Sting has slammed the state of 'boring' modern rock, preferring to listen to 16th century lute music instead.

"Rock music has come to a standstill -- it's not going forward any more, it only bores me," the singer told German newspaper Die Zeit.

The 55-year-old has recently strayed into classical music, with his latest album Songs from the Labyrinth containing lute music inspired by Elizabethan composer John Dowland.