iPod: Soundtrack of my life

Even George Bush has an iPod now, containing 250 songs ranging from Joni Mitchell to New Wave band The Knack - selections that have provoked intense analysis in Washington. So we asked 12 celebrities to hit their iPod shuffle button, which selects songs at random, to reveal their real musical tastes

George Bush, US president

George Bush, US president

"Centerfield", John Fogerty

A baseball anthem from this Californian singer (who incidentally joined the 2004 Vote For Change tour that aimed to topple Bush).

"Brown Eyed Girl", Van Morrison

One of the Irish singer's most popular songs, this 1967 track established his position as a star in America.

"Say It Ain't So", The Thrills

Classic sun-drenched, Californian-style pop from the Dublin-based quintet.

"My Sharona", The Knack

Lead singer Doug Fieger, who confessed to writing "nasty songs about girls I know", said Sharona was a young groupie.

"Circle Back", John Hiatt

The singer describes his feelings as he drives his oldest daughter to college.

"(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care", Joni Mitchell

Canadian songwriter Joni Mitchell brought her distinctive voice and style to this Elvis Presley cover in the Eighties.

Sean Connery, actor

"I Cover the Waterfront", Billie Holiday

An old classic, one from many years ago but it's still a great song and certainly one I still admire. Billie covered this one but did her version very well.

"Finlandia", Jean Sibelius

Really any of his works I very much enjoy listening to. They are truly the original classical pieces. I often listen to them when I'm reading.

"Auld Lang Syne", Mairi Campbell and David Francis

Obviously there are various versions of this song but I just find this one very beautiful, a well thought-out version.

"Maggie May", Rod Stewart

All of Rod's songs are really very good. I think this one he wrote with Martin Quittention. It's about a boy's liaison with a hooker in fact but it's just a great tune as many of his are.

"Mack the Knife", Bobbie Darin

Written by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht and Marc Blitzstein as "Moritat" and introduced by Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, TV presenter

"Clocks", Coldplay

This is an amazing track. It reminds me of some very good times last summer with a very special person. And being a pianist I can play it myself.

"Galvanise", Chemical Brothers

This is so infectious. It's got a great beat, which is so important to me. I need music with a strong bass because I need to really feel it.

"Take Your Mama",

Scissor Sisters

A real feelgood song that always made me want to dance with a big smile on my face.

"Rich Girl", Gwen Stefani

This is another fantastic track to dance along to. I play it with my girlfriends when I'm getting ready to go out. "Talisman", Air

This is lovely to chill out to. Sometimes you just want to slow life down and lie around with your friends chatting about nothing with this on in the background.

James Purnell, Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde

"Tenderly", Soulstice

Someone gave this to me ages ago, and I didn't realise I'd loaded it on. No idea what it is.

"My Favourite Things", Andre 3000

I bought this last year, and barely listened to it. But this song keeps on coming up when I select "Browse". I quite like it now.

"Heaven From Here", Robbie Williams

Oh my God, Robbie - still at least that shows I didn't cheat.

"You Know I Couldn't Last", Morrissey

At last, something I like! I saw him last year at the MEN Arena in Manchester, on his birthday. Genius, for a grumpy (not so old) git.

"Israel", Hoffe auf den Herrn Phew. Something to appeal to the classical music vote to finish with.

Nitin Sawhney, musician

"Ventilador R-80", Ojos de Brujo

They play flamenco hip-hop, an exciting mix of old and new ideas.They are one of the hottest new things around.

"Karma Coma", Massive Attack

I really love Massive Attack, particularly their first three albums. The flute on this track reminds me of a train whistle reverberating through the air, which I heard when filming Hari Om in India.

"Money", Pink Floyd

I have met David Gilmour, he's a genius guitar player and a brilliant bloke. I first heard this when I was eight or nine, listening to Radio Caroline.

"Like Eating Glass", Bloc Party

I only put this on a few days ago. They remind me of The Cure, but the drummer reminds me of the drummer from Stiff Little Fingers.

"Watergirl", Zakir Hussain

He is the world's greatest living tabla player, a genius, a maestro.

Germaine Greer, writer

I have only two tracks on my iPod. I downloaded 110 hours of Frank Zappa tracks, serious compositions that are hard to get hold of but it didn't work because all of this technology is dependent on the operating systems.

"G-Spot Tornado", Frank Zappa

I will have this played at my funeral. It is a wonderful piece, a way of indulging myself. Frank Zappa was a good friend of mine. He was the sanest person I have ever met, a terrific musician, cultured and complicated.

"Call any Vegetable", Frank Zappa

He never means songs exactly as they come out, they are satirical, and you have to understand them. The music the public liked is the music that Zappa didn't like. I am writing a preface for a book on Frank Zappa, and although I could write it without them, I thought an iPod full of Frank Zappa would be a groovy thing to have.

Piers Morgan, journalist

"Mambo Italiano", Dean Martin

Sinatra was good but Dino's the King. I sing this in the car with my sons on the way to Arsenal matches. It gets us in the mood.

"Under My Thumb", The Rolling Stones

For some bizarre reason, this always makes me want to dance like Mick Jagger, all strutting arms and legs. Not a pretty sight, but I invariably feel great doing it.

