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From album
Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits · 1985 · Track 2
Details
Duración8:26
ÁlbumBrothers in Arms
Año1985
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The story behind
The story behind Dire Straits' Money for Nothing is fascinating. The lyrics were born from an everyday situation in an electronics store in New York. Mark Knopfler was there when he overheard employees discussing their jobs and television. He captured those phrases, which reflected a raw view of working life versus the apparent ease of rock stars, and turned them into the song's narrative. The idea was to use the authentic language of those people to give the story more realism.
The recording of this song, part of the 1985 album Brothers in Arms, had its peculiarities. Knopfler sought to emulate the characteristic guitar sound of Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, an artist who was already a regular on MTV programming. Gibbons himself, when consulted at the time, humorously commented that Knopfler did a pretty good job replicating his tone. Sting's participation was crucial, providing that distinctive falsetto intro and backing vocals that also echoed MTV's slogan. The music video, directed by Steve Barron, was a pioneer in the use of computer animation for human characters and marked the beginning of MTV Europe's broadcast on August 1, 1987.
The impact of Money for Nothing was considerable. It became Dire Straits' most successful single, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Top Rock Tracks charts in the United States for three weeks, and number four in the UK. In 1986, the song was recognized at the Grammy Awards, winning Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and received nominations in other major categories. The music video was also acclaimed, earning multiple awards, including Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards. Even the sound of Sting's contribution was used for years as part of the opening sequence of MTV Entertainment Studios.