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The initial track I was captivated by
My first recollection is walking into a room at preschool where they were playing Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I was enthralled by the audio textures, and Lennon yelling: “Full speed ahead!” When it arrived at the hook, I recall believing: “This must be music!”

The very first single I acquired
When I was eight, I won a contest at school to pick a new record to play at the small dance we had on Friday afternoons. My instructor took me to a local store, and I picked out Come Back My Love by Darts. The first record I bought with my own allowance was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a music store in Lancashire. It was number one at the time, and I chose it when my father noted that it was by a former member of the Beatles.

The song I do at karaoke
I candidly actively avoid public singing and steer clear at all costs. But if I had to, I’d go with Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.

The song I oddly know all the words to
I recently realised that I have memorized pretty much every word to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and each track on Graceland by Paul Simon.

The best track to play at a soirée
It depends on what stage of the evening you are at. At the start it would most likely be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by the soul legend. As the party deepens, I’d move on to Prince, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, and when it really kicks off, Phat Planet by Leftfield, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an undeniable hit.

The track I can not bear
I strangely cannot stand Mr Brightside by the Las Vegas band.

The ideal piece to have sex to
Come Together by the Beatles.

The LP that altered my perspective
When I was 12 and beginning to learn the six-string, I’d only listen to 1950s rock and roll, and was obsessed with The King, the rock pioneer, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly and the rockabilly star. Then my babysitter played Let There Be Rock by the Australian rockers. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was powerful rock ’n’roll. As soon as he dropped the vinyl on the record player, I was a fan for life.

The song that wakes me in the morning
What’d I Say parts 1 & 2 by The Genius.

The track that gets me emotional
All music makes me touched. Aretha Franklin, The Chairman of the Board, Presley and the Fab Four all make me cry because of the harmony and sheer perfection of the vocals. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley gets me going consistently.

The track I’d like played at my memorial service
Elvis. If I’m given a cremation, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m laid to rest in the ground, I’ll have Way Down.