LincsOnline team share their desert island discs
Have you ever wondered what you would take with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
The LincsOnline team have shared the top five songs they would listen to, a luxury item and a book they would take if they were left on a desert island. And let’s face it, if your relatives are getting on your nerves over the festive period, you might be dreaming of a far-flung paradise!
We’ve also added a Christmas twist to it by adding in a Christmas song - and you can even listen to our choices with our Spotify playlist, perfect for while you’re washing those festive dishes.
The concept is based on the BBC Radio Four Series Desert Island discs, which first aired in 1942.
Here is what we decided on:
Jenny Beake - reporter
Songs:
1. Simply having a wonderful Christmas time - Paul McCartney - once I hear this for the first time on the radio - to me the Chrstimas period is starting!
2. Days - Kirsty McCall - this evokes happy memories of my teens when I was involved in drama productions - and it reflects the days being on a desert island...a lot of them!
3. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - at least it is about 9 minutes long so will fill up some time just seeing sand and sea all the time
4. Angel Eyes - Wet Wet Wet - hopefully it will be dry dry dry too on that island
5. Yesterday - The Beatles - on a desert island no doubt time stands still so I would be grateful to remember what day it was
Book - Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes. This novel is very funny and full of hope.
Luxury item - a pair of tweezers. I can't stand it when hairs grow out of my chin and I can only get them out with tweezers!
Katie Green - reporter
Songs:
1. Christmas is all around by Billy Mack - Not an obvious choice but Love Actually is my favourite Christmas film and if I cannot watch the film, I can at least have the best song from it! Billy Mack, aka Bill Nighy’s rendition of Wet Wet Wet’s Love is all around.
2. The Only Exception by Paramore - Although not one of my favourite artists, hearing the version of this song on Glee made this song my alltime favourite.
3. Fireproof by One Direction - I will always be a fangirl at heart of this boyband, especially for my favourite song by them. It has a nice melody and is always one I will sing-a-long too.
4. In My Life by The Beatles - I’ve always been a fan of The Beatles and they have so many good songs, it was hard to narrow down to just one. However, the soft melody and thoughtful lyrics of In My Life I think will help me to get by on a deserted island.
5. You're on your own kid by Taylor Swift - As a big Swiftie, I had to include a song by T Swift. I felt like this song would be an ironic choice - considering I am deserted on my own on an island - but also one to remind me that I just need to believe in myself to get where I need to be. It’s also a catchy sing-a-long to stop me going mad!
Book - Normal People by Sally Rooney. Although I read the book after watching the series (don’t judge me) the book was as amazing as the series. This was a lockdown read for me and being a similar age to the characters in the book, it was one of the most relatable things I had ever read.
Luxury Item - my pillow, so at least at night my head has something comfortable to sleep on.
Kerry Coupe - senior editor
Songs:
1. Last Christmas by Wham - this is my favourite ever Christmas song, so much so I don’t even mind when I lose Whamageddon.
2. First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes - This was the song I chose to walk down the aisle to after my husband said he liked it.
3. God Only Knows by the Beach Boys - Another one to remind me of my recent wedding - this was our first dance.
4. Stop by the Spice Girls - This is a song that reminds me of my childhood with my friends and every time we hear a Spice Girls song now, we’ll text each other.
5. 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton - This song brings back memories of time spent at Glastonbury with some of my closest friends - we even dressed as Dolly to watch her perform on the Pyramid stage but no, I’m not sharing the photo!
Book - How to Survive On A Desert Island For Idiots - I’m not sure if such a book exists but I reckon I'd need it. I haven’t got any survival skills at all!
Luxury item - A photo album with pictures of all my loved ones I was missing at home.
Andrew Brookes - senior editor
Songs:
1. Don't Let the Bells End by The Darkness - Cruelly robbed of Christmas number one by the dull Madworld song (I'm still bitter, clearly) this cheeky number is the moral winner. Plus, Kat Wakefield - ex-reporter and still very much one of the family - would never forgive us for a music feature that doesn't include her favourite band.
2. Cornerstone by Arctic Monkeys - I'm a fan of pretty much all of the band's eras (to borrow the Swiftian parlance) - including the more divisive recent albums. Still, for clever storytelling this just about leads a strong field.
3. Outsiders by Franz Ferdinand - Despite bingeing the band's second album You Could Have It So Much Better a lot as a student, it still feels fresh when I give it a spin (these days on vinyl as I'm a wannabe (and failing) hipster). Just when you think the album's over, this comes in and ends on a high.
