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Credit: Far Out \/ Press<\/p>\n
Thu 23 July 2026 9:14, UK <\/p>\n
Trying to pick a soundtrack to one\u2019s entire life is a task we usually spend every day attempting to complete. When you add to this notion that you\u2019re a world-renowned musician, picking such a selection of songs becomes a near-impossible challenge. <\/p>\n
But, thanks to BBC Radio 2, we can listen back to the ten songs that Pink Floyd<\/a> drummer, Nick Mason, has noted soundtracked his life.<\/p>\n Tracks of My Years is a running feature on the network and sees the ever-faithful Ken Bruce ask his guests to note some of the songs that have soundtracked their lives. It always provides a searing insight into their lives in a way that only music can. When speaking with legendary drummer Mason, Bruce reveals not only the inner workings of one of the greats of rock and roll but also the songs that opened him up to the greatness of music itself.<\/p>\n Music has nearly always been a part of Mason\u2019s life. Mason and his drums are two of the most understated rock institutions the world has ever known. As the lead drummer and the only member of Pink Floyd to have been a part of every single one of their albums, Mason\u2019s drumming skills and input in making the Floyd sound the way they do, have been an essential part of helping the band reach dizzying heights they did.<\/p>\n Regardless of what you think, Mason is one of the most iconic drummers of the past six decades. He ballasted Pink Floyd\u2019s mythic prog odyssey with a sincere adoration for his position. They would not have been the same without his understated brilliance, particularly throughout their classic 1960s and \u201970s periods. Naturally, for Mason, this is where most of his selections derive from. <\/p>\n Mason picks out some of the classic songs from the era, including paying homage to his band, with the picks of \u2018Wish You Were Here\u2019 and one of their first-ever songs \u2018See Emily Play<\/a>\u2018. But, aside from noting his own group\u2019s robust contributions to the pantheon of rock and discounting them from his list, he picked out some of the greats of the period, including Joni Mitchell, selecting her ironic landmark single \u2018Big Yellow Taxi\u2019. Mason told Bruce of the song: \u201clove her songs, I love her writing, and the whole thing is sort of encapsulated in this one track. Great lyrics and just a really good song.\u201d<\/p>\n Another legendary song that gets the nod from Mason is Jimi Hendrix\u2019s thunderous cover of Bob Dylan\u2019s song \u2018All Along The Watchtower\u2019. \u201cWell, I chose this because it was really covering two bases,\u201d confessed Mason. \u201cFirst of all, big fan of Jimi Hendrix<\/a>. I saw him the first time that he came to the UK. It was an extraordinary evening; he came on as a guest of Cream. That in itself was a pretty extraordinary moment for me. Because that\u2019s when I decided I wanted to be a full-on rock drummer like Ginger Baker rather than an architect, which was the way I was heading at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlus the fact that the song itself was written by Bob Dylan. I\u2019m a huge fan of Dylan, as I think so many people in bands are. He is such an influence with his writing,\u201d confirmed Mason, as he notes the over-arching inspiration Dylan gave everybody in the rock circles at the time.<\/p>\n Another hugely influential artist of the time was The Beatles. The band can be put at the centre of rock\u2019s explosion during the 1960s, and they had a considerable influence over the entire rock scene, most notably on Pink Floyd\u2019s first footsteps into the wide-open plains of pop. Mason picks \u2018Lovely Rita\u2019, a track that is connected to the band for more personal than sonic reasons. \u201cI put this in because it was such a great moment for us, we were recording our first album in Abbey Road. We were in studio three recording The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and down the corridor, The Beatles were recording Sgt. Pepper<\/a>. There was an invitation to go and visit the gods on Mount Olympus.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a pivotal moment because actually without The Beatles, we probably wouldn\u2019t have existed,\u201d continued Mason, \u201cbecause Sgt. Pepper was the album that absolutely changed the face of the record industry because up until then, it was all about singles. Sgt. Pepper was the first album that actually outsold singles. That enabled bands like us to have more studio time and more freedom to do what we wanted,\u201d the drummer said.<\/p>\n Taken together, Mason\u2019s selections reveal that he was never interested in copying a single musician outright. Instead, he drew inspiration from artists who each expanded his understanding of what popular music could achieve, whether through songwriting, studio experimentation or sheer instrumental personality. Those influences became building blocks rather than templates, allowing Pink Floyd to develop a sound that felt entirely distinct from the bands Mason admired.<\/p>\n That approach is reflected in his own drumming, which has often been overshadowed by the more flamboyant styles of contemporaries like Keith Moon or Ginger Baker. Rather than dominating a song with technical fireworks, Mason specialised in serving the atmosphere of the music, using restraint and repetition to reinforce Pink Floyd\u2019s evolving soundscapes. It\u2019s a philosophy that mirrors the artists he celebrates here: innovation born from knowing exactly what each song needs, rather than showing everything a musician can do.<\/p>\n While \u2018Lovely Rita\u2019 may not necessarily be thought of as The Beatles\u2019 finest work, Mason did pick out The Who\u2019s defining anthem \u2018My Generation\u2019. Mason was clear on not only the band\u2019s inspiration but one-quarter of the group, Keith Moon. \u201c\u2018My Generation\u2019, The Who, again a huge influence I think in me in particular. I mean, once you\u2019ve met Keith Moon, you sort of lived, and I didn\u2019t know him that well. But we spent some time together. We did some shows where we were supporting The Who. We did some radio show afterwards, and Keith on the radio was an extraordinary event in itself. It was like having the circus but just in one man.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s just one part of an extensive list of songs that have soundtracked the impressive life of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. You can find the Tracks of my Years episode here and find the complete list of songs below. To soundtrack a little bit of your day, we\u2019ve also created a perfect playlist for you to boot.<\/p>\n Nick Mason\u2019s 10 favourite songs:\u2018All Along the Watchtower\u2019 \u2013 Jimi Hendrix\u2018I\u2019ll See you In My Dreams\u2019 \u2013 Joe Brown\u2018Big Yellow Taxi\u2019 \u2013 Joni Mitchell\u2018Woodstock\u2019 \u2013 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young\u2018Rosanna\u2019 \u2013 Tot\u2018I\u2019m A Believer\u2019 \u2013 Robert Wyatt\u2018Lovely Rita\u2019 \u2013 The Beatles\u2018The Way It Is\u2019 \u2013 Bruce Hornsby and the Range\u2018My Generation\u2019 \u2013 The Who\u2018The Living Years\u2019 \u2013 Mike + The Mechanics<\/p>\n![\"Pink](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Pink-Floyd-December-1967-Nick-Mason-Syd-Barrett-Roger-Waters-Richard-Wright-David-Gilmour-Far-Out-Ma.jpeg\")
<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ Pink Floyd<\/p>\n
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