Money for Nothing (8:25)

“Money for Nothing” is a song by British group Dire Straits, which first appeared on their 1985 album Brothers in Arms and subsequently became an international hit when released as a single. It peaked at number one for three weeks in the U.S., becoming their most successful single. In the band’s native UK, the song peaked at number 4.

According to the Money For Nothing Songfacts, this song is about rock star excess and the easy life it brings compared with real work. Mark Knopfler wrote it after overhearing delivery men in a New York department store complain about their jobs while watching MTV. He wrote the song in the store sitting at a kitchen display they had set up. Many of the lyrics were things they actually said.

The song was notable for its controversial lyrics, groundbreaking music video and a cameo appearance by Sting singing the song’s iconic falsetto introduction and backing chorus, a borrowing of the cable network’s slogan “I want my MTV”.This chorus mirrors The Police intro to “don’t stand so close to me”. The video was also the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network started on August 1, 1987.