I love Mark Knopfler's guitar playing such that I would not turn off his playing but neither deliberately listen to him. So I do not really follow his career path.
Just out of curiosity: had he ever written some "hit" rock songs after Dire Straits (Sultans of Swing or Money for Nothing, among others)?
I am under the impression that he favors more of soft, tender love songs after Dire Straits.