The Actor's Honest Playlist: From Early Favorites to Unexplained Aversions

The first track I became enamored with
My first memory is stepping into a space at preschool where they were blasting Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I was captivated by the sound effects, and John Lennon yelling: ā€œFull speed ahead!ā€ When it arrived at the hook, I distinctly thought: ā€œThis must be music!ā€

The first 45 I bought
When I was eight years old, I won a competition at school to select a brand new vinyl to play at the small dance we had on Fridays. My instructor took me to a local store, and I opted for Come Back My Love by Darts. The first single I bought with my own pocket money 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 chose it when my dad mentioned that it was by a former member of the Beatles.

The track I sing at karaoke
I candidly do not enjoy public singing and avoid it at all costs. But if I had to, I’d choose Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.

The song I oddly recite all the words to
I just realised that I know almost all the lyrics to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and each track on Graceland by Paul Simon.

The perfect tune to blast at a party
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 party deepens, I’d move on to the Artist, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, and when it hits its peak, Phat Planet by the electronic act, Born Slippy .NUXX by Underworld, and Ascension by the virtual band, which is an undeniable hit.

The track I can never hear
I for some reason cannot stand Mr Brightside by the Las Vegas band.

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

The record that altered my perspective
When I was 12 and beginning to play the guitar, I’d only listen to classic rock and roll, and was consumed by The King, the rock pioneer, the killer, Fats Domino, the glasses-wearing icon and Eddie Cochran. Then my childminder brought round Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still guitar music, but it was powerful rock music. Instantly after he placed the vinyl on the record player, I was hooked.

The track that wakes me in the AM
What’d I Say in its full glory by Ray Charles.

The track that makes me cry
Virtually any music makes me moved. Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and the Fab Four all make me cry because of the melody and utter perfection of the vocals. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley hits me hard without fail.

The music I’d like performed at my funeral
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.

Randall Baker
Randall Baker

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in the UK casino industry, specializing in game strategy and regulatory updates.