# In the 1960s, a young Elvis Costello enountered the only pop song he still couldn’t live without

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-the-1960s-a-young-elvis-costello-enountered-the-only-pop-song-he-still-couldnt-live-without/
- Published: 2026-10-26T09:46:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T10:26:47+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/pop-song-1960s-elvis-costello-couldnt-live-without/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Costello’s 1992 island records spanned classical, jazz and pop.
- His only rock band choice was the Beatles.
- He selected their cover of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me”.

## Summary

In a 1992 appearance on Desert Island Discs, Elvis Costello chose eight records he would want with him on a deserted island, explaining that this was different from selecting his favourite songs. His choices spanned classical music, jazz and standards, with just one rock band represented, reflecting tastes that reached well beyond his New Wave reputation.

That lone band was the Beatles, through their 1963 album With The Beatles. Costello picked the group’s cover of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me”, linking his first record purchase with his affection for early 1960s Motown and R&B. His other selections included works by Beethoven, Mozart, Purcell and Schubert, alongside music by Duke Ellington, the Joe Loss Orchestra and Frank Sinatra.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.