4. Russian Literature by Maximo Park - Ok, ok, I can feel the judgement for being a tragic 'landfill indie' saddo already - but it's my desert island so to hell with it. Our Earthly Pleasures is one of my favourite albums and this nudges into the lead as a powerful highlight.
5. Acquiesce by Oasis - The Britpop bad lads led the way when I was an impressionable 10-ish year old. While Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger were the ones belted out on the bus to swimming lessons, this is an absolute classic and a rare occasion of both brothers on vocals. Blur? No thanks. They haven't had a single anywhere near as good as this 'B side'. Am I bitter at not getting tour tickets? Not right now - but I'll be jealous of everyone's Instagram feeds come the summer.
Book - In Defence of History by Richard J Evans. The best historian in the business with a book that I found inspirational.
Luxury item - Since this is a Christmas feature, I couldn't do without my festive bottle of port. If not that, a highlights video of Stuart Pearce's most thunderous tackles would do.
Marta Tavares - reporter
Songs:
1. Carol of the Bells - It's nice and Christmasy but not too intense that would make me want to do a Van Gogh and cut my own ear
2. Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise - it's my favourite song, it always makes me think about life and feel understood and loved.
3. Alien Blues by Vundabar - It's a fun song that I can sing along to and I'm always waiting for a specific part where I feel it all.
4. This is the day by The The - Impossible not to dance and be in a good mood, if I were in a desert island I'd need a lot of that
5. Dead of Night by Orville Peck - it allows me to close my eyes and pretend I'm a main character in a film where everything is possible.
Book - The biggest 'Atlas of the World' because I would be learning new things and keep myself entertained. Even though I'm a fantasy and romance reader, I would read it quite quickly and then get bored, so I need something slow and steady that would make me think and consider the world.
Luxury item - a video camera to record my experience of being trapped on a desert island and hopefully someone would find it one day and make it into a really cool and interesting documentary.
Daniel Jaines - reporter
Songs:
1. Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla - this is my funeral song.
2. Mrs God by Helloween - this is funeral song number two, just because it’s hilarious.
3. Sleeping Satellite by Tasmin Archer - this used to be on a CD of my mum's I'd play while trying to get to sleep at night along with a few other hits.
4. Van Nuys by Nikki Sixx/Sixx - any of the songs from the Heroine Diaries would be a great replacement for it.
5. The Lightning Storm by Flogging Molly - I just love this one, I can't explain why!
Book - Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
Luxury item - I would have to be my old MP3 player if I could find it because it had all my teen angsty songs on :D. I can't take the Xbox or PC because they both need monitors.
Eloise Gilmore - reporter
Songs:
1. Do they know it’s Christmas? By Band Aid 1984
2. Romeo by Basement Jaxx
3. Pretty Green Eyes by Ultrabeat
4. Dirty Cash by The Adventures of Stevie V
5. Crystal Night by Black Lips
First three to keep the energy and mood up, fourth to wind down, and the Christmas song because it's simply the best Christmas song.
Book - At Bertram's Hotel. One of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series, because it is such a good mystery with very interesting characters so it would keep me entertained.
Luxury item - a set of dumbbells because I enjoy going to the gym to feel good and it always passes a lot of time without you realising - so my rescue will feel like it comes quicker and I will get strong while waiting.
Vote for your favourite desert island disc choice here!
Rachel Armitage - news editor
Songs:
1. Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade - As a Wolverhampton girl I do love Slade (my dad went to school with the bass player!) and this is hands down the best Christmas song, no question!
2. Mr Brightside by The Killers - Who doesn't love bouncing around to this and yelling all the lyrics when they've had a couple of lemonades?!
3. I'd Do Anything for Love But I Won't Do That by Meatloaf - (the proper 12 minute version!) It's just an epic song...tells a story, it's very dramatic, and when I'm driving I'll try and belt out Lorraine Crosby's bit at the end (Very badly!)
4. One Step Closer by Linkin Park - As a rock girl, Linkin Park were a big part of my angsty teen and early 20s and I love belting this out when I'm in a bad mood!
5. Crossfire by Brandon Flowers - I'm a big romantic at heart despite my love of angsty and shouty rock music, and I love the tenderness of this song.
Book - The Other Boleyn Girl - I love the Tudor period in history, I find the gender roles women played and the games that everyone played to get ahead in Henry VIII's court. I love the untold story of Anne Boleyn's cast-off sister Mary and i must have read this 20 times over the years.
Luxury item - My Kindle so I can carry on reading while sunbathing!
