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The first tune I was captivated by
My earliest recollection is entering a space at preschool where they were blasting Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I was captivated by the sound effects, and Lennon bellowing: “Full speed ahead!” When it got to the chorus, I distinctly thought: “This must be music!”

The first 45 I acquired
When I was eight years old, I was victorious in a contest at school to select a new record to play at the mini disco we had on Friday afternoons. My teacher took me to a local store, and I chose Come Back My Love by the group Darts. The first single I purchased with my own allowance was Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney's Wings from a record shop in Lancashire. It was topping the charts at the time, and I selected it when my father mentioned that it was by a former member of the Beatles.

The track I do at karaoke
I frankly do not enjoy karaoke and avoid it at all costs. But under duress, I’d choose Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.

The song I oddly remember every lyric to
I recently discovered that I have memorized pretty much all the lyrics to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and every song on Graceland by Paul Simon.

The ideal song to put on at a party
It relies on what stage of the party 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 transition into Prince, the Stones and David Bowie, and when it gets lively, Phat Planet by the electronic act, Born Slippy .NUXX by Underworld, and Ascension by the virtual band, which is an undeniable hit.

The number I can never bear
I inexplicably detest Mr Brightside by the Killers.

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

The album that transformed me
When I was 12 and starting to learn the six-string, I’d only listen to early rock ’n’roll, and was fixated on The King, the rock pioneer, the killer, Fats Domino, the glasses-wearing icon and the rockabilly star. Then my babysitter played Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was electrifying rock music. Instantly after he dropped the vinyl on the record player, I was captivated.

The tune that gets me up in the morning
What’d I Say parts 1 & 2 by The Genius.

The track that makes me cry
All music leaves me moved. Aretha Franklin, The Chairman of the Board, Presley and the Fab Four all make me cry because of the melody and sheer beauty of the voices. But The Ocean by the Sheffield crooner strikes a chord every time.

The track I’d like played at my final send-off
The King. If I’m cremated, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m buried, I’ll have Way Down.