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The initial song I fell in love with
My earliest recollection is walking into a space at nursery school where they were spinning Yellow Submarine by the Fab Four. I was mesmerized by the audio textures, and Lennon shouting: “Full speed ahead!” When it arrived at the refrain, I distinctly thought: “This must be music!”

The very first 45 I acquired
When I was eight years old, I won a contest at school to pick a brand new record to play at the mini disco we had on Fridays. My instructor took me to Woolworths, and I opted for Come Back My Love by Darts. The first single I bought with my own allowance was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a music store in Lancashire. It was topping the charts at the time, and I selected it when my dad pointed out that it was by a former member of the Beatles.

The tune I perform at sing-along
I candidly do not enjoy public singing and dodge it at all costs. But under duress, I’d choose Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.

The song I strangely remember every lyric to
I not long ago discovered that I have memorized virtually the entire lyrical content to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and every song on Graceland by the legendary songwriter.

The perfect tune to blast at a gathering
It relies on the point of the event you are at. For the beginning it would likely be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. As the evening progresses, I’d transition into Prince, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, and when it really kicks off, Phat Planet by the electronic act, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by the virtual band, which is an absolute banger.

The song I can never listen to
I inexplicably detest Mr Brightside by the Las Vegas band.

The ideal song to make love to
Come Together by the Beatles.

The album that transformed me
When I was twelve and beginning to learn the guitar, I’d only listen to early rock and roll, and was fixated on Elvis, Chuck Berry, the killer, the New Orleans legend, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran. Then my childminder brought round Let There Be Rock by the Australian rockers. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was electrifying rock ’n’roll. The moment he placed the vinyl on the record player, I was captivated.

The song that gets me up in the morning
What’d I Say in its full glory by Ray Charles.

The song that makes me cry
Virtually any music leaves me touched. Aretha Franklin, The Chairman of the Board, Elvis and the Beatles all make me cry because of the harmony and sheer brilliance of the voices. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley gets me going consistently.

The song I’d like to be played at my funeral
Elvis. If I’m cremated, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m laid to rest in the ground, I’ll have Way Down.