Suzanne Moon - news editor
Songs:
1. Wombling Merry Christmas by The Wombles - Remember it? Catchier than any song from Frozen.
2. Kokomo by The Beach Boys - If you're going to be stuck on a desert island, you might as well sing about a few more.
3. Island of Lost Souls by Blondie - "Oh buccaneer, Can ya help me put my truck in gear?". Alone on an island there's no shame in belting out these terrible lyrics.
4. The Longest Time by Billy Joel - Joel offers plenty of desert island song choices, and although this isn't his best lyrically, it's still a jolly way to pass the time.
5. Happy Talk by Captain Sensible - I'd like this played as the coffin's carried into my funeral. Things may not go too well on the island, so I'd play it at the end all the same.
Book - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy by John le Carre - I must have watched the film version with Gary Oldman as Smiley six times before I had any sense of what was going on. The book could take multiple reads.
Luxury item - A large bottle of factor 50.
Duncan Browne - reporter
Songs:
1. All Alone on Christmas by Darlene Love - As the author of this piece insisted I include a festive fave I'll have to go with one of the most fun Christmas tunes. The voice behind The Crystals and another seasonal banger - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - teaming up with members of the E Street Band and Miami Horns (both best known for their work with Bruce Springsteen) on the Home Alone 2 soundtrack? What a mix.
2. AM 180 by Grandaddy - If I'm castaway on my own without even a volleyball for company then I'm going to want to have fun. And this song is just lots of fun.
3. Time To Pretend by MGMT - A surreal bittersweet fantasy song that I've just enjoyed listening to for almost two decades. Younger and cooler people may have discovered it by watching Saltburn.
4. Piano Man by Billy Joel - One of the finest songs ever written, and one I could happily listen to on loop. And if I was stuck on the island staring at the trees and wondering whether I should build a raft and brave the waves it may just be the kick-up-the-behind inspiration I need.
5. Danny Nedelko by Idles - A brilliantly raucous singalong tune that's so catchy it could have three choruses, all of which need to be screamed loudly on loop in these modern times.
Book - Thirty-One Nil by James Montague. Picking just one book is a nightmare, but this story about football's minnows attempting to qualify for the 2014 World Cup manages to mix sport, history and travel into one brilliant read. Beginning in Carlton, Nottingham, the author's journey takes him places rarely on the soccer map, from American Samoa to Palestine via Afghanistan, Tajikistan and many, many more places. If I'm stuck on an island I'm going to need this escapism.
Luxury item - A hat. I'm bald and, as you don't get many desert islands kicking around the North Sea, I'm doing whatever I can to avoid sunstroke.
Fionn Burrows - reporter
Songs:
1. Stop the Cavalry, by Jona Lewie - It's not just a great Christmas song, but a great song in general! My mum played in a brass band when I was growing up, and as me and my brothers accompanied her to Christmas concerts at village halls, churches and theatres across the Midlands this was always a firm favourite with crowds and never fails to get me in the festive spirit.
2. Karma Police, by Radiohead - This is probably my favourite song and has held a special place in my heart ever since I heard it played live in Manchester in the summer of 2017. It was less than two months after the Manchester Arena bombing, and the city was still healing from such a traumatic event. The lyrics "phew, for a minute there I lost myself" resonated with the crowd and hearing thousands of people singing the verse over and over, long after the band had left the stage is a memory that will stay with me forever.
3. Great Gig in the Sky, by Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon was probably the first time I realised just how great music could be. My dad had made a digital copy of his original vinyl record and I would listen to it on repeat. The whole album was so different from any of the Pop that was in the charts and Great Gig in the Sky always stood out to me. It's passionate, musically brilliant, and never gets old.
4. Let There Be Rock, by AC/DC - Being quite a shy, quiet kid, it always surprised people when they found out I was a big Hard Rock and Metal fan. As a teenager I bought all of AC/DC's albums and at one point could name any of their songs just by hearing the first few seconds of music. It's almost impossible to pick a favourite, but Let There Be Rock is the perfect pick me up.
5. Lovely Day, by Bill Withers - It's Bill Withers, what more can I say? If I'm going to be stuck on a desert island, why not try and make every day, well... lovely?
Book - The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkein. It was the first "proper" book I ever read and remains my favourite to this day. It's a story filled with hope, friendship, action, emotional growth, and as someone who has always had a vivid imagination, that sense of adventure and fantasy always appealed to me.
Luxury item - Well, if I'm not allowed a boat to rescue myself, I suppose I'll have to go with something to fill my time while I wait for someone to come along. I'd probably want to have a pencil and some paper so I could scribble away as I explore my new home for the sake of my own sanity, and if nothing else, leave behind a record of my time there.
