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The initial song I was captivated by
My most primal recollection is stepping into a room at preschool where they were playing Yellow Submarine by the Fab Four. I was captivated by the audio textures, and John Lennon bellowing: “Full speed ahead!” When it arrived at the chorus, I distinctly thought: “This must be music!”

The inaugural record I purchased
When I was eight years old, I was victorious in a competition at school to select a new record to play at the weekly dance party we had on Fridays. My teacher took me to Woolworths, and I opted for Come Back My Love by the group Darts. The first record I purchased with my own allowance was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a record shop in Colne. It was No 1 at the time, and I selected it when my father mentioned that it was by one of the Beatles.

The track I perform at karaoke
I candidly actively avoid public singing and avoid it at all costs. But under duress, I’d go with Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.

The song I oddly recite all the words to
I just discovered that I can recall pretty much the entire lyrical content to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and the entire album on Graceland by Paul Simon.

The best track to put on at a soirée
It relies on the point of the event you are at. At the start it would most likely be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. As the party deepens, I’d work through Prince, the Stones and David Bowie, and when it hits its peak, Phat Planet by Leftfield, Born Slippy .NUXX by Underworld, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an massive track.

The song I can no longer hear
I for some reason detest Mr Brightside by the Killers.

The best track to get intimate to
Come Together by the Beatles.

The LP that changed my life
When I was 12 and beginning to learn the guitar, I’d only listen to early rock ’n’roll, and was obsessed with Elvis, the rock pioneer, Jerry Lee Lewis, the New Orleans legend, the glasses-wearing icon and Eddie Cochran. Then my babysitter played Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was electrifying rock ’n’roll. As soon as he placed the vinyl on the turntable, I was captivated.

The track that wakes me in the morning
What’d I Say in its full glory by Ray Charles.

The track that gets me emotional
All music leaves me moved. The Queen of Soul, The Chairman of the Board, Elvis and the Fab Four all stir my emotions because of the harmony and pure beauty of the singing. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley strikes a chord consistently.

The music I’d like performed at my funeral
Elvis. If I’m given a cremation, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m buried, I’ll have Way Down.