Dire Straits Albums Ranked (rated from worst to best)
Formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals, lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Pick Withers (drums and percussion). Their 1st single, “Sultans of Swing” taken from their self titled debut album (1978) got into the top 10 in the UK and the US. After that the hits kept coming.
Their most successful album commercially was “Brothers in Arms” (1985) which has sold more than 30 million copies and was also the 1st album to sell a million copies on the CD format. Over the years their lineup changed with only Mark Knopfler and John Illsley being constant members throughout.
Table of Contents
Best Dire Straits Albums Of All Time
Dire Straits released 6 studio albums and as always we will rank them from the rest to the best as we see them.
6. Communiqué (1979)
This was their 2nd studio album which was released on June 5th 1979. There were 2 singles released from this album which were “Lady Writer” and “Once Upon a Time in The West”. The album got to number 1 on the album charts in Germany, New Zealand and Sweden, number 5 in the UK and number 11 in the US.
5. On Every Street (1991)
Released on September 9th 1991 this was the band’s 6th and final studio album. It was the follow up to their immensely successful “Brothers in Arms” and riding on that success, “On Every Street” got to number 1 on the UK charts.
There were 6 singles released from this album which were; “Calling Elvis”, “Heavy Fuel”, “On Every Street”, “The Bug”, “You and Your Friend” and “Ticket to Heaven”. “You and Your Friend” was released in Germany and France and “Ticket to Heaven” was released in the Netherlands.
4. Making Movies (1980)
This was their 3rd studio album which was released on October 17th 1980. This is the album that contains the single “Romeo and Juliet” which got to number 8 in the UK, as well as “Tunnel of Love” which was also featured in the film “An Officer And a Gentleman” starring Richard Gere (1982).
The album got to number 1 in Norway and Italy, number 4 in the UK and number 19 in the US. Many people regard “Making Movies” as one of Dire Straits best albums.
3. Love Over Gold (1982)
This was the band’s 4th studio album which was released on September 24th 1982. The album got to number 1 on the charts in the UK, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and Norway and number 19 in the US. The single “Private Investigations” got to number 2 on the UK charts which was a feat considering it’s nearly 7 minutes long. It was their 1st single to get to the top 5 on the UK singles chart.
This was the last Dire Straits album to feature Pick Withers (drums) who left in November 1982 and was replaced with Terry Williams (Dave Edmunds). This was the album that also contained the track “Telegraph Road”.
2. Dire Straits (1978)
Released on June 9th 1978, this was Dire Straits, self titled debut. The hit single “Sultans of Swing” was taken from this album and got to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and number 8 on the UK singles chart. The album got to number 1 in Australia, Germany and France, number 2 in the US and number 5 in the UK.
1. Brothers in Arms (1985)
This was the band’s 5th studio album which was released on May 17th 1985. It was at number 1 on the UK album charts for a total of 14 non consecutive weeks, 9 weeks at number 1 in the US and 34 weeks at number 1 on the Australian album charts. It is the 8th best selling album ever in the history of the charts in the UK, as well as being one of the world’s best selling albums with more than 30 million copies sold worldwide.
It’s a complete showcase of what Dire Straits were capable of. From the opening track “So Far Away From You” through “Money For Nothing” (which featured added vocals from Sting) right on through to the album’s closing and title track, every one a great song.
All Dire Straits Albums In Chronological Order
| Album | Date |
|---|---|
| Dire Straits | 1978 |
| Communiqué | 1979 |
| Making Movies | 1980 |
| Love over Gold | 1982 |
| Brothers in Arms | 1985 |
| On Every Street | 1991 |
Frequently Asked Questions
The best selling Dire Straits album is “Brothers In Arms” which has sold in excess of 30 million copies.
The newest Dire Straits album is “On Every Street” which was released on September 9th 1991.
The first Dire Straits album was “Dire Straits” which was released on June 9th 1978.
Dire Straits most famous song is “Sultans of Swing” which was taken from the album “Dire Straits”.
Dire Straits were formed in London, England, UK in 1977.
The genres ascribed to Dire Straits are; Blues rock, roots rock and pub rock.
Dire Straits stopped performing in 1995, past members of the band were; Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, John Illsley, Pick Withers, Alan Clark, Hal Lindes, Jack Sonni, Terry Williams and Guy Fletcher.
