Since the early 1980s, Mark Knopfler has been regarded as a true guitar hero. With a style and sound that is entirely his own and instantly recognisable, he gave the rock guitar a new vocabulary, combining the character of the Blues with the techniques of country-pickers such as his own hero Chet Aitkins.

The winning combination of '80s innovations and classic guitar work took Dire Straits to the very top of the charts time and again, with poignant ballads like Brothers In Arms and Private In...