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David Essex chooses his Tracks Of My Years

Singer and actor David Essex joins Vernon this week to select his Tracks Of My Years. Plus Vernon's Panto Roundup is back for 2025, starting in Northern and Eastern England.

Singer and actor David Essex joins Vernon this week to select his Tracks Of My Years. Plus two listeners take on the mid-morning music quiz Ten To The Top and Vernon digs into his vault for a classic moment from the BBC archives.

Since his first singles in the 60s, David has enjoyed a remarkable career; writing and producing albums that have sold millions of copies worldwide. He’s had twenty-three Top 30 singles in Britain alone. These include the Grammy nominated ‘Rock On’ which topped the charts in Britain and the USA. Subsequent singles such as Lamplight, Hold Me Close, Gonna Make You A Star, Oh What A Circus and Silver Dream Machine made David a household name. Meanwhile his acting credits include West End productions of Evita and Footloose, films such as That'll Be The Day and TV series such as Eastenders.

In 2026 David is travelling around the UK on his new Thanks For The Memories tour, starting in September in Birmingham.

Plus Vernon's Panto Roundup is back for 2025, starting in Northern and Eastern England.

Produced by BBC Audio for BBC Radio 2.

2 days left to listen

2 hours, 30 minutes

Music Played

  • Brenda Lee

    Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

    • Brenda Lee - The EP Collection.
    • See For Miles.
  • The Mock Turtles

    Can You Dig It?

    • Drivetime 3 (Various Artists).
    • Dino.
  • Meghan Trainor

    Gifts For Me

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
  • Lady Gaga

    Paparazzi

    • Now That's What I Call Music! 74 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • The Four Seasons

    Big Girls Don't Cry

    • Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Ve.
    • Polygram Tv.
    • 7.
  • Eurythmics

    Love Is A Stranger

    • Eurythmics - Greatest Hits.
    • RCA.
  • Elvis Presley

    Blue Christmas

    • If Every Day Was Like Christmas.
    • RCA.
  • a-ha

    Take On Me

    • Fantastic 80's Disc 1 (Various Artis.
    • Columbia.
    • 1.
  • Bryan Adams

    California Christmas

    • (CD Single).
    • Bad Records.
  • Bread

    Make It With You

    • Heartbeat: Love Me Tender (Various).
    • Global Television.
  • Charlie Puth

    Changes

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
  • David Essex

    A Winter's Tale

    • That's Christmas (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Rose Royce

    Is It Love You're After

    • Sampled (Various Artists).
    • Virgin.
  • Bastille

    Save My Soul

    • (CD Single).
    • EMI.
  • Level 42

    Running In The Family

    • The Complete Polydor Years: Volume 2 (1985-1989).
    • Cherry Red Records.
  • Wham!

    Last Christmas

    • NOW That's What I Call Christmas (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Natasha Bedingfield

    Unwritten

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG.
  • Nathan Evans & Saint PHNX

    Milarrochy Bay

    • (CD Single).
    • Better Now Records.
  • Kylie Minogue

    Hot In December

    • Kylie Christmas ( Fully Wrapped ).
    • Rhino.
  • Little Eva

    The Loco-Motion

    • The Greatest Hits Of 1962.
    • Premier.
  • Chesney Hawkes

    Nobody Like You

    • Living Arrows.
    • HGLA.
  • Pretenders

    2000 Miles

    • The Best Christmas Album In The World.
    • Virgin.
  • Belinda Carlisle

    Live Your Life Be Free

    • A Place On Earth - Greatest Hits.
    • Virgin.
  • The Beach Boys

    God Only Knows

    • The Best Of The Beach Boys (CD 1).
    • EMI.
    • 4.
  • Little Richard

    Lucille

    • That's Rock'n'Roll (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Jessie J

    H.A.P.P.Y

    • (CD Single).
    • Darco Partnerships.

Broadcast

  • Mon 15 Dec 202509:30

Ten To The Top

Ten To The Top

Get all the details of how to enter and listen to Vernon's daily music quiz.