‘Billy Bragg makes me cry': Will Best's honest playlist
My uncle was a massive Pink Floyd fan. I remember sitting in the boot of his car when I was eight, and him playing The Great Gig in the Sky super loud. I'd never heard anything like it and it completely blew my mind.
The first single I bought
My sister and I shared our pocket money and bought Spaceman by Babylon Zoo on CD from Woolworths in York. When we got home, we were so excited that we danced on the kitchen table.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
Every year at school, we'd have a concert where pupils would form bands, so I had this idea to form a band and ironically do Crossroads by Blazin' Squad. I learned all the words but couldn't entice anyone else to join me. So I chickened out as it definitely doesn't work as a solo.
The song I do at karaoke
I've not done a huge amount of karaoke. I'm very dull. When I did hip-hop karaoke on stage in front of 200 people, I did P's and Q's by Kano and it went as exactly as badly as you'd imagine.
The best song to play at a party
It depends on the crowd. The catch-all that works in every party environment would be Sorry (the David Howard Mix) by Monsta Boy. It's a classic garage tune with a fun drop, a fun bassline and a vocal people can sing along to.
The song I can no longer listen to
I've got a playlist called Rotators, which are songs I listened to over and over again obsessively when I discovered them, then never listened to again. Wasteland by Tierra Whack is one of those.
The song that changed my life
Turn the Page, the first song from Original Pirate Material by the Streets. Normally when I'm interviewing someone, I keep it pretty professional. After interviewing Mike Skinner, I ran after him and said: 'I just want to say thank you so much for Original Pirate Material. It changed my life.' As I was saying it, I thought: 'I think I'm crying.'
The best song to have sex to
Anything off House of Balloons, the first mixtape by the Weeknd.
Sign up to Inside Saturday
The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend.
after newsletter promotion
The song that makes me cry
A lot of songs make me cry. Helplessly Hoping by Crosby, Stills & Nash. I think it's the harmonies. Tank Park Salute by Billy Bragg is about his dad dying, and really sad.
The song I want played at my funeral
The temptation would be something wildly inappropriate. This morning I was listening to Hamdi – Skanka (P Money Vocal Dub) by this producer called Bassrush, which is an absolute face-melting, bassline monster. So I think that, just to watch people get confused, and make my mum cry even more.
Will Best presents the Hits Radio breakfast show weekdays at 6am.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Mark Chapman opens with joke on first Match of the Day since Gary Lineker left
Mark Chapman hosted the first Saturday night Match of the Day following Gary Lineker 's departure, opening with a joke. Chapman is one of three new presenters for the BBC's Saturday night highlights show, rotating with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan. Former England captain Wayne Rooney has joined Match of the Day as a regular pundit. Gary Lineker's final show was on 26 May, with his departure brought forward due to a social media controversy involving an antisemitic trope. Lineker, who had hosted the show since 1999, apologised for the post and decided to leave completely.
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney reveal ‘hands off' approach to Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, co-owners of Wrexham AFC, have stated they do not make any "football decisions" at the Championship club. Under their ownership, Wrexham have achieved a historic feat by securing three successive promotions through the English football league system. The Hollywood owners attended Wrexham's first home Championship game since May 1982, which saw the Red Dragons lose 3-2 to West Brom. Reynolds described their management approach as "hands-off," focusing on listening, learning, and supporting the club while telling its story. Wrexham's commercial success, boosted by the owners' celebrity status and the 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary, has facilitated significant investment in the squad, including breaking their transfer record three times this summer.
The Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Sun
I married stranger on stranded cruise ship – now we LIVE on board… holiday from hell turned into a 15-year honeymoon
IT looked like the holiday from hell - but it quickly became the honeymoon of a lifetime. When Gian and Angie Perroni were left stranded in Belfast after their luxury cruise was delayed for four months, all they could dream of was setting sail. 17 17 17 17 But neither of them ever imagined they'd find their soulmate while waiting for the round-the-world cruise to start its epic adventure. After Gian, 63, popped the question to Angie, 54, in September - just weeks after their first date - the next natural step was to hold their big day on board the mega Villa Vie Odyssey. The couple told The Sun how their 300-guest ship-wide ceremony officiated by the captain was "way too much fun". After four months of repairs, the huge cruise finally set sail last October. And Gian and Angie held their "magical" wedding - where the captain plunged into the pool with the bride and groom. They shared heartwarming images of the ceremony which took place on board the ship between Costa Rica and Nicaragua in May. Gian, from Vancouver, Canada, said: "We not only were honoured with the captain officiating the wedding, but he actually took the plunge into the pool with us as well which was a which was a lot of fun." Angie, from Colorado in the States, chimed in: "Very unexpected." Gian added: "We had professional dancers, and everybody had bubble guns and bubble wands, and the captain had the the ship's horn go off when we had our first kiss. "It was all very romantic and just way too much fun." Moment couple are jeered & mocked by cruise ship passengers as boat sets sail without them after showing up 30 mins late The pair, who also got matching Celtic trinity knot tattoos, held a smaller private ceremony on April 30 before pushing the boat out for a ship-wide party two days later. Angie said: "We had a lot of the ship help us out with the wedding, which I thought was very special." She revealed that most of the people helping to organise the wedding - such as photographers and decorating teams - were actually residents living on board the ship. Angie added: "Everyone on board was very much looking forward to it. And because, again, this is our community and not just a cruise, there was a very different support." Picture-perfect couple Gian and Angie are permanent residents on the Villa Vie Odyssey - a mega 600ft vessel which is set to visit almost every holiday hotspot Earth has to offer. 