Dire Straits Shoot Up The Charts Decades After The Band Split

Forbes

27-03-2025

Dire Straits returns to U.K. charts as Private Investigations climbs again, boosted by renewed ... More interest in Mark Knopfler's 'Going Home' and Sam Fender's tribute. Dire Straits, group portrait, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1978. Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, Pick Withers, John Illsley. (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
It's been decades since Dire Straits released new music. Still, that hasn't stopped the British rock group from earning a surprise return to the charts this week in that country. The recent success of a song by frontman Mark Knopfler has sparked new interest in the group's catalog, and one compilation is reaping the rewards of all that attention.
Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler is on the rise once again, showing that even without a reunion, a major hit can reignite excitement in an act's work.
This week, Private Investigations moves north on two separate tallies in the United Kingdom. The compilation nearly returns to the top 40 on the Official Album Downloads chart, jumping from No. 67 to No. 45.
The project also makes major moves on the Official Albums Streaming chart. It climbs a few spaces to reach No. 91, which is a much more modest gain, but growth is growth – especially when it comes to decades-old collections.
While Private Investigations is improving on both rankings, its performance on the downloads list is, historically, much stronger. The retrospective has now spent 167 weeks on the Official Album Downloads chart, peaking as high as No. 16.
By comparison, the set only reached No. 64 on the Official Albums Streaming roster, and it only fairly recently crossed the 100-week mark on that roster.
What's driving this renewed interest? A song featured on Private Investigations, Knopfler's solo cut 'Going Home,' is suddenly enjoying a moment in the spotlight. This week, the tune debuts on a pair of lists in the U.K., opening on the Official Singles Downloads and Official Singles Sales charts. It launches at No. 62 on the former and No. 64 on the latter.
'Going Home' was recorded as a charity single and credited to Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes last year, and that version is also doing well. The newer rendition rises from No. 51 to No. 25 on the Official Physical Singles chart this frame. It features an extraordinary lineup of rock legends, including Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, and dozens of others. Proceeds from the track benefit cancer-related nonprofits, and it seems that the British public is in love with every take of the tune.
The recent spike in popularity is seemingly linked to Sam Fender, who performed 'Going Home' in tribute to a U.K. soccer team following a major victory. The song already served as the walkout anthem for the team, but Fender's version brought it to a much wider audience, especially considering his celebrity.