The sultans of swing.

The band

Dire Straits came about through a musical collaboration between Mark and David Knopfler. After graduating from university with a degree in English, Mark took a job writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post. Wanting to pursue a career in music, he took a teaching position at Loughton College while playing music at night, performing with pub bands around town. Following his divorce and struggling financially, Mark moved into his brother David's flat, where John Illsley also lived. In 1977, Mark, John, and David decided to form a band. They recruited drummer Pick Withers and began rehearsing.

My album

Dire Straits is the debut studio album by the British rock band released on 7 October 1978. The album reached #1 on album charts in Germany, Australia and France, #2 in the United States and #5 in the United Kingdom. Dire Straits was later certified double-platinum in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

My song

Brothers in Arms (Brothers in Arms, 1985). Why? That unique sound and melancholic tone while Mark Knopflers's guitar almost sounds like it's crying.

Did you know?

Brinsley Schwarz, a friend of Mark's, helped give the group their name, a reference to their financial situation.