Suggs reflects on life, nostalgia, and the songs that shaped Madness

Suggs, the frontman of Madness, opens up about the songs that shaped his life and career in a candid playlist interview. He recalls the first track that captured his heart, Judy Teen by Cockney Rebel, influenced by Steve Harley’s on-screen persona and a memory of a bicycle trip to Salisbury Plain. He also mentions the first single he bought, The Wall Street Shuffle by 10cc, and how his early days included dipping into record theft before settling into paying dues. For karaoke, he favors Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, though he keeps a humorous edge, joking about his family’s reaction. At parties, Teardrops by Womack & Womack fills the dance floor with its uplifting simplicity. A particularly vivid memory involves an end-of-tour party in Australia with a saxophonist chasing Duffy’s backing singers around a massive polystyrene volcano in underpants. Suggs also reflects on songs he can no longer listen to, including an old Smash Hits interview about Baggy Trousers, and reveals a soft spot for White Flag by Dido despite claiming to hate it publicly. Romantic selections include Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, described as sensual without lurid detail. The track that changed his life was Prince Buster’s Al Capone, discovered in a pool hall on Tottenham Court Road, followed by One Step Beyond, which Madness later covered. The singer admits Cry Me a River by Julie London makes him cry, as does the memory of a housewarming party with a jukebox that played the song repeatedly. For his funeral, he imagines Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is? bringing a sense of uplift amid life’s trials. The piece also notes Madness’s upcoming greatest-hits collection, Hit Parade, released on 21 November. The overall tone blends humor with nostalgia and a sense of resilience, offering a window into how personal history and public performance intertwine in Suggs’s life and the legacy of Madness.