A top 10 for our top 40s

Dec 10 2007 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

A NEW North-East radio station has carried out its own search for the region’s favourite songs.

The survey, carried out by soon-to-be-launched Smooth Radio, was topped by the Derek and the Dominoes classic track, Layla.

The 1970 tune was closely followed in the top 10 by Bruce Springsteen’s powerful 1975 hit Born To Run, with Chris de Burgh’s ballad Lady In Red positioned at number three.

More recent songs to make the list include Amy Winehouse’s Rehab and Beyonce’s Crazy In Love.

When it goes on air early next year, Smooth Radio will play a broad range of music from the last five decades.

Targeted at the over-40s age bracket, the featured artists will include The Beatles, Abba, Elvis and Rod Stewart. The station is set to launch on January 8. Smooth Radio presenter Mark Goodier, whose show will be broadcast between 10am-1pm every weekday, said: “This top 10 really reflects the wide variety of music that our target audience loves.

“Smooth Radio’s playlist of over 3,000 songs from across the decades is sure to feed their appetite for variety, nostalgia and great music.”

Last week, The Journal asked former Lindisfarne drummer Ray Laidlaw to select his favourite 10 songs of all time.

But, despite being over 40, none of the ‘Smooth Radio’ tunes made it into his list.

Instead Frank Zappa’s Peaches en Regalia made his number one spot.

We are now asking readers to vote for their own favourite songs, bands or singers to help The Journal compile the definitive list of the region’s favourites.

You can also cast your vote for your top books, sporting moments, entertainers, northerners, sports stars and television programmes.

Votes can be sent by email, post or by logging on to our website, www.journallive.co.uk/top10.

We will count the votes in each category before Christmas and unveil the favourites over the festive period.