You're approaching Mark's work from the 'wrong' end of his output.... He was the founder member (along with his brother, David) of the UK band Dire Straits. They were/are very famous in the UK and have been since the end of the 70s/early 80s.... Here's a Dire Straits website so you can have a look at how his career and influences changed over the intervening 30 or so years!