Mark Knopler is one of the most underrated guitarists in rock history. His subtle fingerpicking style lacks the flash of Hendrix or Jimmy Page, but sometimes I find it’s exactly what I want to hear.

Dire Straits became MTV famous due to this video:

But that song, with its extremely distorted guitars, seems more like an aberration in their catalog than an example of their real style. I’ve thrown some Mark Knopler solo tracks into this mix since they sound like extensions of Dire Straits anyway.