He’s the mastermind behind iconic films like Mulholland Drive and Eraserhead, and he’s still hailed as one of the greatest surrealist filmmakers of our time. With such an intense obsession with creating altered states of consciousness, it only makes sense that Lynch’s music taste would rival his often bizarre and entrancing dream-like films in terms of quality. Let’s take a look at a few of David Lynch’s favorite songs! You might just share a favorite or two with the director.
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1. “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” by Otis Redding
In an interview with Pitchfork from years ago, David Lynch noted that he was a massive fan of the legendary Monterey Pop Festival performances from 1967. He gushed about a few noteworthy acts, including Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. However, he went into a bit more detail about Otis Redding’s rendition of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”.
“With Otis Redding, we reach this place in him, and I just couldn’t believe that version,” said Lynch. “It was so, so, so beautiful. So much feeling comes through that thing; it’s one of my all-time favorites. I just go nuts. I start crying like a baby when I hear that thing.”
2. “Wild West” by Lissie
During a radio interview, Twin Peaks: The Return music supervisor Dean Hurley spoke about Lynch’s love of music. Specifically, he noted that the director absolutely adored singer/songwriter Lissie’s contribution to the soundtrack, “Wild West”.
“Lissie was definitely one of the acts that David wanted to be involved from the beginning,” said Hurley. “He’s been a big fan of hers for years and discovered her by a series of videos she posted on YouTube covering Lady Gaga, Metallica, etc.”
3. “Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly
David Lynch’s favorite songs have been listed in detail via a years-old interview with BBC 6 Music. During that interview, the director spoke about many of the classics that inspired him as a creative. And one particularly (unsurprising) addition to the list was a Buddy Holly hit.
“Peggy Sue” wasn’t the only classic from the 1950s to make his list, either. He also gushed about “A Summer Place” by Percy Faith.
4. “My Prayer” by Roy Orbison
Lynch has historically used Roy Orbison’s music in his films, so he’s clearly very much a fan. However, Lynch has some serious affection for the song “My Prayer”. He included both The Platters’ version and Orbison’s version on his list of favorite songs for BBC 6 Music. He also happened to use The Platters’ version twice in Twin Peaks: The Return.
Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
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