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Cover of Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
Cover: Brothers in Arms

Song · Dire Straits

“So Far Away” by Dire Straits

From the album Brothers in Arms (1985)

“So Far Away” by Dire Straits appears on 26 radio countdowns from 12 stations between 1996 and 2023. It was first released in 1985 on the album Brothers in Arms. Its best result is #329 on the 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #5,290 indie & aaa song of all time and #425 of the '80s.

26countdowns
12stations
#329best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1996–2023years charted

Watch

Dire Straits - So Far Away (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (DireStraitsVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"So Far Away" opens Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits' fifth album, and in Britain and Europe it went out ahead of the record as the lead single in 1985. Mark Knopfler wrote it and sings it, and he produced it with Neil Dorfsman, who also engineered. Knopfler's guitar sets the hook, John Illsley plays bass, Omar Hakim plays drums, and Alan Clark and Guy Fletcher share the keyboards, with Fletcher and Illsley on backing vocals.

It's a loping, unhurried groove that takes its time, and it stuck: 19 in the US, the band's fourth top 20 hit, and top 10 in Norway, Switzerland and Sweden. Cash Box singled out its punchy guitar hook when it came out.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1996 393 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 416 104.5 KZEP KZEP Memorial Weekend Top 500 (1997) 500
1997 489 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (1997) 499
2002 384 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) 923
2002 424 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2004 351 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2011 559 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2011 412 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2012 562 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 433 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2012 685 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 391 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 379 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2014 985 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 950 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 649 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 387 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2017 397 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2018 393 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2020 766 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 1077 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 589 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2022 333 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2022 802 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 329 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2023 351 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850

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