17 17 17 17 It boasts a jaw-dropping itinerary - including 425 destinations across 147 countries - around 75 per cent of all nations on Earth. Cruise-goers on board the Odyssey are set to visit all their dream holiday destinations across the planet as part of the journey. The huge vessel was previously marred by controversy when crew discovered problems with its rudders and gearbox - causing its launch to be postponed for four months. The residential cruise sells cabins on a permanent basis - with personal rooms starting at $129,000 for 15 years. Despite the eye-watering price tag, the only other residential cruise ship on the planet currently at sea, The World, offers its cheapest cabin for $2.5million. Gian and Angie are permanent owners on the Odyssey - and have their cabins guaranteed for a decade-and-a-half. Having set off just one year ago, they have already visited 36 countries. Unlike traditional cruises, the ship docks at different ports for around five days each, so residents can properly explore rather than just dash between locations. 17 17 17 17 Globe-trotters Angie and Gian are currently not on board the ship and have returned home due to a family matter. But they say their inboxes have been flooded by friends from their on board community who can't wait for them to get back. Describing day-to-day life on board the infamous vessel - it seems like the party never ends. "We party hard... The only little space we have left in our cabin is a little liquor storage," Angie said. "You definitely have your party years on board, for sure." Gian, who works in online marketing, said: "We've created some very, very good friendships. "There's been one other wedding on board already, another wedding off the ship, and then a few that have gone the opposite direction as well..." They also revealed the range of fellow crew members on board the ship. Angie said: "Once you start chatting with people and getting their history, it's pretty fascinating the different walks of life that are that are on board." Her husband said: "We've become friends with an ex-state Governor, we had an astronaut on board - one of the few people that's been on the moon." Villa Vie Residences' CEO Mikael Petterson previously revealed: 'We have a very diverse community including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a White House chief of staff, an astronaut and many scientists and doctors on board that share their knowledge and experiences.' What happened to the Villa Vie Odyssey? by Harvey Geh THE Villa Vie Odyssey, a residential cruise ship offering a three-and-a-half-year world tour, was scheduled to set sail from Belfast in May 2024. But a series of technical issues with the ship's rudders and gearbox led to a four-month delay, keeping the vessel docked at the Harland & Wolff shipyard - where the Titanic was built. During this time, passengers who had sold their homes and packed up all their belongings were stranded in Belfast. The cruise company, Villa Vie Residences, provided accommodation for them in local hotels and serviced apartments - before eventually ending these funds and offering on board credit instead. Gian Perroni and Angela Harsanyi made international headlines when they met and fell in love before getting engaged during the unexpected delay. After numerous postponements, the ship finally set sail on the last day of September 2024 - but had to anchor in Belfast Lough overnight to complete last-minute paperwork and administrative checks before it could officially begin its voyage. Villa Vie admitted the project faced significant challenges - with the unexpected repairs and logistical issues costing them millions of pounds. The extended delays led to tensions among some residents, with one passenger kicked off the cruise for allegedly being 'negative' on a WhatsApp group. Despite its tumultuous and highly publicised four-month delay, the Odyssey finally embarked on its journey in October 2024. In terms of the demographics, Gian estimates 80 per cent of all residents on board the ship are American, quipping: "I even married one." Despite this, he thinks life on board the Odyssey "feels very international", as there are "a lot of different languages being spoken". "As we go to places like, for example, Japan, we've had people that have lived there, that have helped set up itineraries," he said. And even though they are said to be living their dream lives on board the mega-cruise - day-to-day life at sea isn't always plain sailing. "We collectively miss the ease of visiting family when we want or need to, especially the further away we are from home," Gian admitted. "But that is balanced by our ability to invite family to visit and cruise with us." They also listed one other surprising thing they never thought they'd miss before embarking on the years-long adventure. 17 17 17 Gian said: "It's not easy to hit fast food restaurants whenever we want, but we're likely healthier because of that." But the pros far outweigh the cons, the couple emphasised. Angie said: "It's just a whole another way to to live and see the world. I find it absolutely fascinating." Gian added: "We've been happily surprised at, for lack of better word, the stickiness - almost everybody that was with us in Belfast is still on the ship." Although Gian is a seasoned traveller, Angie said she had "never been out of the country" before she decided to step outside her comfort zone and board the Odyssey. And she's looking forward to ticking a few spots off her bucket list - with holiday hotspot Fiji being a "big one" for her. The cruisegoer said of the journey: "It's a lifestyle like I couldn't envision when I started... it's wonderful. And I would definitely recommend it to anybody especially young." The couple are set return to the "loveboat" in the coming weeks, most likely when the ship docks in South Korea. 17 17
