Sting won the first Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1992 for “The Soul Cages.”
The category honors songwriting rather than the recording’s performance alone. “The Soul Cages” was written by Sting and served as the title track of his 1991 album. Its lyrics drew on the death of his father and maritime imagery, giving the song a reflective, narrative character.
Best Rock Song was introduced as the Grammy Awards expanded their genre-specific songwriting recognition. It differs from Best Rock Performance, which focuses more directly on the recorded performance, and Best Rock Album, which recognizes an entire album.
Sting had already become internationally known through The Police before establishing a major solo career. His first Best Rock Song victory connected that solo work to one of the Recording Academy’s principal rock categories.