Bryan Cranston picks his 15 favourite songs
Like many of his Hollywood peers, Bryan Cranston, the actor famed for his roles in Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle, is a bonafide melophile. Born in 1956, the Baby Boomer grew up through the cultural revolution of rock ‘n’ roll, from the genre’s early heyday to the British Invasion era in the 1960s.
One of Cranston’s earliest musical memories was a BB King gig. “When I was a kid, a friend’s Dad worked in the music business and got us tickets to see blues legend BB King,” Cranston said of his first-ever gig in a 2022 interview with NME. “I couldn’t believe the artistry of his musicianship. It was mind-boggling what he could do with a guitar. He played ‘Lucille’ and ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ and just wailed on that thing.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Cranston revealed his favourite musical and cinematic blend. “I was much too young, but I’d just seen The Graduate. Oh my God! I was amazed by its overt sexuality and, being so young, I related to Dustin Hoffman’s character and the world of seduction he entered,” Cranston remembered. “That song was popular when I was 12 and was playing when I was trying to pluck up the courage to ask a girl out. But he who hesitates loses, and sure enough, another guy came over, asked her to dance, and they were on their way. It was crushing!”
In a previous feature with BlackBook, Cranston was challenged with listing his 15 all-time favourite songs. First up, he listed Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs. Robinson’ from The Graduate soundtrack. “Carolyn was a beautiful, fun girl who set my heart afire. I needed to ask her out. A graduation party at a friend’s house was my last chance,” he said, providing further detail about his first heartbreak. “Paul [Simon] and Art [Garfunkel] were harmonising this song as I watched a new boy in school accomplish in two seconds what I couldn’t in two years. He went right up and asked her out. She said yes, and before the party was over, they were making out on the living room couch. I was staggered, hurt and embarrassed. This song takes me back to that vulnerable time.”
After hearing such a story, perhaps the line, “Hello, darkness my old friend”, from ‘The Sound of Silence’ would appear more appropriate. All the same, ‘Mrs. Robinson’ remains a poignant, if rather sexual, milestone for the actor.
Not long after, Cranston took a trip to Europe, during which he fell in love with Eagles, lost his virginity and even tried busking. “In 1972, my Explorer troop travelled to Europe for a month,” he said, picking out Eagles’ ‘Take It Easy’. “The official agenda was to learn from other police departments. The unofficial agenda was liquor and women nirvana for a 16-year-old boy. After a few beers, a couple of the guys would break out guitars and play this song on a street corner. I’d accompany them (poorly) on my harmonica. To our surprise, passersby would drop coins in the hat, ensuring beer money for the next few days. This was also the trip where I lost my virginity to a very professional woman in Austria. I vowed to return one day to find it.”
Elsewhere, Cranston picked out ‘Boss of Me’ by They Might Be Giants. This early 2000s pop-rock hit might appear inconsistent with Cranston’s usual tastes, but any Malcolm in the Middle fans will understand why this particular song means so much to the star.
See the full list below, and if you like what you see, listen to our Spotify playlist.
Bryan Cranston’s favourite songs:
- ‘Mrs. Robinson’ – Simon and Garfunkel
- ‘Light My Fire’ – The Doors
- ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ – Van Morrison
- ‘Take It Easy’ – Eagles
- ‘The Wonder of You’ – Elvis Presley
- ‘Piano Man’ – Billy Joel
- ‘Canon in D Major’ – Johann Pachelbel
- ‘Our Love Is Here to Stay’ – Nat King Cole
- ‘The Four Seasons’ – Antonio Vivaldi
- ‘I Just Want to Dance with You’ – George Strait
- ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ – Green Day
- ‘Boss of Me’ – They Might Be Giants
- ‘Taylor’ – Jack Johnson
- ‘I’m Yours’ – Jason Mraz
- ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
