Sultans of Swing

Last updated

With "Sultans of Swing" a breath of fresh air was exhaled into the airwaves in the late '70s. Sure, Donald Fagen and Tom Waits were writing great lyrics about characters you'd love to meet and Jeff Beck and Eddie Van Halen were great guitar players. But Knopfler, he could do both things as well or better than anybody out there in his own way, and didn't seem to have any obvious rock influences unless you try to include Dylan. Like his contemporary and future duet partner Sting, Knopfler's ideas were intellectually and musically stimulating, but were also accessible to the average listener. It was almost like jazz for the layman. "Sultans of Swing" was a lesson in prosody and tasty guitar playing that has seldom been equaled since. If you aren't familiar with "Sultans of Swing" or haven't listened to it in a while, you should definitely check it out. [23]

Record Mirror named "Sultans of Swing" the tenth-best song of 1978. [24] In 1992, Life named it one of the top five songs of 1979. [25] In 1993, Paul Williams included it in his book Rock and Roll: The 100 Best Singles. [26] The song is on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list, Dire Straits' only appearance. [27] In 2006, Mojo included it in a list of the 50 best British songs. [28] Guitar World ranked its guitar solo at the 22nd greatest, and Rolling Stone named it the 32nd greatest guitar song. [8] [29]

Chart performance

The song was originally released in May 1978, but it did not chart at the time. Following its re-issue in January 1979, the song entered the American music pop chart. Unusually, the success of this single release came more than six months after the relatively unheralded release of the band's debut album in October 1978. BBC Radio was initially unwilling to play the song due to its high lyrical content but after it became a US hit, their line softened. [30] The song reached the top 10 in both the UK and the US, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped drive sales of the album, which also became a hit.

"Sultans of Swing" was re-issued again as a single in November 1988, a month after it appeared on the band's greatest hits album Money for Nothing , when it peaked at No. 62. It was also included on Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits and The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations .

Other versions

Knopfler has improvised and expanded the solo during live performances. The coda of the live recording on the 1984 album Alchemy stretches the song to nearly 11 minutes. [31] Another live version of the song came at the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in London when Eric Clapton teamed up with the band to play the song, providing rhythm guitar.

Charts

"Sultans of Swing"
Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing picture cover.jpg
Single by Dire Straits
from the album Dire Straits
B-side
  • "Eastbound Train"
  • "Southbound Again"
Released19 May 1978 (UK) [1]
  • January 1979 (US)
RecordedFebruary 1978 (album version)
Studio Basing Street, London
Genre
Length5:47
Label
Songwriter(s) Mark Knopfler
Producer(s) Muff Winwood
Dire Straits singles chronology
"Sultans of Swing"
(1978)
"Water of Love"
(1978)
Audio sample
Weekly chart peaks for "Sultans of Swing"
Chart (1978–1979)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [32] 6
Belgium Singles Chart [33] 14
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary [34] 26
Canadian RPM Top Singles [35] 4
German Singles Chart [36] 20
Ireland Singles Chart [37] 6
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [38] 11
New Zealand Singles Chart [39] 12
South African Chart [40] 3
UK Singles Chart [41] 8
US Billboard Hot 100 [42] 4
US Billboard Adult Contemporary [43] 46
1978 year-end positions for "Sultans of Swing"
Chart (1978)Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report) [44] 85
1979 year-end positions for "Sultans of Swing"
Chart (1979)Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) [45] 61