Maddy Baillie - reporter
Songs:
1. Baby It's Cold Outside (The Idina Menzel and Michael Buble version) - As it's a duet it would make me feel like I've got some company - and who better to sing with than Buble.
2. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) by Taylor Swift - If I scream this loudly in the car, best believe it would get the same treatment while alone on a desert island.
3. The Man Who Can't Be Moved, The Script - There are no hidden meanings or brilliant memories, I just like this song.
4. Defying Gravity from Wicked - Imagine belting out this with a bit of desert island wind in your hair.
5. Greatest Day, Take That - Even though being stuck on a desert would be a far cry from the greatest day of my life, this song holds happy memories of a family holiday.
Book - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Comforting, nostalgic and magical.
Luxury item - A blanket. If I wasn't stuck on a desert island this would obviously be heated, but without electricity a bog-standard blanket will have to do. I don't want to get cold!
James Turner - LDR reporter
Songs:
1. Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End) by The Darkness
2. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
3. TNT by AC/DC
4. Detroit Rock City by KISS
5. Walk by the Foo Fighters
Honestly, all of these songs are masterclasses in classic rock. I've been lucky enough to see these tracks live over the last few years by going to loads of shows with my dad so I thought it would help me remember those times.
Book - Motley Crue's The Dirt autobiography. Although this paints pretty much none of them in a good light, I've always been interested in knowing what the 80s metal scene looked like and this book doesn't hold back.
Luxury item - You have to go for something that would help you survive. So I'd probably choose a fishing rod with unlimited bait. Although I hope the AC/DC doesn't scare the fish away.
Bridie Short - reporter
Songs:
1. Merry Christmas Everyone by Slade. This is a classic Christmas song and you can't go wrong with a bit of Slade.
2. Umbrella by Rihanna. I've loved this song since I was younger and it always makes me want to dance. I think I'd need an upbeat song, so I didn't end up thinking too much about being stranded on a desert island.
3. Taste by Sabrina Carpenter. Her latest album is my favorite album at the moment and this is another good song to sing and dance to.
4. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. I'd happily listen to it every day regardless of being stuck on a desert island.
5. How Can I Make It Ok? by Wolf Alice - After my dancing and singing sesh, this song would bring me back down to reality, and force me to come up with ideas to make the situation ok.
Book - Perks of being a wallflower. This is my favourite book of all time and I love the main character.
Luxury item - A pillow. If I'm going to be stuck on a desert island, I might as well be comfy.
Chris Harby - reporter
Songs:
1. Troika by Sergei Prokofiev - I'm a sucker for a Christmas pop tune, but this classical sleigh-ride piece is my festive earworm. It has been ever since I heard it performed live, with my late friend part of the band.
2. Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order - New Order were the first band I seriously got into at school and helped guide my music taste along a good path. One of the few bands from my teens whose music still sounds fresh today. This track is them at the top of their game.
3. Coles Corner by Richard Hawley - I fell in love with Sheffield and its people while at university there. This song is a special ode to the city by one of its best songwriters. Just edges out another steel city classic, Razzmatazz by Pulp
4. Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams - If I'm going to be stuck listening to five tracks for the rest of my days I need variety. My knowledge of classical music is regrettably limited, but this is one of my favourites, and would remind me of the nature of home.
5. Pass The Mic by the Beastie Boys - I've always loved hip hop alongside indie music, so again, in the interest of variety, here's my long-time hip hop earworm.
Book - Bleak House (Charles Dickens) - or anything really by Dickens. Preferably a long read!
Luxury item - A wind-up radio. The worst part of the new life washed up on a distant shore, would be the lack of company. This would be the next best thing, and if there was a regular diet of cricket and sport on the radio, I reckon I'd cope.
Sarah Ward - LDR reporter
1. Last Christmas by Wham - Obviously the best Christmas song ever by the best singer. First of all takes me back to sitting in my school hall playing pass the parcel, and from then on has been the soundtrack to every Christmas.
2. Play Dead by Bjork - Love the song and never get sick of hearing it.
3. Happy by Pharell Williams - Reminds me of my children, who loved the song when they were smaller.
4. Ain't nobody by Chaka Khan - No-one can walk past a dance floor when this song is on. Reminds me of being a kid in the 80s.
5. The way we were by Barbara Streisand - No list is complete without Barbara Streisand.
Book - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. The perfect novel, that is so clever and beautifully written.
Luxury item - Walking boots as I like to have a wander around the countryside. There's no problem that can’t be solved by a stroll.
Have a listen to the LincsOnline team’s top choices here!
What would be your desert island disc choices? Let us know in the comments below.
