Many of us in the UK will be familar with the Radio 4 program "Desert Island Discs". 

It's been running since 1942: each week a well known figure is invited to discuss the 8 records he or she would take to a desert island.

So I've been wondering, if you were stranded on a desert island, what 8 records would you want with you and why?

Mine to follow, so hard to choose .... !!

[Pop]

1. Pop - U2
- The perfect U2 album. It flows perfectly from Discotheque to Wake Up Dead Man. This was U2 at their creative peak and it shows. Every song has it's own personality. Mofo's bombastic techno, Miami's filthiness, and The Playboy Mansion's porno-like grooves to name a few. Greatest U2 album ever. Greatest album ever.
2. Day & Age - The Killers
- Much like Pop, every song on this album has it's own personality to bring to the table. Unlike Pop, however, this album is much more playful and joyful. A big step up from Sam's Town and it was nice to hear The Killers create something that surpassed their debut in every way.
3. The Wedding Album - Duran Duran
- Hints of new-jack-swing? I hear it on UMF. Anyways, this album brought Duran Duran back in the public spotlight with Come Undone and Ordinary World. But, looking past those mega-hits is an album full of amazing songs with amazing production.
4. Monster - R.E.M.
- R.E.M. shows everyone how alternative rock is done. Peter Buck, basically, owns this record. His guitar drowns out Stipe and it helps add to the great atmosphere this album produces.
5. Dangerous - Michael Jackson
- I never have been a giant MJ fan. But, after his death, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Whodathunk that new-jack-swing could work so well? Try not dancing like a crazy person once Jam kicks in.
6. By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Take away all the songs about sex and the Red Hot Chili Peppers can create some well written, meaningful, pop songs. Beautiful pop songs like; The Zephyr Song, Venice Queen, and Universally Speaking. Of course they can still rock like they do best with Can't Stop and Throw Away Your Television.
7. Hail To The Thief - Radiohead
- I could listen to any Radiohead album for days on end. This was just a flip of the coin.
8. Low-Life - New Order
- Just listen to Love Vigilantes and tell me it's not one of the greatest songs ever created.

1. The Beatles - Revolver
2. The Verve - A Northern Soul
3. U2 - Achtung Baby
4. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
5. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
6. Primal Scream - XTRMNTR
7. The Verve - Urban Hymns
8. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper

[songs]

I hate to spoil the party guys, but on Desert Island Discs you are only allowed to choose 10 songs not albums 

[songs]

I hate to spoil the party guys, but on Desert Island Discs you are only allowed to choose 10 songs not albums 

this is the @U2 version, so  , smarty pants!

these are mine this week:

Abbey Road - the Beatles
Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin
Zooropa - U2
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy - Sarah McLachlan
Karma - Delerium
Station to Station - David Bowie
Superunknown -Soundgarden
Sparkle in the Rain - Simple Minds

next week, 2 through 7 will probably be different; 1 and 8 will always remain the same.

#@!

1. Achtung Baby
2. The Joshua Tree
3. Trespass (Genesis)
4. Nursery Cryme (Genesis)
5. ATYCLB
6. Feel Good Ghosts (Cloud Cult)
7. Recurring Dream (Crowded House)
8. Up (Peter Gabriel)
9. The Soul Cages (Sting)
10. Russian Romances (Dmitri Hvorostovsky, bass-baritone) - gorgeous "art songs" by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky; very sexy

1. The Joshua Tree - U2
2. Achtung Baby - U2
3. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
4. Abbey Road - the Beatles
5. The Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
6. Live At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash
7. No line on The Horizon - U2
8. The River - Bruce Springsteen
9. Sgt Peppers Lonely hearts Club Band - The Beatles
10. American Highways v - Johnny Cash

1. Achtung Baby
2. Back In Black- AC/DC
3. Only By The Night- Kings Of Leon
4. Rock Steady- No Doubt
5. American Idiot- Green Day
6. Are You Experienced?- Jimi Hendrix
7. Legend- Bob Marley
8. Now You're Gone: The Album- Basshunter (for a change of pace)

[Beethoven]

Thanks for your thoughts !

