He added: "It can be overwhelming how much quality material there is out there sometimes. When I'm finished compiling this list I'll probably think of 2- more tunes I should have included… go figure."

My Top 10

1. Daft Punk - Robot Rock - I had the amazing privilege of seeing Daft Punk live last summer at the Oxegen festival. This song was the highlight of the show for me. I had spent most of the weekend in the dance arena due to the ground outside being reminiscent of the Third Battle of Ypres. When this came on, however, I was straight over to the main stage. Who cares about mud when you have this downright mean track blaring out at deafening volumes?

2. The Libertines - Don't Look Back Into the Sun - This is the musical equivalent of a hot whiskey on a winter's day. It never fails to make me feel warm inside. This was off The Libs' first album and it really shows how much potential they had before the rot set in. There's a prevailing sense of camaraderie about it. If I was DJing and I was worried that a fight was going to break out, I'd play this and watch everybody give each other a big hearty man-hug.

3. Horslips - Sideways to the Sun - I've been a huge Horslips fan ever since I was exposed to them when I was about 16. I can see why a lot of people might think them ridiculous; the clothes, the beards, the hands painted silver for no apparent reason. Nevertheless the fact remains that they are five very talented musicians as proven by the sublime intro to this track from their 1976 tour de-force, The Book of Invasions.

4. Binary Finary - Binary Finary - I was too young to go to go to clubs when all these trance classics were released so it was great to discover that they still pretty much rule the dance-floors of the White Isle when I went there last year. Watching the sunrise over Bora Bora beach with this on the stereo will give you goose-pimples on your goose-pimples.

5. Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing - For many people, Hendrix is that guy who set his guitar on fire and played it with his teeth. For others he is the dude with the explosive sound from tracks like Purple Haze, Voodoo Chile and Foxy Lady. Those are both apt descriptions but Hendrix had a sensitive side too. This track is hauntingly beautiful and Hendrix's guitar work is full of melody and great phrasing. Nice use of the triangle in the intro too. A true masterpiece.

6. Pink Floyd - Time - I was largely ignorant of the Floyd when I borrowed Echoes, a compilation album, from a friend. In typical fashion, I played the second disc first. The first track was a shortened (well it only lasts about 12 minutes) version of Shine On, You Crazy Diamond. I now appreciate Shine On as a great song but on that first listen, it was hard to get into. Then all of a sudden a thousand alarm clocks sounded off and a drum started a tick-tock rhythm. Then an ominous bottom E rang out, before sliding up to an F#. This atmospheric intro eventually broke and gave way to a driving beat and a heartfelt verse about wasted youth. Then out of nowhere David Gilmour soared above it all with a wonderfully soulful guitar solo; the perfect antidote to Roger Waters' bleak lyrics. That was the beginning of my love affair with Pink Floyd.

7. Arctic Monkeys - Fake Tales of San Francisco - At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I was listening to the Arctics before most people had ever heard of them. Most of their back catalogue was available on the Internet for free and I must have had at least 30 of their songs on my hard drive by the time they released their first album. I don't read the NME and I rarely listen to the radio so I'm usually late to discover new bands. I heard this on a music channel when I was working in a pub. Even on that first listen I was singing along to the stanza, "I don't want to hear ya, kick me out! Kick me out!" all in my best Yorkshire accent. I was blown away not only by how tight these spotty young guys were, but by the lyrical prowess of Alex Turner, 19 years old at the time. Best moment? About two minutes in there's a drumroll, then the whole tune explodes into a lairy, swaggering freakout in which Turner sneers, "Yeah, I'd love to tell yer all my problem. You're not from New York City, you're from Rotherham…" much to the dismay, I'm sure, of NME readers throughout the land.

8. Dave Spoon - At Night - I recently returned to the clubbing scene to find that this was what the kids were listening to these days. Opinion is divided over whether it's Electro, Electro House, Funky House or Wendy House. Who cares? The bassline is positively filthy. This is best served at night, obviously, and in a sweaty environment.

9. Tom Waits - Please Call Me Baby - This is a smooth piano number from the album The Heart of Saturday Night. It's an album chock full of sleazy, seedy bars and far off saxophones in the night and it's all underpinned by very human tales. Anyone who's ever been a relationship will relate to this song. Waits beautifully illustrates the pettiness of fighting with your loved one when life is short and the world is a hard place.

10. Ocean Colour Scene - Robin Hood - Muhammed Ali said: "Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. If you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you haven't learnt anything at all." He's right, friendship is almost impossible to define, but this song makes a brave attempt. Ocean Colour Scene can rock pretty hard when they want, but here, they strip the song to it's bare essentials. The lyrics are universal and Simon Fowler's comfortable, reassuring voice makes it seem as if he's singing to you directly. Throw in a chorus that's tailor made to be sung by thousands of people and you've got yourself an anthem.