Now living in Omagh, civil servant Brian keeps up to date with events in his hometown every week via our website www.ballymenatimes.com

My Top 10

1. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? – Van Morrison - I have more Van the Man CDs than any other and this song is just the perfect love song – reminds me of my wife Alison. Really happy and cheerful lyrics from Ulster's number one grumpy old man.

2. Where The Streets Have No Name – U2 - Just the start of this song sends shivers down the spine. This opened the set at my first ever concert in 1987 at Croke Park on the Joshua Tree (greatest album ever) tour – over 20 years ago and I'm still a young fella!

3. How Soon Is Now? – The Smiths - If any young guitar based rock fans want to hear a proper song this is the one. A much underrated and ridiculed band, especially when I was going to a heavy metal loving Cambridge House in the mid to late 80s. However, I did manage to convert quite a few of the savages...

4. Dignity – Deacon Blue - A fantastic song from one of Scotland's greatest ever bands. I saw them in concert four times and they were brilliant each time. I also saw Ricky Ross sitting in the stands at Ibrox one day, what a pleasure that was for him.

5. Everybody Hurts – REM - If there's a finer piece of singing in pop than this, I haven't heard it yet. I saw Michael Stipe and the boys perform this at Landsdowne Road a few years ago and the man was amazing; just a touch eccentric, but amazing.

6. Teenage Kicks – The Undertones - A class pop song which reminds me of the four years I spent working in Londonderry. Shame about the jumpers Fergal used to wear though.

7. The Whole Of The Moon – The Waterboys - The most famous song from one of my favourite bands. I recall an interesting cover version from Rattlesnake Suitcase many years ago in the Front Page, with a ground breaking whistling solo!

8. Radio Nowhere – Bruce Springsteen - Back to his best from his recently released album. One of the best concerts I ever went to was the Boss at the RDS in Dublin many moons ago - nearly four hours without a break.

9. This Is The One – The Stone Roses - Legendary anthem from a legendary band, although when my mate Wull and myself saw them at Maysfield Leisure Centre in 1990 they were rubbish.

10. Misty Morning Albert Bridge – The Pogues - A beautiful piece of music from the walking warning poster for eating too many sweets. Proves they don't just do fiddley-dee stuff.

How do your Top 10 songs compare? Send your Top 10 to lorna.mckay@jpress.co.uk Those chosen for publication will receive a £10 HMV voucher