981 and No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of early-1980s new wave pop, the video exemplifies the 'performance-as-document' promo format that dominated pre-MTV and early-MTV-era rock promos — privileging authenticity and studio access over narrative spectacle. Its Caribbean location shooting prefigures the exotic-locale…

The director

Derek Burbidge is a British music video director and cinematographer who served as the primary visual architect of The Police's promo catalog from 1978 onward, directing videos for 'Roxanne,' 'Can't Stand Losing You,' 'Message in a Bottle,' 'Walking on the…