(Credits: Far Out / Stefan Brending)

For most people, narrowing down your favourite songs to a list of five is nearly impossible. There are too many to choose from, and often, your most cherished music changes by the week. It’s another thing, however, getting an artist to choose five of their own favourite songs. “They’re all your babies,” explains Suzi Quatro, but spanning it across various eras apparently makes the whole thing seem easier.

The gravity of assigning Quatro such a monumental task is perhaps easier to grasp when you remember she has over five decades of material to choose from, with songs covering a wide array of genres, and many of those are in collaboration with others. Every experience yields something different, so choosing favourites is almost like being asked to solve the mysteries of the universe. Even if it’s possible, it will take a long time to sift through.

Nonetheless, Quatro put forth her five favourites during an interview with Steve Blame for POP the History Makers, choosing the power of chronology in narrating her story. The first on the list was from one of her highest-charting albums, Suzi … and Other Four Letter Words, which seamlessly blended rock, melodious pop, reggae, and funk. ‘Hollywood’, she claims, was inspired by Dolly Previn’s Mythical Kings and Iguanas. After appreciating her song about Hollywood, she decided to write a piece about “what everybody knows is the dark side” of the concept.

This reflected Quatro’s mentality at the time as she grappled with staying true to herself while rejecting the sinister aspects of Hollywood. Ultimately, she chose authenticity and diverted from Hollywood, pursuing her musical career over embarking on a Happy Days spinoff. However, this didn’t stop her from becoming involved in some of the music industry’s rock ‘n’ roll occurrences that would likely be deemed questionable by today’s standards.

Her second pick, ‘Glycerine Queen’, refers to a time when a person approached her band members wanting an autograph, and Len Tuckey asked them if they “took glycerine.” In an effort to impress and appease the group, the person said yes and proceeded to drink it down. There’s no way to make this story seem positive, but Quatro is able to find the hilarity in it even as she explains, “I don’t know if he survived or not.”

Moving over into more haunting territories, Quatro discusses ‘Pain’ which ended up being “one of my favourites on [Quatro, Scott & Powell].” In fact, the song demonstrates something Quatro feels is integral to creating great music – pain itself. “Pain is the best architect,” she claims, referring to something she has written next to her bedside. Although this may seem somewhat bleak, it’s a therapeutic way of dealing with the feeling, Quatro explains, because “you’ve turned it into a positive […] otherwise it just wells in you like poison.”

‘The Devil In Me’ is special to Quatro because “it captured something” and showcased her appreciation for transformative music. “As you’re listening to the music, something will fly out at you,” Quatro explains, claiming the process of the song to be “perfect” as it became a heartfelt tribute to her mother. The piece is the title track on Quatro’s 2021 album, which many described as her best work yet and an ode to her unrelenting skill as one of music’s greatest wordsmiths.

The final song in Quatro’s list is ‘Shine S Light’, which the singer explains became a testament to her professional and personal relationship with KT Tunstall. “Let’s see what we’ve got,” Quatro recalls telling Tunstall. “It’s in your head from the second you hear it,” she explains, adding that “everybody’s got a light. You should find it and switch it on, and never let anybody switch it off.”

Suzi Quatro’s five best songs:

• ‘Hollywood’
• ‘Glycerine Queen’
• ‘Pain’
• ‘The Devil In Me’
• ‘Shine A Light’