40 years ago today: Dire Straits released Brothers In Arms

In May 1985, Dire Straits released their fifth album, Brothers In Arms. It became one of the best-selling albums of all time and effectively revolutionised the music industry. The album was the first to sell more on CD than on vinyl. For the following quarter of a century, the CD brought a goldrush to the music industry...

'Money For Nothing' – listed as one of Hot Press's Top 10 Music Videos Of The '80s:
"Mark Knopfler's headbands wouldn't cut it next to the bright young video stars of the day. His hand was forced, the anti-video band leaned on technology to do the heavy-lifting, ironically delivering one of the most ground-breaking promos of the era and first to feature major 3D animation. Opening with Sting's call of “I want my MTV”, it also kicked off MTV Europe in 1987..."

Finley Quaye:
"I used to know all the words to all the Dire Straits albums. I loved that first album with 'Sultans of Swing' on it. All that stuff about coming down south to London town. I could relate to that coming down from the North myself. Brothers In Arms really grabbed me in 1985 – me and me mate and a few other friends who were a bit older were well into it." (2000)

Padraig Jack – on 'the first record to send a shiver up his spine':
"Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms. The tone when the guitar hits in the intro!" (2024)

Hot Press writer Siobhan Long on the iconic cover:
"Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms paid homage to the dobro on its cover, sending it floating on a heavenly bed of cool blue into the bedsits and boudoirs of millions of innocents, most of whom were (and are) blissfully ignorant of what this strangely decorated pear-shaped thing really is..."

Revisit Brothers In Arms below: