Dire Straits was an English rock band formed in London in 1977 around Mark Knopfler's fingerstyle guitar and low, conversational vocals. Brothers in Arms (1985) made them a global phenomenon, but Making Movies (1980) and Love over Gold (1982) are just as rewarding. Shop Dire Straits vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Dire Straits formed in London in 1977 around Mark Knopfler (born August 12, 1949), his younger brother David Knopfler, John Illsley, and Pick Withers. Their 1978 self-titled debut produced the international hit Sultans of Swing. The classic lineup with the Knopfler brothers dissolved in 1980 when David Knopfler departed. Mark Knopfler continued with various lineups; the 1985 album Brothers in Arms (one of the first albums to sell more than one million CD copies) made them a global commercial phenomenon. The band's 1985-86 world tour and the eventual reunion tour of 1991-92 (in support of On Every Street) made them one of the highest-grossing live acts of the era. Mark Knopfler dissolved the band in 1995 to focus on his solo career.
Dire Straits' sound combined rock, blues rock, soft rock, and roots rock with Mark Knopfler's distinctive fingerstyle electric guitar playing (avoiding picks throughout his career) and his low, conversational vocal delivery. Their work bridged classic rock traditions with more polished 1980s production approaches, with Brothers in Arms (1985) representing a commercial peak.
Original Vertigo and Warner Bros. pressings of the Dire Straits catalog are widely collected. Multiple anniversary editions, audiophile reissues (including Mobile Fidelity), and box sets including the Vertigo Singles Collection box have been released.
Listeners new to Dire Straits typically start with Brothers in Arms (1985) or Making Movies (1980).
