A playlist of Tom Hanks’ favourite rock ‘n’ roll songs
There’s a recurring oddity that dictates the lives of many famous people: an itinerant upbringing. Like Freddie Mercury, Grace Slick, Jim Morrison, Joe Strummer and another few thousand superstars, Tom Hanks was often on the move as a child. By the age of ten, he had lived in ten different houses. During this time, culture became a companion that he could trust. Music, movies and art were ever-present no matter where he roamed, so he saw them as benevolent buddies.
Born in 1956, his childhood coincided with the rise of rock ‘n’ roll. In fact, Hanks abseiled down his umbilical cord into this world mere months after Elvis Presley’s first appearance on TV, a performance so erotically charged that in their postmortem of the hip-shaking antics, CBS delivered the decree that all future Elvis performances had to be filmed from the waist up. Ten years later, when Hanks’ family finally did settle, they did so in the Bay Area.
It was here that rock ‘n’ roll had reached its revolutionary peak. Pretty much the moment Hanks found a home, it was beset by the tie-dye swirl of the summer of love. This frenzy was a little too full-on for a shy kid like Hanks, but he was very curious about it, and he delved into the music’s past. Much like he does now with his characters, he wanted to get to the heart of the story. With this in mind, the actor has always had a love for rock ‘n’ roll’s early roots.
Of course, he also loved The Beatles and the music that followed, once explaining to the BBC regarding ‘There’s A Place’: “This is one of those time and place moments [when you get to a certain age] you are searching for that music that is going to be yours and yours alone. This is not one of their big hits, but to me this was the birth of The Beatles.” But he also treasures the likes of Buddy Holly, Buddy Guy and The Coasters, who showed the way before them.
With this in mind, when Hanks was celebrating his 65th birthday, he looked back at the music he had loved over the years and decided to deliver a DJ setlist of his favourite rock ‘n’ roll songs for Boss Radio 66. This was the music that made him feel part of something bigger in his youth. He once said, “Everybody has something that chews them up and, for me, that thing was always loneliness.” Well, these anthems helped to save him from that fate.
So, we’ve also wrapped them up into a playlist for your enjoyment. This is Tom Hanks’ journey back into the heart of the best of early rock ‘n’ roll. (NB, not every song is available on Spotify).
Tom Hanks’ favourite rock ‘n’ roll songs:
- Michael Lynch – ‘Throw Deep, Baby’
- Hal Blaine & the Young Cougars – ‘Challenger II’
- Los Saicos – ‘Demolicion’
- The Bobby Fuller Four – ‘KRLA King Of The Wheels’
- The Comic Books – ‘The Bat-Mo’
- Davis Jones & the Fenders – ‘Boss With The Hot Sauce’
- Troggs – ‘H.I.S. Slacks’
- Buddy Holly & The Crickets – ‘Maybe Baby’
- Jack Nitzsche – ‘The Lonely Surfer’
- Tippie & The Clovers – ‘Bossa Nova Baby’
- Fats Domino – ‘Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans’
- Irma Thomas – ‘Hittin’ On Nothing’
- Joe Tex – ‘You’re Right Ray Charles’
- Freddie King – ‘Sittin’ On The Boat Dock’
- Lou Christie – ‘Guitars and Bongos’
- James Booker (New Orleans’ own) – ‘Smacksie’
- The Coasters – ‘Dance’
- Donald & The Delighters – ‘Wang Dang Dula’
- KJRB – ‘Jingle’
- Dino, Desi and Billy – ‘She’s So Far Out She’s In’
- KNOK – ‘Jingle’
- Gino Washington – ‘I’ll Be Around’
- Threats – ‘New Feeling’
- Buddy Guy – ‘American Bandstand’
- Heartbeats – ‘I Found A Job’
- Unknown Singer – ‘Seattle Radio Dial’
- The Rolling Stones – ‘Not Fade Away’
- Los Aspen – ‘Ya No Hay Beatles’
- KHJ Concert for Sonny and Cher’
- Dolly Parton – ‘Don’t Drop Out’
- Los Holy’s – ‘Holys Piscodelicos’
