Timeline
The founding lineup of Dire Straits – Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, David Knopfler, and Pick Withers – begins rehearsing at Farrer House in Deptford.
Dire Straits play their first show (as Café Racers), outdoors, as part of the Crossfields Festival. The set includes ‘Sultans Of Swing’, ‘Down To The Waterline’, and ‘Southbound Again’, as well covers of songs by Ry Cooder and Brenda Lee.
Dire Straits record their first demo at Pathway Studios, including an early version of ‘Sultans Of Swing’, which BBC Radio London DJ Charlie Gillett would later play on-air.
The band performs for the first time as Dire Straits, supporting Squeeze at the Albany Empire in Deptford.
The demo recording of ‘Sultans Of Swing’ is played on the BBC Radio London program, Honky Tonk.
Dire Straits sign with Phonogram Records. The band also performs a number of gigs in and around London that autumn, including regular appearances at Rock Garden and Hope And Anchor.
Dire Straits’ first tour, as support for Talking Heads, begins in Sheffield.
Recording for Dire Straits’ debut album begins at Basing Street Studios.
The band hits the road again, opening for Climax Blues Band. Another tour supporting Styx follows, as well as concerts supporting Gerry Rafferty and Elvis Costello.
Dire Straits make their television debut, performing ‘Sultans Of Swing’ and ‘Lions’ on The Old Grey Whistle Test.
The band’s self-titled debut is released on Vertigo Records (a division of Phonogram). Produced by Muff Winwood, Dire Straits includes the hit ‘Sultans Of Swing’, and peaks at #5 on the UK albums chart.
The band begins their first headlining tour in Wolverhampton, spanning 55 shows in the UK and Europe.
The second album by Dire Straits, Communiqué, is released. Produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, the album hit #1 in several European countries and peaked at #5 in the UK.
Making Movies, Dire Straits’ third album, is released. Produced by Jimmy Iovine and Mark, Making Movies peaks at #4 on the UK charts and includes the singles ‘Romeo And Juliet’, ‘Skateaway’ and ‘Tunnel Of Love’.
The band makes their US television debut, performing ‘Sultans Of Swing’ and ‘Skateaway’ on Solid Gold.
Produced by Mark Knopfler, Love Over Gold is released. Their first UK #1 album, Love Over Gold includes the singles ‘Private Investigations’ and ‘Industrial Disease’ and propelled the band to their first Brit, for Best British Group, the following year.
The ExtendeDancEPlay EP (titled Twisting By The Pool in some territories) is released.
Alchemy: Dire Straits Live, the band’s first official live album, is released featuring recordings made over two nights at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on the Love Over Gold tour.
Brothers In Arms is released. Produced by Mark Knopfler and Neil Dorfsman, the album features the hit singles ‘Money For Nothing’, ‘Walk Of Life’, and ‘So Far Away’. The record-breaking album goes to #1 in a dozen countries, winning the Brit for Best British Album and Grammys for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group (for ‘Money For Nothing’), Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical, and Best Music Video, eventually selling more than 30 million copies worldwide.
The groundbreaking, computer-animated video for ‘Money For Nothing’ is released. The video will help drive the single to the top of the US singles charts. It goes on to win Video of the Year and Best Group Video at the 1986 MTV Video Awards , and is the first video shown when MTV Europe launches in 1987.
Dire Straits perform an afternoon set at Wembley Stadium as part of the historic Live Aid benefit concert, which is seen by a global television audience of nearly 2 million people. Sting guests on ‘Money For Nothing’. The band plays their own headlining show at Wembley Arena the same night.
Dire Straits headlines the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium, with Eric Clapton guesting on second guitar.
Money For Nothing, Dire Straits’ first greatest hits compilation, is released. The album includes a handful of previously unreleased outtakes, mixes and edits.
Dire Straits make a surprise appearance at the Mayfair Ballroom in Newcastle for a charity gala concert in honour of 11-year-old Joanne Gillespie – the National Children of Courage and North East Personality award winner who published the 1989 book Brave Heart about her fight against cancer. The concert raised more than £35,000.
Mark Knopfler and Guy Fletcher join Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker to form The Notting Hillbillies. The band releases one album, Missing…Presumed Having a Good Time, and embarks on several UK tours throughout the 1990s.
Dire Straits’ sixth and final studio album, On Every Street, is released. Including the singles ‘Calling Elvis’, ‘Heavy Fuel’ and the title track; the album tops the charts throughout Europe and reaches #12 in the US.
Dire Straits’ second live album, On The Night, is released. Recorded in May 1992 during the On Every Street tour, a VHS version including three additional songs is also released.
Encores, a companion EP to On The Night, containing four more tracks recorded during the On Every Street tour, is released.
Live At The BBC, a collection of BBC recordings dating 78-80, is released.
Under the name ‘Mark Knopfler and Friends’, Dire Straits performs three gigs at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London, and one at Beaulieu Castle. The shows consisted of a set by The Notting Hillbillies, followed by Dire Straits playing the second hour.
Private Investigations: The Best Of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler is released.
Mark Knopfler and John Illsley attend the unveiling of a PRS for Music Heritage Plaque by Ellis Rich, PRS Chairman. The special plaque is mounted outside the ground floor of Farrer House on Church Street in Deptford, UK, where Dire Straits began rehearsing in 1977 and where the band later played their first gig.
Limited to 1000 copies, four songs from the band’s first demo are released as The Honky Tonk Demos for Record Store Day 2015.
Dire Straits is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.