Imagining them to have no time for such trivial matters, it’s somehow reassuring to see famous people making top lists of things. Though, obviously, it’s always guys. The guys on my bank of desks at work are continually doing top tens – films, albums, songs, record companies (and recently, obviously, top ten Bowie albums and songs – I’m not afraid to say in public Let’s Dance is one of my favourites). Women, though, do not do top tens. They do not do favourite albums, songs or films (or if they do it’s an emotional choice, not based on the history of film or music, and probably something they saw or listened to last week). There’s a theory that all men are on the Asperger’s spectrum – for our lists (Barnflakes is famous for its top ten lists and probably quite high on the spectrum), our hobbies (from stamp collecting to football and cars), our filing systems.

I like David Bowie’s typically idiosyncratic top 25 from 2003 – I have a bunch of them. I haven’t posted anything about Bowie over the last few weeks because, well, everyone else has. In 2003, Bowie also let us know his top hundred must-read books.

The list, in no particular order…

The Last Poets The Last Poets

Shipbuilding Robert Wyatt

The Fabulous Little Richard Little Richard

Music for 18 Musicians Steve Reich

The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground

Tupelo Blues John Lee Hooker

Blues, Rags and Hollers Koerner, Ray and Glover

The Apollo Theatre Presents: In Person! The James Brown Show James Brown

Forces of Victory Linton Kwesi Johnson

The Red Flower of Tachai Blossoms Everywhere: Music Played on National Instruments Various Artists

Banana Moon Daevid Allen

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris Cast Album

The Electrosoniks: Electronic Music Tom Dissevelt

The 5000 Spirits of the Layers of the Onion The Incredible String Band

Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman Tucker Zimmerman

Four Last Songs (Strauss) Gundula Janowitz

The Ascension Glenn Branca

The Madcap Laughs Syd Barrett

Black Angels George Crumb

Funky Kingston Toots & the Maytals

Delusion of the Fury Harry Partch

Oh Yeah Charles Mingus

Le Sacre du Printemps Igor Stravinsky

The Fugs The Fugs

The Glory (????) of the Human Voice Florence Foster Jenkins