Long before “Sultans of Swing” made him a guitar hero, Knopfler was a reporter learning the art of listening — a skill that would define his songwriting.

The epic composition transformed an ordinary Michigan highway into one of rock’s most unforgettable musical journeys.

In 1978, a song about a little-known pub band quietly transformed Dire Straits into international stars. "Sultans of Swing" became the band's breakthrough hit and eventually one of the defining rock ...