Dire Straits

Tempting phone call came decades before he'd join the Eagles.

"It became sort of a political football. I didn’t really want to kick it around too much."

Determined to get his band heavy exposure, Mark Knopfler borrowed ideas from one of the network's biggest acts.

Dire Straits frontman says only “three or four” people saw London pub show despite “fictitious” claims.

Given their low-key music and lack of visual flash, these guys seemed like unlikely candidates for mainstream pop stardom.

Dire Straits released only a handful of albums during their brief time together, and each offers some essential band songs. But which holds up best?

Dire Straits released their second album, 'Communique,' on June 15, 1979.

In truth, they'd never come across as overly eager about courting rock radio — and really didn't need to be.