Album

Communiqué

Released5 June 1979

Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗Deezer ↗Podcast cover

Communiqué is the second studio album by Dire Straits, released on 5 June 1979. It arrived straight after their debut and sits in the blues rock and country rock territory the band had already made their own. The single "Lady Writer" reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 51 in the UK, and the record itself did far better than that suggests, topping the album charts in Germany, Spain, New Zealand and Sweden.

It also reached number 5 in the UK and number 11 in the United States, and later earned gold status in America, platinum in Britain and double-platinum in France. For the band's story it marks a turning point, since it is the last album with the original line-up and the last to feature David Knopfler, who left while the follow-up was being made. It is worth hearing as the final snapshot of the band as it began.

Chart	Peak
UK Albums Chart · 1979–2009	5
US Billboard 200 · 1979–2009	11
German Albums · 1979–2009	1
New Zealand Albums · 1979–2009	1
Spanish Albums (AFE) · 1979–2009	1
Swedish Albums · 1979–2009	1
Norwegian Albums · 1979–2009	2
Dutch Albums · 1979–2009	3
Austrian Albums · 1979–2009	7
Hungarian Albums · 1979–2009	38

Region	Certification
Austria	Gold
Canada	2× Platinum
Denmark · 2025	Gold
Finland	Gold
France · 1991	2× Platinum
Germany	Platinum
Italy · 2021	Gold
Netherlands · 1979	Platinum
New Zealand	Gold
Spain	Platinum
Sweden	Gold
Switzerland	3× Platinum
United Kingdom	Platinum
United States	Gold

Source	Date	Note
MusicBrainz	April 1979
Wikipedia infobox	5 June 1979
Wikidata	June 1979
US release	1979	earliest US date
UK / Europe release	April 1979	earliest UK or European date

Date	Country	Label	Barcode	Kind
—	AU	Vertigo	042280005221	other
—	US	Warner Bros. Records	07599273932	other
—	XE	Vertigo	042280005221	other
—	GB	Vertigo	042280005221	other
—	AU	Vertigo	3259180005221	other
—	XE	Vertigo	042280005221	remaster
1979	CA	PolyGram	042280005221	other
1979	DE	Vertigo		other
1979	GR	Vertigo		other
1979	JP	Vertigo		other
1979	US	Warner Bros. Records		other
April 1979	GB	Vertigo		original
1984	DE	Vertigo	3259180005221	other
1984	DE	Vertigo	3259180005221	other
1984	DE	Vertigo	3259180005221	other
1984	DE	Vertigo	3259180005221	other
1984	US	Warner Bros. Records		other
1984	US	Warner Bros. Records		other
1984	US	Warner Bros. Records		other
1986	DE	Vertigo	3259180005221	other
1987	GB	Vertigo		other
1991	ZA	Vertigo	6001210525509	other
1991	FR	Vertigo	042280005221	other
1991	ZA	Phonogram	6001210525509	other
1992	RU	Ладъ		other
1992	RU	Ладъ		other
1994	DE	Vertigo	042280005221	other
1996	XE	Vertigo	042280005221	other
3 June 1996	GB	Vertigo	042280005221	remaster
19 September 2000	US	Warner Bros. Records	093624777021	other
2006	UA	Vertigo	422800052995	remaster
22 October 2008	JP	Universal International	4988005532381	other
2009	US	Warner Bros. Records	093624969723	other
22 February 2012	JP	Vertigo	4988005697660	other
20 February 2013	JP	Mercury Records	4988005748867	remaster
2014	—	Vertigo		other
27 August 2014	JP	Vertigo	4988005838148	other
29 October 2019	US	Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab	821797218566	deluxe
13 November 2019	US	Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab	821797246712	other
22 January 2021	US	Rhino	603497848607	other
25 July 2024	XW	EMI	042280005221	other
2026	XE	Mercury Records	602478782374	other

Source	Size	Verdict
coverartarchive ✓	1400×1400	upscaled: minor: best source 1400x1400, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07)
deezer	1200×1200	upscaled
fanarttv	1000×1000	upscaled

Communiqué

Communiqué: tracklist, credits and charts

Tracklist

Line-up

Singles

Peak chart positions

Certifications

Released the same week

Also released on 5 June

More from Dire Straits

The best of 1979

More on PolyGram

Releases and pressings