Knopfler is best known as the founder of the British rock band Dire Straits which formed 1977 . After Dire Straits disbanded in 1995 , Knopfler continued to record and produce albums as a solo artist and has played in other groups including The Notting Hillbillies . In 1995 , following the release of Live at the BBC , Mark Knopfler quietly dissolved Dire Straits and launched his career as a solo artist .