The rules on Desert Island Discs are pretty fluid so I think we can allow albums.  Though a self imposed rule on myself is no 'greatest hits' albums!

My choice, in no particular order would be:

1. Beethoven.  Think I could argue I could fit two symphonies on one record, so no5 and no9.  Reminds me of playing them in school concerts.
2. Chopin. Probably some Nocturnes - truly beautiful piano music.  Very hard to play though !
3. Tippet. A Child of our Time.  20th century choral music.  Written around the start of WW2, it captures both darkness and hope.  Very moving to sing.
4. U2. Probably Achtung Baby, for it's blend of styles and a truly great song in One.
5. The Beatles.  So hard to choose, especially with my self imposed rule. Perhaps "Rubber Soul": I love Norweigan Wood and In my Life - two of their finest tunes.  Then again, perhaps "A Hard Day's Night" for it's Beatlemania.  Rules, what rules?  I'll have the 1962-1966 Red Album !!
6. Crowded House.  Woodface.  This aussie band at their best.  Saw them live on their reunion tour last year - absolutely fantastic.
7. Billy Joel.  Again tough to choose.  Whilst I love the early stuff, Storm Front was a great return to form.  Missed a chance to see him live a few years ago and regretting it !
8. So much to choose from and only one record left.  Torn between REM, Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac and so many others but I think I'll go for Squeeze, 45's and under.  So okay, another greatest hits by another name: what are rules for if not meant to be broken?  Really great songs capturing a time and a place well for me.   

Forgot to mention: we are allowed one luxury on our desert island.  My choice would be a Piano: not that I'm a great player but I'd have plenty of time to learn; and if I couldn't then at least it would make good firewood!

They used to post these in the front of Rolling Stone magazine.

1 - U2 - Pop
2 - The Police - Syncronicity
3 - The Beatles - Abbey Road
4 - Green Day - American Idiot
5 - Chicago - Original Broadway Cast Recording
6- -Eddie Izzard - Glorious or Circle (let's face it, on a desert island, you're gonna want a few laughs)
7 - Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (I need some female companionship)
8 - Sugar -  Copper Blue

That's it??? 

U2- Achtung Baby
U2- The Joshua Tree
The Rolling Stones- Some Girls
Eddie Money- No Control
David Gilmour- About Face
Stevie Nicks- Bella Donna
Pearl Jam- VS.
The Cars- Candy-O

[Beethoven]

1. Beethoven.  Think I could argue I could fit two symphonies on one record, so no5 and no9.  Reminds me of playing them in school concerts.

Hate to break it to you, but Beethoven's 9th is a single disc recording... It was the whole reason CD's were designed to be 74 minutes (original standard)...

My own list:

1. U2 - The Joshua Tree
2. U2 - Achtung Baby
3. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
4. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
5. Springsteen - We Shall Overcome
6. Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs
7. Beatles - Let It Be
8. The Who - Who's Next
9. Pearl Jam - Yield
10. Radiohead - In Rainbows

[Beethoven]

1. Beethoven.  Think I could argue I could fit two symphonies on one record, so no5 and no9.  Reminds me of playing them in school concerts.

Hate to break it to you, but Beethoven's 9th is a single disc recording... It was the whole reason CD's were designed to be 74 minutes (original standard)...

Had a niggling feeling that it might be a whole disc in itself!  Didn't know about the connection to the standard length of CD's - interesting!

Had a niggling feeling that it might be a whole disc in itself!  Didn't know about the connection to the standard length of CD's - interesting!

Well, it is one of those useless facts that lends itself to nothing but a thread like this ... I actually learned it back in the late 80's when I was in school on their academic trivia team and the question came up (I didn't know the answer at the time)... That, and I do love that symphony.

I will comply with the UK version of Desert Islands discs and select  8 songs, a book and a luxury.

Streetlife  Randy Crawford
Winter      The Rolling Stones
Time To Say Goodbye  Andrea Bochelli & Sarah Brightman
Levon       Elton John
Clair de lune  Claude Debussy
Fields Of Gold  Sting
Summer Wind  Frank Sinatra
Tumbling Dice  The Rolling Stones

Book  The Great Gatsby

Luxury  a comfy pillow