Jon tagged me with this, which Banksy originated (and he’s responsible for some of these ;). “Think of eight memorable musical moments, not necessarily all time favourites, but those when, for example, you felt compelled to wait in the car when listening to this amazing song on the radio because you just had to know who it was by. Or the piece you heard on the tv in a drama that drove you straight onto iTunes to download… (remember once we spent the princely sum of 6s 8d on a vinyl single?!). Optional details for each song give where, why and Spotify or youtube links …”

I’m not going to restrict myself to just eight.

Michael Jackson’s Beat It (the first song I can remember really dancing to; still makes me want to move)
David Bowie’s Kooks (could have been one of many tracks, always reminds me of a friend who introduced me to Bowie)
Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax (coincided with the release of hormones and the wearing of big baggy t-shirts!)
Wham’s Freedom (I tore ankle ligaments playing rugby and got taken to the hospital for physiotherapy on a regular basis by the housemistress – this was always playing on the radio in the car, Terry Wogan had a very predictable playlist)
George Michael’s Careless Whisper (a particular party…)
Dire Straits’ Love over Gold (could have been many different Dire Straits tracks – it would have been ‘Hand in Hand’ but I couldn’t find a decent one – all reminiscent of being a moody teenager plugging into headphones and pushing the world back)
Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb (I travelled around North America for three months in 1989 – on Greyhound buses, so lots of time to listen to music on my walkman. This was the only album I didn’t get fed up listening to)
Right Said Fred’s I’m too sexy (soundtrack of my early undergraduate days dancing in the Beer Cellar)
U2’s Ultraviolet (a representative track from Achtung Baby which I listened to religiously in my room at Uni)
Mozart’s Piano Concerto #21 (can’t remember when I first heard it, it was around about this time, I just assume that this is what is played in heaven)
Van Morrison’s Sweet Thing (articulated some grief for me in the mid-90’s; this is a cover version, can’t find the original on YouTube and the live version doesn’t capture the poignancy of it… ‘I shall never ever grow so old again’)
The Blue Nile’s Headlights on the Parade (particular person, particular time and place)
St Etienne’s Nothing can stop us (reminiscent of house sharing in West London and watching ‘This Life’, amongst other things. Hmmm Sarah Cracknell, just one of the wonderful things to come from Essex [grin])
The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony (discovered in a friend’s room at Westcott)
Stone Roses’ This is the One (forever associated with meeting Dearly Beloved)
David Gray’s Babylon (caught on MTV in fragments and I just had to track it down)
Black Eyed Peas’ Where is the Love? (brilliant and godly song, sadly always associated for me with a tragic teenage suicide just after I arrived in Mersea)
Martyn Joseph’s Turn me Tender (the first MJ I ever heard, brilliant man, brilliant song)
Mendelssohn’s ‘Lord God of Abraham’ (discovered in Mersea and has become more meaningful as time goes on, for all sorts of reasons)
Brian Doerksen’s The River (my own video, which is self-explanatory!)
Show of Hands’ Are we Alright (a never to be forgotten moment in a pub in London which I’ve learnt to sing on occasion…)
Sarah Brightman’s A Question of Honour (which brings me up to date)
I tag Ian, Graham (who could do it just by linking to some of his to other posts!) and Doug.