Certifications

Certifications for "Sultans of Swing"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [46] Platinum60,000
Canada (Music Canada) [47] Gold75,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [48] Platinum90,000
Germany (BVMI) [49] Gold250,000
Italy (FIMI) [50] 3× Platinum300,000
New Zealand (RMNZ) [51] 6× Platinum180,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [52] 4× Platinum240,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [53] 2× Platinum1,200,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 47.
  2. All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music (4th ed.). Hal Leonard Corporation. 2001. p. 120. ISBN   0879309237.
  3. Breihan, Tom (26 October 2020). "The Number Ones: Dire Strait's "Money for Nothing"". Stereogum . Retrieved 10 October 2022. ...their drawling, drowsy roots-rock song "Sultans Of Swing"...
  4. Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (17 July 2000). "A Flock of Haircuts: New Wave". Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 152. ISBN   978-0-312-19821-3.
  5. Gallucci, Michael. "Top 10 Dire Straits Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  6. Reespublished, Paul (17 April 2015). "The Top 10 Best Dire Straits Songs". loudersound. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  7. "31 Best Classic Rock Songs Ever Made (All Time Hits)". Music Grotto. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  8. 1 2 "100 Greatest Guitar Solos: No. 22 'Sultans of Swing' (Mark Knopfler)". Guitar World. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  9. "Song Stories - "Sultans of Swing"". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  10. "Digital Sheet Music – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. "Spinning on Air". WNYC.org. All of the chords are compatible with a D natural minor scale, except for the A major triad which suggests a D harmonic minor scale.
  12. Rooksby 2002, p. 104
  13. 1 2 Oldfield 1984, p. 42
  14. Wooldridge 2002, p. 1962
  15. "On Every Street" official tour programme.
  16. Tucker, Ken (25 January 1979). "Dire Straits". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  17. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 27 January 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  18. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 27 January 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  19. Brackett 2004, p. 242
  20. Kershner, Jim (3 April 1992). "Dire Straits: Tour Provides A Great Opportunity to See a Great Band". Spokane Chronicle . Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  21. Marlowe, Jon (26 November 1980). "Dire Straits 'Making Movies' Stcks to a Reality That Really Sticks to Your Heart". The Palm Beach Post . Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  22. Rees, Paul (17 April 2015). "The Top 10 Best Dire Straits Songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  23. Moore, Rick (7 January 2013). "Dire Straits, 'Sultans of Swing'". American Songwriter . Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  24. "Record Mirror End of Year Lists". Rock List Music. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  25. "Life". Rock List Music. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  26. Williams 1993, p. 166-167
  27. "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  28. "Mojo". Rock List Music. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  29. "Music News: Latest and Breaking Music News". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  30. "Humble guitar hero in Istanbul tonight". Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  31. Ruhlmann, William. "Alchemy: Dire Straits Live Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  32. Grant Dawe. "Top 100 singles in Australia 1978" . Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  33. "Sultans of swing in Belgian Chart". Ultratop and Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  34. "Sultans of swing in Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  35. "Sultans of swing in Canadian Top Singles Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  36. "Sultans of swing in German Chart". Media control. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  37. "Sultans of swing in Irish Chart". IRMA. Retrieved 13 June 2013. Only one result when searching "Sultans of swing"
  38. "Sultans of swing in Netherlands Chart". Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  39. Hung Medien. "Sultans of swing in New Zealand Chart" . Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  40. John Samson. "Sultans of swing in South African Chart" . Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  41. "Dire Straits". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  42. "Dire Straits awards on Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  43. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 74.
  44. "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report . Retrieved 14 February 2022 via Imgur.com.
  45. "1979 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 51. 22 December 1979. p. TIA-10.
  46. "Brazilian single certifications – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  47. "Canadian single certifications – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing". Music Canada . Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  48. "Danish single certifications – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  49. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Dire Straits; 'Sultans of Swing')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  50. "Italian single certifications – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  51. "New Zealand single certifications – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  52. "Spanish single certifications – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  53. "British single certifications – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 6 January 2023.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dire Straits</span> British rock band

Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, John Illsley and Pick Withers. They were active from 1977 to 1988 and again from 1990 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Knopfler</span> British musician (born 1949)

Mark Freuder Knopfler is a British guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995. He pursued a solo career after the band dissolved, and is now an independent artist.

<i>Dire Straits</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Dire Straits

Dire Straits is the debut studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 9 June 1978 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album features the hit single "Sultans of Swing", which reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached the top of the album charts in Germany, Australia and France, number 2 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. Dire Straits was later certified double platinum in both the United States and the United Kingdom by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) respectively.

<i>Communiqué</i> (Dire Straits album) 1979 studio album by Dire Straits

Communiqué is the second studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 5 June 1979 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album featured the single "Lady Writer," which reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 51 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number one on album charts in Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden, number 11 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. Communiqué was later certified gold in the United States, platinum in the United Kingdom and double-platinum in France.

<i>Making Movies</i> 1980 studio album by Dire Straits

Making Movies is the third studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 17 October 1980 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album includes the single "Romeo and Juliet", which reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as “Tunnel of Love,” featured in the 1982 Richard Gere film An Officer and a Gentleman.

