She now spends her weekends entertaining her children instead and reminiscing about the 'old' days!

My Top 10

1. Sweet Child 'O Mine - Guns 'n' Roses - Undoubtedly my favourite song of all time and one which is perfect in every way. Appetite For Destruction - the now 20-year-old album from which it comes - is one of those that you don't have to skip songs to get to the good ones. It was a definitive moment in an era which was dominated at the time by the 'big hair' bands such as Jovi and Crue. The song itself is a timeless classic - heartfelt lyrics, perfect melody, Axl's finest moment.

2. Paranoid - Black Sabbath - Released for the first time in 1971 (unbelievably), and a re-released a couple of times since, this is another timeless track for me which I never get tired of listening to. Tommy Iommi's pounding, adrenaline-inducing rhythm guitar is perfectly complemented by Ozzy's dark, somewhat panicky lyrics. Heavily inspired by the guitar on this record, this was the first rock track I learned to play properly.

3. Free 'n' Easy - The Almighty - Fronted by the charismatic, Ards-born Ricky Warwick, The Almighty never achieved the success they deserved. This was the first song of theirs I ever heard, and that is probably the only reason this one (as opposed to any of their others) is in my Top Ten. From the storming opening riff, this track just has you hooked. If you're into metal, and you've never yet heard this album then I'd absolutely recommend checking it out. British metal at it's best.

4. The Alarm - Spirit of '76 - The Alarm was formed in 1978 in Rhyl, Wales, as a rather belated response to punk. Comparisons between The Alarm and U2 have long been bandied around, and in truth there was a lot of similarity in the two groups at the time: melodic rock, social awareness and bad fashion. Most will remember their earlier hit 'Sixty-Eight Guns' but as someone who was growing up in the 70's, 'Spirit of 76', a song about teenage years growing up in a small town, is quite evocative of the era. Mike Peters always sings with such passion and sincerity, I love this band.

5. Enter Sandman - Metallica - Iconic guitar riff, heavy bass and drums and of course James Hetfield's brooding lyrics make this a metal masterpiece. Metallica were slated by many for "The Black Album" from which this track comes, citing it as their 'sell-out' album, but in all honesty this was my introduction to Metallica and so I'll always look upon it with a certain amount of nostalgia. Sandman is a perfect mix of melody and melancholy, well worthy of a spot in my Top Ten.

6. Vertigo - U2 - This is a great rock song. Pure and simple. it's got a great hook and that unmistakable U2 sound. It also has a rawness and an energy which is highly reminiscent of their early years. To be honest U2 have so many great songs it was hard to pick one.

7. Please Remember Me - Tim McGraw - A bit of a digression for me. Although Tim McGraw is essentially a 'country' singer, this powerful ballad is a bit of a crossover and was a huge hit in the US. This song gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

8. Hallowed Land - Paradise Lost - I first heard this on a track from a CD on a guitar magazine and I think I played it for about 30 times in a row before going the next day to buy the album! It has a classy, powerful sound with a gothic streak running through its backbone. The guitar has a truly awesome tone which I attempted unsuccessfully to emulate with every effects unit under the sun.

9. Loaded - Primal Scream - Seven minutes plus of trippy chill-out at its best! A superb fusion of psychedelia, rock and dance, definitely an early-90's moment.

10. Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and the Banshees - This is a haunting, somewhat gothic cover of the Beatles track. What is so great about this is that Siouxsie and Co (including Robert Smith on guitar) went out to make it their own and did a great job, resulting in one of their biggest hits and my favourite Banshees song.