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The earliest song I was captivated by
My first memory is entering a room at preschool where they were blasting Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I was mesmerized by the audio textures, and John Lennon yelling: “Full speed ahead!” When it arrived at the refrain, I distinctly thought: “This must be music!”

The very first record I acquired
When I was eight years old, I won a contest at school to pick a new record to play at the small dance we had on Fridays. My teacher took me to Woolworths, and I picked out Come Back My Love by the group Darts. The first record I bought with my own pocket money was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a music store in Colne. It was topping the charts at the time, and I selected it when my dad mentioned that it was by a former member of the Beatles.

The tune I do at sing-along
I honestly cannot stand karaoke and dodge it at all costs. But if forced, I’d go with Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.

The song I strangely recite every lyric to
I recently became aware that I know virtually all the lyrics to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and every song on Graceland by Paul Simon.

The best song to put on at a gathering
It relies on what stage of the event you are at. At the start it would probably be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. As the evening progresses, I’d transition into Prince, the Stones and Bowie, and when it hits its peak, Phat Planet by the electronic act, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an massive track.

The number I can never hear
I inexplicably cannot stand Mr Brightside by the Killers.

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

The record that changed my life
When I was 12 and beginning to study the six-string, I’d only listen to early rock ’n’roll, and was fixated on Elvis, the rock pioneer, the killer, the New Orleans legend, the glasses-wearing icon and Eddie Cochran. Then my babysitter brought round Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was high voltage rock ’n’roll. As soon as he dropped the record on the record player, I was hooked.

The song that gets me up in the AM
What’d I Say parts 1 & 2 by Ray Charles.

The track that makes me cry
Virtually any music makes me touched. The Queen of Soul, Frank Sinatra, Presley and the Beatles all stir my emotions because of the tune and pure perfection of the voices. But The Ocean by the Sheffield crooner hits me hard consistently.

The track I’d like to be played at my final send-off
The King. If I’m cremated, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m laid to rest in the ground, I’ll have Way Down.