<i>Alchemy: Dire Straits Live</i> 1984 live album by Dire Straits

Alchemy: Dire Straits Live is the first live album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 16 March 1984 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 22–23 July 1983, the double album features songs from the band's first four albums, the ExtendedancEPlay EP and Mark Knopfler's Local Hero soundtrack. Many of the songs have reworked arrangements and extended instrumental segments. The album cover is taken from a painting by Brett Whiteley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money for Nothing (song)</span> 1985 single by Dire Straits

"Money for Nothing" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, the second track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as the album's second single on 28 June 1985 through Vertigo Records. The song's lyrics are written from the point of view of two working-class men watching music videos and commenting on what they see. The song features a guest appearance by Sting who sings the signature falsetto introduction, background vocals and a backing chorus of "I want my MTV". The groundbreaking video was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Fletcher</span> British musician

Guy Edward Fletcher is an English musician, best known for his position as one of the two keyboard players in the rock band Dire Straits from 1984 until the group's dissolution, and his subsequent work with Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler for his many solo releases. Fletcher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Dire Straits in 2018.

<i>On the Night</i> 1993 live album by Dire Straits

On the Night is the second live album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 10 May 1993 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album features many of the band's later hits, including the singles "Walk of Life" and "Money for Nothing". The cover art of the album features dishes of the Very Large Array in central New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits song)</span> 1980 song by Dire Straits

"Romeo and Juliet" is a rock song by the British rock band Dire Straits, written by frontman Mark Knopfler. It first appeared on the 1980 album Making Movies and was released as a single in 1981. The song subsequently appeared on the Dire Straits live albums Alchemy and On the Night, and later on Knopfler's live duet album with Emmylou Harris, Real Live Roadrunning. The track was also featured on the greatest hits albums Money for Nothing, Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits, and The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk of Life</span> 1985 single by Dire Straits

"Walk of Life" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits, being the third track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as a single in the US in October 1985 and in the UK in January 1986.

<i>Money for Nothing</i> (album) 1988 greatest hits album by Dire Straits

Money for Nothing is a greatest hits album by British rock band Dire Straits released on 17 October 1988, featuring highlights from the band's first five albums. The vinyl edition omits the song "Telegraph Road" and has a different running order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Private Investigations (song)</span> 1982 single by Dire Straits

"Private Investigations" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits from their album Love over Gold. It reached number 2 in the United Kingdom, and is one of their biggest chart successes in the UK. The track has appeared on the compilation albums Money for Nothing and Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits, and is the title track to the more recent 2005 compilation, Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Far Away (Dire Straits song)</span> 1985 single by Dire Straits

"So Far Away" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, the opening track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It became the band's fourth top 20 hit, peaking at number 19. The original studio version of the track appeared on the 2005 compilation The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Writer</span> 1979 single by Dire Straits

"Lady Writer" is a 1979 song by Dire Straits, which appears on the band's second album Communiqué. It was written by the band's lead singer, Mark Knopfler.

<i>Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits</i> 1998 greatest hits album by Dire Straits

Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits is the second greatest hits compilation by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 19 October 1998 by Mercury Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album was originally released, featuring liner notes by Robert Sandall, as both a single CD and a limited edition double CD, with the second CD containing live recordings from Mark Knopfler's first solo tour in 1996. A DVD of the same name was also released, featuring the music videos of all the songs on the single CD version, in addition to short interviews with Mark Knopfler about each song. The album is named after the band's 1978 hit single of the same name. In 2002, a limited edition box set, comprising the two CDs and the DVD, was released as part of Universal's "Sight and Sound" series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunnel of Love (Dire Straits song)</span> 1980 single by Dire Straits

"Tunnel of Love" is a 1981 single by Dire Straits. It appears on the 1980 album Making Movies, and subsequently on the live albums Alchemy and Live at the BBC and the greatest hits albums Money for Nothing, Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits, and The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations. The song was also featured in the 1982 Richard Gere film An Officer and a Gentleman and was included in the film’s accompanying soundtrack album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water of Love</span> 1978 single by Dire Straits

"Water of Love" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and originally released on Dire Straits' self-titled debut album. It was also released as a single in the Netherlands in October 1978 and in Australia in December 1978 as a follow-up to the band's first single "Sultans of Swing". The single reached number 28 in the Netherlands and number 54 in Australia. The song was also included on Dire Straits live album Live at the BBC and on the multi-artist compilation album More Than Unplugged.

"Love over Gold" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits. It is the fourth track and title track from the band's 1982 album. A shorter live version of the song, taken from the album Alchemy: Dire Straits Live, was released as a single.

References