BBC Radio was initially unwilling to play the song due to its high lyrical content but after it became a U.S. hit, their line softened. The song reached the top 10 in both the UK and the U.S., reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped drive sales of the album, which also became a hit.
"Sultans of Swing" was re-issued again as a single in November 1988, a month after it appeared on the band's greatest hits album Money for Nothing, when it peaked at No. 62. It was also included on Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits and The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations.
Other versions
Knopfler has improvised and expanded the solo during live performances. The coda of the live recording on the 1984 album Alchemy stretches the song to nearly 11 minutes. Another live version of the song came at the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in London when Eric Clapton teamed up with the band to play the song, providing rhythm guitar.
Charts
| Chart (1978–1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium Singles Chart | 14 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 26 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 4 |
| German Singles Chart | 20 |
| Ireland Singles Chart | 6 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 11 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 6 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 |
| South African Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 46 |
| Year-end chart (1979) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) | 61 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) | Gold | 75,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI) | 2× Platinum | 100,000 |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 600,000 |
^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone | ||
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