3. Patti SmithHorses

I love Patti Smith, and I once had a conversation with her on the phone, by sheer coincidence, when I used to work for TfL. She needed directions to get to Brixton Academy because the Sex Pistols were playing one of their anniversary gigs. We’d struck up a conversation and it was only afterwards that I realised what had happened. I’d been a massive fan of hers for a long time, I think she’s a great lyricist. Horses was one of the first Patti Smith records I ever heard. The title track, ‘Gloria’, all of them, they’re great tracks with emotion and real depth to the lyrics. I’m a big fan.