“There is an honesty and a truth in everything that he’s done. His first pick is indicative of the path we’re about to join the musician on, “Neil Young singing ‘Helpless’,” Waters began. There’s not much left to do but sit back and listen to Waters’ favourite tracks as we’re reminded that, no matter who you are, influence can be found everywhere. Created by Roy Plomley way back in 1942, the format is always the same, each week a guest is invited by the host to choose the eight records they would take with them to a desert island.Īs well as their eight discs, a complimentary collection of the complete works of Shakespeare and a bible, the star in question also gets to choose one luxury item and one book. It’s a time-honoured tradition that has seen Prime Ministers and rock stars alike walk through its studio doors.
It’s impossible for us to over-sell the importance BBC’s Desert Island Discs has in the dense tapestry of British pop culture. Reflecting on a career that has seen him change the landscape of music as we know it, Waters sat down with BBC Radio 4 as part of their Desert Island Discs feature to pick out eight songs that he holds dearly. Leaving the band in 1985 amid creative differences (shockingly), Waters went on to enjoy a successful solo career before reuniting with his former bandmates years later for some one-off performances. It’s a list of performers and rock icons that deserve their accolades as influencing one of the greatest composers in the world. It’s safe to say his favourite songs are filled with the esteem Waters gave his own work and pays homage to some serious figures of the past, noting their value to the wider musical sphere as well as his own personal progression.