Some of the albums which changed Chris Difford’s life. For more visit Music Radar.

Hunky Dory by David Bowie

“I could have gone for any Bowie album, but this one reminds me of a certain time in my life when the warmth of a record meant everything. The songs work as a cohesive whole; they’re beautifully written, played and sung. All round, it’s a terrific album. Try as you might, you cannot fault it.”

With the Beatles by The Beatles
“Again, this was one where I could have picked any of their albums. I went for this one because it was the first Beatles music I heard… my older brother had it in his collection. It was also the first time I’d really taken any notice of music and I automatically thought that all music was going to be this good. Ha ha! I soon found out it wasn’t!

“They were the band that gave music a sense of humour. They made it OK to enjoy music in the same way you’d enjoy life.”

Tommy by The Who

“It was either going to be Quadrophenia or this one. I went for Tommy because it was the first time I’d ever heard a ‘rock opera’.

“The story is genius, the lyrics are fantastic and the singing is exceptional. C’mon… who wouldn’t want to be in a band like The Who? Four amazing musicians, creating amazing music. Pete Townshend is one of the best songwriters this country has ever produced. And this is him at his peak.”

The Bill Bailey December Playlist

Bill Bailey’s life-changing songs as seen in Kerrang. (Go here for the full article). Visit Bill Bailey here.

Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime (1980)
“There’s a timelessness about it, which I love. There’s this idea of lyrics that mean something, too, in different times in your life, and this does that.”
The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated (1978)
“When our son was very small, I taught him this song. And he just picked it up really, really quickly. “
The Stranglers – Genetix (1979)
“I remember going to see The Stranglers in Bath. I must have been about 15, so that would have been like, 1980 or something like that. There was a track called Genetix, which I remember thinking was amazing – this incredible drums solo and keyboard and guitar combo.”
Motorhead – Ace of Spades (1980)
“This is the one that really gets you going. Anything of that era, like No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith, things like that. Sometimes it’ll be Master of Puppets by Metallica – something with loud, loud guitars.”
The Kinks – You Really Got Me (1964)
“I was in a school band. We used to play gigs around Bath and the surrounding area, and we’d do this.”