Sultans of Swing

"Sultans of Swing" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits, written by the lead vocalist and guitarist Mark Knopfler. Dire Straits recorded a demo at Pathway Studios, North London, in July 1977, and it acquired a following after it was put in rotation on BBC Radio London. After Dire Straits signed a record contract with Phonogram Records, they rerecorded it in February 1978 at Basing Street Studios for their debut album, Dire Straits.

The B-side, "Eastbound Train", is a live track. "Sultans of Swing" reached the top five in Canada, South Africa, and the United States, and the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. It remains a staple of classic rock radio and is one of Dire Straits' most recognisable songs.

"Sultans of Swing" was composed by Mark Knopfler on a National Steel guitar in open tuning. He thought it was dull until he bought his first Fender Stratocaster in 1977: "It just came alive as soon as I played it on that '61 Strat ... the new chord changes just presented themselves and fell into place."

The lyrics were inspired by a performance of a Dixieland jazz band playing in the corner of an almost empty pub in Deptford, South London. At the end of their performance, the singer announced their name, the Sultans of Swing. Knopfler found the contrast between their dowdy appearance and surroundings and their grandiose name amusing.

Shortly after Dire Straits formed in 1977, they recorded a five-song demo tape at Pathway Studios, including "Sultans of Swing". They took the tape to DJ Charlie Gillett, the presenter of Honky Tonk on BBC Radio London, hoping for advice. Gillett put "Sultans of Swing" on his rotation. Two months later, Dire Straits signed a recording contract with Phonogram Records. In February 1978, Dire Straits rerecorded "Sultans of Swing" at Basing Street Studios for their debut album, Dire Straits, produced by Muff Winwood.

"Sultans of Swing" uses common time, with a tempo of 149 beats per minute. It is in the key of D minor with Knopfler's vocal range spanning G₂ to D₄. It uses a chord progression of Dm–C–B♭–A for the verses, and F–C–B♭ for the choruses. The riff uses triads, particularly second inversions. The song employs the Andalusian cadence or diatonic phrygian tetrachord. All the chords are compatible with a D natural minor scale, except for the A major triad, which suggests a D harmonic minor scale. Knopfler used similar triads on "Lady Writer".

Ken Tucker of Rolling Stone singled out "Sultans of Swing" as a highlight of the album for its "inescapable hook" and compared Knopfler's vocals to those of Bob Dylan. Cash Box likened the vocals to Lou Reed and wrote that "the arrangement of moderate beat and excellent guitar work are exceptionally fluid and engaging". Record World said that "The lyrics are thoughtful and the hook instantly memorable". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide called the song "an insinuating bit of bar-band mythmaking" whose lyrics "paint a vivid picture of an overlooked and underappreciated pub combo".

The Spokane Chronicle's Jim Kershner wrote that "Sultans of Swing" is "remarkable, both for its lyrics that made fun of hip young Londoners and the phenomenal guitar sound of Knopfler", which "sounded like no other guitar on radio". Jon Marlowe of The Palm Beach Post called it "an infectious, sounds-damn-good-on-the-car-radio ode to every bar band who has ever done four sets a night, seven nights a week". Classic Rock critic Paul Rees rated the live version on Alchemy to be Dire Straits' greatest song.