The Commotions star Lloyd Cole: My six best albums

T REX: ELECTRIC WARRIOR (Fly) I got this for my 11th birthday and I’ve been in love with T Rex since. I hear tracks on the radio or in a bar and I’m still astonished how fantastic they were. Marc came at rock and roll, which was basically about women and cars, from a tangential attitude.

DAVID BOWIE: DIAMOND DOGS (EMI) Starman on Top Of The Pops was really the beginning of the 1970s music-wise and someone behaving in an overtly bisexual manner was shocking and wonderful. This may have been Bowie’s creative peak. In terms of composition and inventiveness I’d put Sweet Thing at the top of the list. 

SEX PISTOLS: NEVER MIND THE B*****KS (Virgin) I didn’t realise how great this was at the time. I bought Anarchy In The UK then traded it with a friend for an XTC single, which is embarrassing. But I remember walking into a boutique in Tokyo years later and Submission came on. I’d forgotten how fantastic it is. The sound of Paul Cook and Steve Jones is immense.

CHIC: Risqué (Atlantic) At 17 I was living on my own opposite the record shop in Chorley. I bought a bunch of R&B records in a bargain bin and that led me to other dance music. Disco seemed a great antidote to how boring punk had become. I became a huge Chic fan and they still sound fresh.

KRAFTWERK: COMPUTER WORLD (EMI) Computer Love is one of the most beautiful compositions ever, up there with I’m Not In Love, even though it’s on this “experimental” album. It uses analogue synthesisers and the sound couldn’t be better. And they have a sense of humour.

PRINCE: AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY (Rhino) The Prince record I’m most fond of because we were on tour in America when it came out. Prince-mania had just peaked with Purple Rain then he made this psychedelic pop record. Raspberry Beret is astonishing, a sprawling rock track with maybe the best middle section ever written. He constantly amazed us.