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Win a £100 Waitrose voucher and a copy of Greatest Hits! **NOW CLOSED**

(605 Posts)
LauraGransnet (GNHQ) Fri 16-Mar-18 14:08:03

In our latest competition with Orion, we're giving you the chance to win a £100 Waitrose voucher and a copy of Greatest Hits by number one bestselling author Laura Barnett, a story about the power of reflection and how much our memories mean to us.

If you could choose just 16 moments to define your entire life, what would they be? That’s what Cass Wheeler must do. A musician born in 1950, Cass is now taking one day to select the 16 songs in her repertoire that have meant the most to her.

And behind each song lies a story - from the day her mother abandoned her, to her passionate first love, to the moment she lost everything. The dreams, the failures, the second chances.

So, what are the songs that mean the most to you, and evoke your most precious memories? Perhaps it was the first dance at your wedding, or the song repeated on the radio throughout your first holiday, or the only music that would rock your baby to sleep. Tell us in the comments below for the chance to win an £100 Waitrose voucher and a copy of Greatest Hits! We also have 25 copies of the book for runners-up.

Greatest Hits is published by W&N, an imprint of Orion, and is available online and from all good booksellers.

Please post your entries below by 11am 16 April.

Usual T&Cs apply.

littlemonkeyz Sun 18-Mar-18 16:04:53

Let there be love - Nat King Cole was our wedding song.

AliW1 Sun 18-Mar-18 17:03:28

"Alright" by Supergrass always makes me feel happy. I only have to hear it to think of dancing with friends on nights out. Instantly lifts my mood.

lucymcguigan Sun 18-Mar-18 17:13:33

When I was a child I was very poorly with whooping cough and was off school for a long time. My mum would leave the radio on in my bedroom as a bit of a distraction. Excerpt From A Teenage Opera by Keith West seemed to be played constantly. I only have to hear a few notes of it now and I’m immediately transported back to those dark days.

Binks123 Sun 18-Mar-18 17:36:05

Hearing the beautiful voice of Judith Durham in The Seekers really takes me back to my family home, my Dad loved her voice and simply hearing `The Carnival is Over` can bring a tear of happiness to my eye remembering all my lovely family as we were then.

Jackywatson Sun 18-Mar-18 17:39:53

Zbigniew Preisner - Like a Dream
Just so beautiful and amazingly one that my dad liked as well bless him

Kangakate Sun 18-Mar-18 17:40:19

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden, our wedding song and the song I sang to my daughter when she was a bump and just after her birth as she was crying and it calmed her right down smile

Ikea1234 Sun 18-Mar-18 18:02:21

O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini or O My Beloved Father. Evokes happy memories from a holiday to Florence whilst I was pregnant with my son, one of my favourite films A Room With a View, and when my husband asked my dad if he could ask me to marry him. I love it!

nessa38ish Sun 18-Mar-18 18:47:59

Nat King Cole, Mona Lisa always brings back happy memories of my granddad x

juliedee Sun 18-Mar-18 18:58:12

Zoom by Fat Larrys Band for us, it means so much and the words define our moment!!

InfamyInfamy Sun 18-Mar-18 20:04:36

The theme to Morse as I walked down the aisle to it! Such a beautiful piece of music

Sazz1006 Sun 18-Mar-18 20:07:20

Not linked to any real memories but this makes me melt youtu.be/Z14r-Twaswk

cheekychicken24 Sun 18-Mar-18 20:48:08

Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra - my mother loved all Sinatra songs, she grew up with them, but especially this one. Every time I hear it I have happy memories of Sunday mornings with mum cooking, and the rest of us squabbling. Happy family times.

We also chose the song to be played at mum's Humanist funeral.

Cailin7 Sun 18-Mar-18 20:56:31

That is a hard one. I can associate many songs with memories.

Normanhurst Sun 18-Mar-18 23:02:55

Unforgettable - Nat King Cole - The song played at my mum's funeral. It summed up exactly what she meant to me then and now - unforgettable in every way.

jamielmdjs Sun 18-Mar-18 23:39:33

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band was my dad's favourite song. Also anything by Dr Hook, he used to listen to that on repeat and reminds me of him.

Pixie242 Mon 19-Mar-18 08:39:21

You're My Best Friend by Queen. Sung by me with my best friend until she passed away 10 years ago at the age of 38.

Meggas Mon 19-Mar-18 10:33:18

For me it I see Dancing Queen by ABBA. It was played incessantly at school discos and our local Scout hut ran discos too. It was guaranteed to get everyone up on the dance floor even the geeky guys. Even now when it's played it takes me right back, and it's a long while ago! Great competition to make us remember things like this, you can easily forget. Would love to win, thanks for the chance.

KatyK Mon 19-Mar-18 11:00:53

Hey Jude by the Beatles. I had a troubled childhood and when the Beatles came along, they gave me something to feel good about. I saw them in concert a few times and even got to sit on stage with them. I love most '60s music, but hearing that song always gives me a good feeling.

grannyannie48 Mon 19-Mar-18 11:30:49

Happy Together by The Turtles-and so it proved,

Jacks10 Mon 19-Mar-18 12:04:54

Hey Jude by the Beatles - was our absolute favourite when my husband and I were first going out. We had 2 daughters - if we had had a son he would definitely have been called
Jude!

SHORTMAN Mon 19-Mar-18 12:43:09

The song that reminds me of my parents is The Air That You Breathe by the Hollies - it was my parents song and reminds me of two wonderful people who gave me a secure happy childhood - a gift beyond price

Spentwidow Mon 19-Mar-18 13:48:22

when my sons were born, and there dad came back home lunchtime just so see them , my cat toffee , who I miss because he made me smile !

juliedee Mon 19-Mar-18 14:46:50

ours is Zoom by Fat Larry's Band, the words say it all!

Playermojo007 Mon 19-Mar-18 14:56:08

Daddy's home by Cliff Richard. Due to the fact that my father worked away all my life.
As a child I loved to dance with my parents on a Sunday evening to the top 20. I particularly remembered Save all your kisses for me -Brotherhood of man.
Also Billy don't be a hero. Depicting the story of a young lad going away to war. I now have a son in the forces so it still comes into my head.
Blanket on the ground- Billie JoSpears whom my parents took me to see and I shook her hand and had a conversation with . She was a Legend and me being a little girl ,she inspired me . The same with.
Stand by your man-Tammy Wynette. I went to meet her and she cuddled me and had loads of time for me.
When my boys were little the song always on the radio was Oh Sit Down- James.
The song that my husband and I find beautiful and triggers beautiful memories between us are Bright Eyes- Simon and Garfunkle
Amazed -Lonestar
Now I am older and unfortunately the older you get the more funerals you visit people play songs that stick in your mind. A song that gets played so many times is Dance with My Father. Now my father is terminally ill with cancer and when this song comes on the radio I always shed a tear. As I know that one day I will be in the position of having a service. But dancing with my father is the beautiful memories leading me back to the beginning of this article of dancing about on my fathers feet on those sunday evenings to the top 20 . Life is an amazing celebration and runs hand in hand with music triggering memories happy and sad, hopefully more happy than sad.

AliBeeee Mon 19-Mar-18 15:45:54

Phil Collins, You Can't Hurry Love. We had just moved into out first flat and used to dance up and down our long hallway to it.