Chesney Hawkes- My six best albums: The Beatles, Radiohead and more

THE BEATLES: The White Album (EMI) An eclectic album with so much depth to it. It’s incredible, from McCartney’s melodies in Martha My Dear, my favourite track, to Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps to the silly songs like Ob-LaDi, Ob-La-Da then Lennon’s Glass Onion. My dad was in The Tremeloes and he introduced me to The Beatles’ music at a young age.

PRINCE: Sign ‘O’ The Times (Rhino) A double album showing different sides to Prince. I was a huge fan from his early funk days. My favourite is The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, it’s odd and has a great melody. Then U Got The Look is a perfect pop song. And I used to cover I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.

FLEETWOOD MAC: Rumours (Warner) A band my dad really liked and this was in his collection. Mick Fleetwood’s drumming is solid and Lindsey Buckingham is an incredible guitarist and songwriter. His solo on The Chain is basically one note but it’s perfect.

JOHN LENNON: Plastic Ono Band (EMI) Lennon brought soul to The Beatles and Imagine was the first song I learnt to play on piano. But he’s angry and raw on this one, open and free with his thoughts about his mother and God. He has a primal grit in his voice and the song Isolation hits me somewhere deep.

RADIOHEAD: The Bends (EMI) This came out not long after I’d been dropped by my record label and dumped by my girlfriend. I wanted to be respected as a musician and this is the kind of record I’d have liked to make. I worshipped Thom Yorke. I turned up my guitar, gazed at my shoes and told people to b****r off if they asked for The One And Only.

DAVID BOWIE: Hunky Dory (PLG) Another discovery from my dad’s vinyl collection. It’s Bowie’s most pop-sounding album with Changes, Kooks and Life On Mars? Rick Wakeman played piano which added something interesting to it. I loved Bowie right through to the end. He really was a creative force.