"Take It Easy", The Eagles

This track makes you do what it says on the tin. It's great for dinner parties when guests tend to enter that annoying "intense" stage about 10.30pm.

"November Rain", Guns n' Roses

This is the biggest rock song of the past 20 years. I occasionally slip the old bandanna on and give it the full Axl Rose works.

"She", Charles Azanavour

Even Cherie Blair might come over all romantic if you sang this to her in a French accent.

Kanya King, MOBO founder

"Shame on You", Stevie Wonder and Q-Tip

These two phenomenal figures representing two generations are fusing together to create such a unique, amazing sound. ''Back to Life'', Soul 2 Soul

Even though it's an old classic, it still sounds fresh and contemporary. It's a great British soul sound that takes me back to the late 1980s.

"Free", Estelle

This tune always reminds me of her fantastic performance at the Mobo Awards when she won best newcomer at the ceremony last year.

"Say How I Feel", Rhian Benson

This was one of my favourite tunes of last year. She's a very versatile artist and you can hear the Ghanaian influences in her music. That influence is important to me because of my part-Ghanaian background.

"Sumthin' Sumthin' ", Maxwell

This is a true classic album. It's really funky, he always manages to puts a spring in my step however miserable I'm feeling.

Lembit Opik, Lib Dem MP

"May You Never", John Martyn

I love its sunny optimism about friendship. I first heard it in the summer of 1975. I thought, "this is what summers should be about".

"Pinball Wizard", The Who

It's just a piece of pop really but I love pinball and romance. It sums up the best of British rock around 1970.

"Wannabe", Spice Girls

I don't care if people think this is kitsch. I loved the song when I heard it first and I still like it now. It makes me smile when it comes up.

"A New England", Kirsty MacColl

I adore this track. I love the way it's so emphatic and the harmonies are tremendous. In the song she talks about being 22 and I first heard this when I was 20 so it meant a lot.

"It Had To Be You", Harry Connick Jnr

I always wanted to be a crooner but I didn't have the looks or the voice or the confidence - so I became a politician.

Jennie Bond, broadcaster

"Behind the Wall", Tracy Chapman

My daughter got me into Tracy Chapman. I think it's commendable she's singing about something meaningful in such a powerful way.

"Come Away with Me", Norah Jones

She is just the ultimate relaxation singer, I can listen to this repeatedly and never tire.

"Addicted to Love", Tina Turner

When I turned 50 I opened up a disco in our village hall. This started me off and then I didn't stop dancing all night long after that!

"Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Post of Life", Bobby Bear

It's highly irreligious which I kind of like. It's really just the style of these types of songs.

"Take this Job and Shove it",

Johnny Paycheck

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the BBC, but I think it was the right decision to leave. So as a bit of fun I had this song playing at my farewell.

Dinos Chapman, artist

"The Weed Man", Jerky Boys

They are American crank callers who call people and play tricks on them. There are literally conversations with people in pizza places, but sometimes they are quite cool.

Sick Puppy

I have loads of random stuff on my iPod, I don't know what it is. But when you press shuffle it isn't random. There is a website on the internet that questions why the same things come up again and again.

"Bad Ass Massage", Jerky Boys

Same guys as before.

Ritchie Hawton

This is electronic techno, I'm a big techno fan. I like the sound of fridges and doors opening too. When I listen to it, it makes me get angry.

"I Need Somebody", Iggy and the Stooges

When I listen to this I get angry too. I allow my moods to be dictated by my iPod. Everybody likes Iggy Pop, don't they? But it doesn't bring back any particular memories.

Jane Tomlinson, fundraiser

"Rearviewmirror", Pearl Jam

They played it when I went to see them in June 2000 which was the last concert I saw before I was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

"Lilac Wine", Jeff Buckley

He only did one album Grace and this is such a beautiful song from it. It's a very atmospheric tune, something to sit down to and relax with.

"Pure Morning", Placebo

The words "A friend in need is a friend indeed" I find very uplifting. I saw Placebo around October time in Leeds when I was desperately ill and they played this song as an encore.

"Time", Pink Floyd

My husband gave me a box set including this one when I was going through a hard time during my final year studying radiography at Leeds.

"One", Johnny Cash

He sings this U2 cover like it's his own. It's a moving song about two people separately sharing the same thing together, which I can associate with.

Alex Zane, XFM DJ

"Numb", Portishead

I was bought the album by an ex-girlfriend. It was the album that saw me through my depressed teenage phase.

"Back in Black", AC/DC

I can listen to it when I'm battling through the streets of London. It keeps me sane when I open doors for people who don't say "thank you".

"I Hate Everything About You", Ugly Kid Joe

It's a song that, aged 15, I played over and over again when the first girl I ever fancied dumped me. She was called Charlotte and was my first girlfriend, but I don't think she ever liked me.

Monty Python Sings "The Meaning of Life"

It's not my favourite song on the album but I find Python inspirational and hilarious.

"It's a Kind of Magic", Queen

Before I listened to Nirvana, the only music I ever listened to was Queen and Michael Jackson. I listen to this to relive my youth.