Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

The Latest Breaking News from Dire Straits

A master of making major key licks sound moody, Mark Knopfler is one of guitar’s true alchemists – take your melodic phrasing to new heights with this lesson in the Dire Straits icon’s soloing style

Few players can pick out the notes like Knopfler, and this lesson goes deep into his fingerstyle approach, and how he foregrounds melody to tell a story with his leads

Guitar World

Tidal is definitely lossless, and my mate can prove it

I decided to see what the real measurable differences were between the (hopefully) lossless service and the admitted lossy Spotify...

What Hi-Fi?

“It’s loud, it’s obnoxious, it’s brainless, and It’s definitely not music for wimps.” When The Pogues' Shane MacGowan reviewed singles by Deep Purple, The Smiths, Robert Fripp, Dire Straits, Nico and more

Shane MacGowan didn't hold back when asked to review the music of his peers

Louder

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

‘Are you not entertained?’ Russell Crowe’s shockingly good set epitomises the spirit of Glastonbury

The ‘Gladiator’ star and former busker charged enthusiastically through covers of Dire Straits and Johnny Cash, along with some original songs, on Glastonbury’s Acoustic Stage. Louis Chilton was charmed

The Independent UK

FiiO SP3 BT review

A marvellous pair of speakers with a weighty feel and smooth, rich audio.

PC Gamer

OPINION - Move over Dire Straits, stadium pop is now fashion, fabulous and gay

I conceded that this week belonged to one woman, on waking up Monday morning to be greeted by every news channel leading with concurrent Taylor Swift stories. I found myself unknowingly adjudicating their sincerity on the subject. Kay Burley was the only believable Swiftie. Lorraine laid it on a bit…

Evening Standard

Everton’s mood is Green Day. For Liverpool it’s more Dire Straits

In today’s Football Daily: And then there were two?

The Guardian - UK

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

‘With a Strat you can rule the world!’ Nile Rodgers, Bonnie Raitt and John Squire on the electric guitar that changed everything

How did a radio repair man make an instrument so sublime that it makes giants of music weep with reverence? As the Fender Stratocaster turns 70, we explore its extraordinary life

The Guardian - UK

“I chose the wrong key”: Mark Knopfler reveals the Dire Straits song that “didn’t come out the way I wanted”

He’s previously referred to its lengthy outro as “pointless”

MusicRadar

“Some guitars are just that little bit special that they work their way in, you know?” Mark Knopfler on why he had to keep his Sultans of Swing Strat – despite selling his Money for Nothing Les Paul and the rest of his collection

The Dire Straits icon recently sold off his most famous and valuable instruments – but there were a few notable exceptions...

Guitar World

"The dreams of a teenage kid... to me it's always been the fuel that keeps you going": Mark Knopfler releases achingly poignant new single Watch Me Gone

Watch Me Gone finds former Dire Straits man Mark Knopfler in typically reflective mood

Louder

“Those Dire Straits songs walked away from me long ago. They belong to you now”: the life and times of Mark Knopfler, rock’s reluctant superstar

Ex-Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler on motorbike crashes, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and his complicated relationship with his old band

Louder

Dire Straits star Mark Knopfler unites world guitar heroes for charity record

Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd are among the stars to feature on the record for the Teenage Cancer Trust

Evening Standard

"The BBC said, We don’t want to play this song because there are too many words in it": Why Dire Straits had to break America before they were embraced in England

Dire Straits may have been the biggest English rock band of the '80s, but it took recognition in the US to kickstart their success in their homeland

Louder

Get all your
news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One news app.

Guitar World

“These guitars illustrate the musical journey of one of popular music’s greatest artists”: Inside Christie’s’ epic $11.2 million Mark Knopfler guitar auction

We got an up-close look at some of the most storied, rare and collectible of Mark Knopfler's guitars, just before they went under the hammer

MusicRadar

Mark Knopfler's Brother In Arms Les Paul is the most valuable sale in his guitar auction that raised over $11 million

But the Dire Straits icon is not done buying more guitars

Guitar World

“Staggering”: Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Collection has sold at auction for over $11 million – with a record-breaking ’59 Burst sale and 28 guitars fetching over $100K

The 122 lot sale included the Dire Straits man’s Money for Nothing Les Paul and Walk of Life Schecter, alongside his custom Suhr guitars

International Business Times

Dire Straits Legend's Guitars Garner Six-figure Sales

Several guitars put up for sale by Mark Knopfler, the former frontman of British rock group Dire Straits, on Wednesday fetched hundreds of thousands of pounds each at auction.

Get all your
news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One news app.

Top News

Throwback: Phil Collins, Sting and Mark Knopfler in 1986

Take a nostalgic journey back in time with Phil Collins as he shares a vintage image from 1986 featuring Sting and Mark Knopfler. Relive timeless moments o...

MusicRadar

"I said, 'I wish Sting was here', and they said 'He is, he’s here on holiday!'": Mark Knopfler, George Martin and more on 10 years, 70 albums, massive hit singles, a hurricane and a volcano – the incredible story of AIR Studios Montserrat

Best of 2023: The Police, Dire Straits, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Duran Duran are just a few of the AAA names who enjoyed the most idyllic of recording studios, but it didn't end well for this particular AIR

Guitar World

“At four in the morning, I got a call from David Bowie. He said they needed a guitar player for Iggy Pop’s album”: As right-hand man for everyone from Mark Knopfler to Eric Clapton, ‘Session Man’ Phil Palmer more than earned his nickname

Armed with a Nocaster given to him by his uncle, the Kinks’ Dave Davies, Palmer became a go-to guitarist for some of music’s biggest names, landing an official role in Dire Straits – and narrowly missing out on playing Clapton’s MTV Unplugged set

The Conversation

Changing the lyrics to hit songs might be increasingly noticeable – but it's a longstanding musical practice

Electronic dance music band The Prodigy are the latest act to attract attention for changing the lyrics to a longstanding hit in recent live shows. They now repeat the opening line “change my pitch up” in place of the song’s title “Smack My Bitch Up”. The song’s been a source…

MusicRadar

Learn four guitar chords from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits songs

Check out guitar George, he knows all the chords

MusicRadar

Is Prince's Purple Rain really the second-greatest guitar riff of all time? A new survey says 'yes'

And Seven Nation Army is the only riff recorded after the '80s to make the top 20

Zenger

Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ Voted Best Guitar Riff Of All Time

Poll of music fans reveals iconic rock classics and modern hits in the top rankings.

1 2

People

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Organisations

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Topics

Places

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.