Dire Straits waited three years after 1982’s Love Over Gold to release their next album, dropping an EP and live album in the meantime. Then, in 1985, came Brothers in Arms.

This nine-song collection is a perfect synthesis of the band’s pop sensibility and artistic proclivities, boasting both radio-friendly hits and jazzy art pop. Brothers in Arms is one of the first albums recorded digitally and the first smash hit of the CD era (it sold more than a million copies on CD, topping its vinyl and cassette sales).

In the riff-heavy ‘Money For Nothing,’ a satirical takedown of the music industry in the voice of an appliance store worker, Dire Straits earned its first (and only) #1 hit in the U.S. The rockabilly ‘Walk of Life’ made it to #7.

Both songs are excellent, but just as good are the tracks surrounding them: ‘So Far Away,’ ‘Your Latest Trick,’ ‘Why Worry,’ ‘Ride Across the River,’ ‘The Man’s Too Strong,’ and ‘One World.’ All make use of an expanded lineup of studio musicians, featuring horns, synths, and innovative percussion.

Perhaps best of all is the closing title track, a cinematic anti-war epic that’s breathtakingly beautiful. ‘Brothers in Arms’ is definitely a top two or three Dire Straits song, if not their best ever.

I was surprised to learn that reviews of this album were mixed to negative, with some critics dismissing it as adult contemporary slop. The 40 years since its release have allowed for a reconsideration, and Brothers in Arms has often been cited as one of the best 80s albums. I wholeheartedly agree.