Reelin' in the Years : The Soundtrack of a Northern Life

BBC Radio broadcaster Mark Radcliffe looks back at the soundtrack of his lifetime, choosing one single that defined each of his years

When Mark Radcliffe was born in the late 1950s, Britain was trying to find its own version of the dangerously sexy Elvis … we gave the world Cliff Richard but by the time Mark was old enough to recognise pop songs on the radio, the UK was exploding into the world''s most exciting place to be for a young music fan.

In this, his eagerly awaited new book, Mark Radcliffe takes a record from each year of his life, using the song as a starting point from which to reach out and pull together a wonderfully entertaining catalogue of memories and asides about British culture. And, as one would expect from this unique and popular broadcaster, the tunes he lists are not the usual suspects. From The Kinks'' ''See My Friends'', through Slade''s ''Coz I Luv You'' to Kraftwerk''s ''Europe Endless'' and Joy Division''s ''Atmosphere'', Mark''s selections bring forth a diverse collision of styles from eras uniquely defined by their musical genres and fashions.

Bringing his choices right up to the present day, we see the inclusion of artists such as Richard Hawley, Elbow and Fleet Foxes. Mark''s hugely entertaining and affectionate trawl through his favourite music of the past 50 years is guaranteed to surprise and delight his many fans.