Dire Straits

Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler on vocals and guitar, his brother David on guitar, bass player John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers. Their sound was stripped-down and rooted in the pub rock scene, with country, folk, jazz and the blues rock of J. J. Cale all in the mix. Through several line-up changes, Mark Knopfler and Illsley were the only constants.

Their debut single, "Sultans of Swing", came from the self-titled first album of 1978 and reached the top 10 in both the UK and US. Making Movies, Love Over Gold and Communiqué followed before Brothers in Arms in 1985, their biggest seller, with "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life" among its hits. They split in 1988, regrouped in 1990 and called it a day in 1995. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.