A collection of Stephen King’s favourite songs of all time
Stephen King may well be the most popular novelist of all time. The serial horror hero has contributed some of the world’s most recognisable titles to both literature and cinema, counting The Shining, Pet Sematary, Carrie and hundreds more as intrinsic pieces of his catalogue. But while King’s unique style is known the world over, the fact that he is a musical nut may well have evaded people. But the truth is, Stephen King is a keen muso.
We know this because the novelist has always been happy to share the singers, songwriters and bands who have helped to form his own artistic expression with his audience. Most of the time, King shares his appreciation for music through a selection of his books. Usually paying tribute to the legendary Liverpudlians, The Beatles, the horror master has not been afraid to make reference to his favourite pop acts throughout his work.
Whether professing Bob Dylan to be a saviour of music and the written word or declaring his love for Rihanna’s ‘Pon De Replay’ while appearing on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs, King has never been afraid to show off his musical side.
When King appeared on Desert Island Discs in 2006, he arrived with a truly eclectic mix of songs it featuring huge named artists such as The Beatles and their song ‘She Loves You’ or Bob Dylan and ‘Desolation Row’. The writer even picked out Bruce Springsteen, Pretenders, and the aforementioned Rihanna. What’s notable is that given the chance to select another set of his favourite songs for a BBC 6 Music feature Paperback Writers, which asked novelists to pick their favourite tunes, King opted for a completely new collection of tracks.
It’s the sign of a true music fan that, when asked to pick your favourite songs, you can only ever think of your most recent favourites. In truth, this mythical list that 90% of music lovers will never be asked for is constantly changing with the tides and seasons. One sunny day might strike us as a particularly great day to devote ourselves to soft rock, while an impending rain cloud may have a listener reaching for Leonard Cohen without thinking.
It means we can be safe in the knowledge that while the 14 songs selected below are certainly some of King’s most cherished, it would be a very different list today.
Contained within the list are some of the biggest names in rock, including AC/DC, who King described as “the best rock and blues band of all time,” as well as picking out the country legend John Mellencamp who King once had a “crazy idea” about a musical with. But perhaps the most telling moment comes when King reveals: “One of the questions that defines a person is…‘is it Beatles or Stones?’”
Considering he only picks out The Rolling Stones in this piece, and their track ‘Dance Little Sister’ suggests King has made his choice. However, we’d revert to his Desert Island Discs appearance and his continued appreciation of the Fab Four, including writing his biggest hit The Shining, after being inspired by John Lennon, to confirm his conflicted ears.
The noted author isn’t afraid to enter a debate about music, either. In fact, King says that he “got into a lot of arguments in the ’70s with rock purists who absolutely hated disco,” something he has always held affection for. “I thought to myself, if people hate me and if they want to downgrade my musical taste, I’ll just have to live with that and cry hot tears of shame on my pillow. If I had more time here, I’d have put on one of the Bee Gees disco songs, but that’s another story.”
Below, we’ve captured all of the songs mentioned on that programme and pulled them together as a collection of Stephen King’s favourite songs. It’s a top-tier playlist from one of the world’s greatest living writers and perhaps your new Spotify kindred spirit.
