Mark Knopfler
Fingerpicked storytelling that made every note count
Mark Knopfler was born in Glasgow in 1949 to a Hungarian father and an English mother, and moved with his family to the Newcastle area at the age of seven. Inspired by Hank Marvin, Chet Atkins and the blues, he taught himself guitar and, lacking a pick that suited him, developed a fingerstyle technique he would never abandon. Before music paid the bills he studied journalism, worked as a newspaper reporter in Leeds and later lectured in English while playing in pub bands at night.
In 1977 he formed Dire Straits in London with his brother David, bassist John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers. A demo of Sultans of Swing reached DJ Charlie Gillett, whose radio plays helped secure a record deal. The re-recorded single became a transatlantic hit in 1978–79, and the band's lean, understated sound stood out sharply against punk and disco. Communiqué and Making Movies followed, the latter containing the cinematic epics Tunnel of Love and Romeo and Juliet.
Love Over Gold (1982) opened with the fourteen-minute Telegraph Road, and Knopfler branched into film scoring with Local Hero, Cal and The Princess Bride. Brothers in Arms (1985) turned Dire Straits into one of the biggest bands on earth: Money for Nothing, co-written with Sting, dominated MTV, and the album sold tens of millions of copies. He also produced and played for others, including Bob Dylan, while the group's 1985–86 world tour played to vast crowds.
After On Every Street and a gruelling world tour, Knopfler dissolved Dire Straits in 1995 and launched a solo career built on folk, country and Celtic influences, beginning with Golden Heart in 1996. He collaborated with Chet Atkins and Emmylou Harris, formed the rootsy Notting Hillbillies, and was appointed OBE. Dire Straits entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, and he has continued to release thoughtful albums such as One Deep River (2024).
The 10 greatest Mark Knopfler solos
- 1Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1978
- 2Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1982
- 3Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1985
- 4Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1980
- 5Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1985
- 6Mark Knopfler · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1983
- 7Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1982
- 8Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1979
- 9Mark Knopfler · solo by Mark Knopfler · 2000
- 10Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1980
The sound
Knopfler plays almost entirely with his fingers, using thumb, index and middle finger to snap strings against the frets for a percussive, almost vocal attack. That approach lets him mix bass lines, chords and melody, and gives his single notes a clean, articulate bite. He favours economy over speed, placing short, conversational fills between vocal lines and building solos like stories. His signature Stratocaster tone, often in the in-between pickup positions, is clean or lightly overdriven, and he blends rockabilly, country picking, blues bends and Celtic melody into a highly personal voice.
- 1961 Fender Stratocaster (guitar) Acquired in 1977; he said Sultans of Swing came alive the moment he played it on this guitar.
- National Style O resonator (guitar) The steel-bodied guitar pictured on the Brothers in Arms cover and heard on Romeo and Juliet.
- Schecter Stratocaster-style guitars (guitar) Red Strat-style guitars he used widely on stage in the early 1980s.
- Gibson Les Paul (guitar) The guitar behind the thick, growling riff of Money for Nothing.
- Pensa-Suhr custom (guitar) A custom Strat-style instrument prominent in the late 1980s.
- Fender Vibrolux (amp) A small Fender combo associated with his early clean tone.
Covers
- Tears, originally by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli A gentle homage to one of his heroes, played in duet with another.
- There'll Be Some Changes Made, originally by Traditional pop standard (Overstreet and Higgins) A good-humoured swing duet trading licks and vocals with Atkins.
- Yakety Axe, originally by Boots Randolph (Yakety Sax) A playful picking romp on Atkins's guitar adaptation of the novelty classic.
- Feel Like Going Home, originally by Charlie Rich A reverent country-soul reading with the Notting Hillbillies.
- Weapon of Prayer, originally by The Louvin Brothers Close harmonies and restrained picking honour the gospel-country original.
Timeline
- 1949 Born in Glasgow, Scotland
- 1977 Forms Dire Straits and records the Sultans of Swing demo
- 1978 Dire Straits' debut album is released
- 1982 Love Over Gold opens with the epic Telegraph Road
- 1983 Scores the film Local Hero
- 1985 Brothers in Arms becomes a global phenomenon; plays Live Aid
- 1995 Dissolves Dire Straits
- 1996 Releases first solo album, Golden Heart
- 2018 Dire Straits inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2024 Releases One Deep River and auctions over 120 guitars and amps
Facts
- He is naturally left-handed but plays guitar right-handed.
- He worked as a newspaper journalist before becoming a professional musician.
- Sultans of Swing was inspired by a jazz band he saw playing in a Deptford pub.
- He first wrote Sultans of Swing on a National steel guitar but found it dull until he played it on his 1961 Stratocaster.
- He wrote the scores for the films Local Hero, Cal and The Princess Bride.
- Brothers in Arms sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
- An asteroid, 28151 Markknopfler, is named after him.
- He is a devoted supporter of Newcastle United.
- In 2024 he sold more than 120 guitars and amps at auction, giving a share of the proceeds to charity.
- Rolling Stone placed him 27th on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.