Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits
1998 greatest hits album by Dire Straits
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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 three years after the band's 1995 dissolution, and it featured 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.
| Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 19 October 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1978–1992 | |||
| Genre | Roots rock | |||
| Length | 78:59 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Dire Straits chronology | ||||
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Track listing
All tracks are written by Mark Knopfler, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sultans of Swing" | Dire Straits, 1978 | 5:50 |
| 2. | "Lady Writer" | Communiqué, 1979 | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Romeo and Juliet" | Making Movies, 1980 | 6:05 |
| 4. | "Tunnel of Love" (containing an extract from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel Waltz") | Making Movies | 8:14 |
| 5. | "Private Investigations" (edited version) | Love over Gold, 1982 | 5:54 |
| 6. | "Twisting by the Pool" | ExtendedancEPlay, 1983 | 3:36 |
| 7. | "Love over Gold" (live) | Alchemy: Dire Straits Live, 1984 | 3:40 |
| 8. | "So Far Away" (edited version) | Brothers in Arms, 1985 | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Money for Nothing" (radio edit; written by Knopfler and Sting) | Brothers in Arms | 4:09 |
| 10. | "Brothers in Arms" (radio edit) | Brothers in Arms | 4:55 |
| 11. | "Walk of Life" | Brothers in Arms | 4:12 |
| 12. | "Calling Elvis" (edited version) | On Every Street, 1991 | 4:41 |
| 13. | "Heavy Fuel" | On Every Street | 4:54 |
| 14. | "On Every Street" (edited version) | On Every Street | 4:39 |
| 15. | "Your Latest Trick" (live) | On the Night, 1993 | 5:41 |
| 16. | "Local Hero/Wild Theme" (live) | Encores, 1993 | 4:23 |
Disc two
The following tracks were recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 May 1996 by Mark Knopfler.
- "Calling Elvis" – 9:05
- "Walk of Life" – 5:28
- "Last Exit to Brooklyn" – 2:23
- "Romeo and Juliet" – 7:30
- "Sultans of Swing" – 13:14
- "Brothers in Arms" – 8:54
- "Money for Nothing" – 6:37
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF)[32] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
| Australia (ARIA)[33] | 6× Platinum | 420,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[34] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Belgium (BRMA)[35] | Platinum | 50,000* |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[36] | Platinum | 42,743[36] |
| France (SNEP)[37] | Platinum | 300,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[38] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Greece (IFPI Greece)[39] | Gold | 15,000^ |
| Hungary (MAHASZ)[40] | Gold | |
| Italy (FIMI)[41] | Gold | 50,000* |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[42] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[43] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[44] | Platinum | 50,000* |
| Spain (Promusicae)[45] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF)[46] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[47] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[48] | 3× Platinum | 900,000‡ |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[49] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||