Top 11 Dire Straits Songs

By CJ Tiernan

Dire Straits was a British rock band formed in the late '70s and they performed on and off until the mid '90s. They featured Mark Knopfler on lead guitar and lead vocals, David "Pick" Withers on Drums and percussion, David Knopfler on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and John Illsley on bass and backing vocals. I know you had the same thought I did: how in the world is it the only guy without a guitar in his hand is the guy nicknamed "Pick." It just feels like a miss, like how the only guy in ZZ Top without a hilariously long beard was named Frank Beard. Anyway, these guys were an awesome band with a slew of hits. They blended genres with their rock, as some songs hit hard and others had a dash of blues or jazz sprinkled in. Below is a list of my 11 favorite songs by Dire Straits I've ever heard.

Heinroch Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Sultans of Swing (1978) - Dire Straits

Often times you hear of a band going through struggles and years of practice (read: failure) before finally making it big. And those are the bands that you've actually heard of. The Beatles, for example had a very intense origin story. For Dire Straits, the first single from their self-titled debut album (released one year after they formed) was "Sultans of Swing." They came out the gates...swinging. This song is my favorite. It is the perfect mix of rock: you can sing along to it and shred some mean air guitar.

2. Romeo and Juliet (1980) - Making Movies

I bet you'll never guess where the title for this song came from. Why yes, it is about the star-crossed lovers of Shakespearian lore. It also mixes in some more contemporary references like "Hey, la, my boyfriend's back." (Is a reference to a song from the '60s a contemporary reference in 1980?) This song hits a sweet spot that many of the band's biggest hits managed to find between tender and rock and roll.

3. Money For Nothing (1985) - Brothers in Arms

This was their biggest hit from their biggest album. It's another eternal banger. Fun fact: the "I want my MTV" line that gets sung over and over is actually performed by Sting (you know, of The Police) and he sings it to the beat of his own hit song "Don't Stand too Close to Me." Plus, Weird Al did his own version of the song for the movie "UHF" that lampooned the acclaimed music video and sung about the Beverly Hillbillies. The video intro was computer animated. In 1985, the graphics were... something to behold. The animated elements added to the live action shots, however: sick!

4. Heavy Fuel (1991) - On Every Street

This song absolutely slaps. It might be the most robust bass in their catalog. It features the singer singing the praises of such vices as "nicotine for breakfast" and "scotch all night." It's the kind of song you throw on while cruising down the road with the wind in your hair and forget yourself for five minutes. It is based off a book titled Money that follows '80s consumer culture down the hedonistic rabbit hole with a main character so self-entitled his surname is literally "Self." Ha. Good one!

5. Brothers in Arms (1985) - Brothers in Arms

The title track and closing track of their best selling album, "Brothers in Arms" is possibly Dire Straits' most powerful song. The phrase conjures up images of soldiers in war. The song express a yearning to "No longer burn to be brothers in arms," encouraging a call to arms to end a war. This song is apparently a frequent choice to be played at military funerals. It has haunting vocals and an incredible guitar solo and is unquestionably one of the bands most beautiful songs.

6. On Every Street (1991) - On Every Street

Dire Straits does something unique in their music that you don't always see. My favorite part of multiple songs of theirs takes place not only at the end of the song but after the lyrics have subsided. This song has melancholy lyrics and a mellow melody until the final minute or so when it crescendos into sonic drama in a really fascinating way. The guitar solo outro (or occasionally sax solo outro) is like their signature move. Speaking of signature moves: dibs on "sax solo outro" as a new tongue-twister (Gotcha! You thought I was gonna say band name).

7. Calling Elvis (1991) - On Every Street

This is a fun song to rock out to. The percussion really drives this song and makes it feel like there is a level of urgency at play. It is really just singing about a guy who believes that Elvis is still alive and is trying to reach out because he is a fan. The genesis of the song was as simple as Mark Knopfler once being told he was "harder to reach than Elvis." Funny where we get our ideas. (Funnier still that I said "we" like "The Knopf" and I are on the same level).

8. Lady Writer (1979) - Communiqué

Given some of the language used in Dire Straits' songs, it would be reasonable to jump to the conclusion that this title feels a skosh misogynistic. I don't know one way or the other whether that's true, but I do know that this song sounds a lot like "Sultans of Swing." Like kinda a lot a lot. For that reason alone, it rocks!

9. So Far Away (1985) - Brothers in Arms

The guitar in this song is so fun. It has such a unique sound. Classic Dire Straits. This is the opening track on "Brother in Arms." The first four tracks are this one, "Money for Nothing," "Walk of Life," and then "Your Latest Trick." That is a heck of a way to start an album.

10. Your Latest Trick (1985) - Brothers in Arms

Ladies and gentleman: the brass section has entered the chat. This song starts with a trumpet (or bongos depending on the version you listen to) and then features a saucy saxophone throughout. (Wait: is the sax part of the brass section? Crap, I think it's a woodwind). Anyway, the vocals are tender and the guitar is great (as always) but this is a saxophone song. Dude, the sax! I might put it second behind only Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" for best sax of all time. Aw man, but then there's "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger. I might have to do a Top 11 list for best Sax parts. Stay tuned.

11. Skateaway (1980) - Making Movies

This is a great song with highs and lows. It reminds me of something you might hear when Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf team up, but with less piano and more funky guitar. The percussion is a lot like "Calling Elvis," where it feels like the cymbals are driving the speed and energy of the song. It is wonderful.

Final Thoughts

I don't know if Dire Straits gets enough shine these days. I would imagine that most people know at least a few of their songs, but they really have quite the catalog. In fact, one of their biggest commercial hits, "Walk of Life," was left off my list. I didn't enjoy having to leave "Expresso Love," "Down to the Waterline," and "Tunnel of Love" off my list (although I hate to perpetuate a common mispronunciation of the word "espresso," the song "Expresso Love" is too great to leave unsaid). If I left any of your favorites off the list, please let me know in the comments below. Thanks and Rock on!