British rock band Dire Straits recorded just six albums over 13 years, but their contribution both musically and culturally was significant.
This was one of my shorter deep dives, but also one of my most rewarding. Every one of these albums is a treasure, featuring excellent songwriting, enveloping production, and the sweet guitar stylings of Mark Knopfler.
Knopfler is the driving creative force behind Dire Straits, with sole authorship of every song, but I was always impressed by how well the unit functions as a band — one that remains one of the most beloved and best-selling British acts of all time.
My wrap-up of the deep dive and personal ranking of Dire Straits’ six albums
Mark Knopfler’s solo work
I have very little exposure to Knopfler’s work outside of Dire Straits, with the exception of his excellent 2000 album Sailing to Philadelphia. I have written about the following tracks from that record:
‘El Macho‘
Meet Me In Montauk 