“Money for Nothing” is a super famous rock song with a guitar sound everyone loves and fun, clever words. But the best version ever happened when four music stars—Mark Knopfler, Sting, Phil Collins, and Eric Clapton—played it together on one stage!
This amazing show took place in 1997 at a big concert called Music For Montserrat, held in a fancy place called the Royal Albert Hall. The concert was put together by George Martin, a man who helped make the Beatles’ music, to raise money for an island called Montserrat. Volcanoes had wrecked the island, and these rock stars wanted to help. The crowd was buzzing with excitement!
Mark Knopfler, who started the band Dire Straits, led the song because his band wasn’t playing together anymore. He started with some funky guitar sounds before playing the famous riff that kids try to copy in music stores. Phil Collins jumped in on drums, banging out a cool beat and adding fun drum rolls. He even matched the drums to the part of the song that says “banging on the drums,” which made everyone smile.
Phil is known for singing, but he’s also an awesome drummer, and he showed it here. Even with Mark’s great guitar and Phil’s drumming, the night got even bigger when they played with other huge stars like Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, and Eric Clapton. Together, they sang “Hey Jude,” and it was a moment no one could forget.
During the concert, Mark played three songs, and Phil, Sting, Elton, and Eric each sang their own hits. Paul McCartney finished the night with four songs, including three from the Beatles that everyone loves.
“Money for Nothing” became a giant hit for Dire Straits when it came out in 1985 on their album Brothers in Arms. Even though it was late in their career, it’s one of their most-played songs. Today, people still love it—it’s the third most-listened-to Dire Straits song on Spotify, after “Walk of Life” and “Sultans of Swing.”
Mark Knopfler wrote the song with Sting, who added the line “I want my MTV.” They first recorded it in George Martin’s studio on Montserrat in 1984 and 1985. They tried recording it again in New York, but it didn’t sound as good, so they stuck with the Montserrat version for the album.
This special “Money for Nothing” performance wasn’t just fun—it helped people in need. These music legends came together to make a difference, and it turned into an incredible night of music!
