Founded by brothers Mark and David Knopfler in 1977, Dire Straits introduced a viable alternative to the punk-dominated British music scene of the late 70’s. Commonly referred to and categorized as “roots rock”, the group’s legacy regularly exists within the realm of a blues, country, and folk auditory aesthetic.

Along with their long-time friends, John Illsley on bass guitar and Pick Withers on drums and percussion, Straits' first demo included five tracks which featured their well-known hit, “Sultans of Swing.”.

The band is recognized as one of the 100 most successful groups of all-time, with total record sales exceeding 100 million world-wide.

With a total of six studio albums, ranging from 1977’s Dire Straits to 1991’s On Every Street, the band decided to permanently dismember in 1995 when founder https://genius.com/artists/Mark-knopfler began his own solo career.