Unexpected musical partnerships that rocked the charts
Ever wonder what music might play in the halls of Buckingham Palace? Well, wonder no more, because King Charles has officially released an Apple Music playlist!
His Royal Highness recorded ‘The King's Music Room,’ a special program on Apple Music 1 to celebrate Commonwealth Day. He selected his favorite songs of “joy“ and “celebration”—and we can promise you, it’s not what you’re expecting!
It turns out the 76-year-old monarch is a big fan of artists like Beyoncé, Bob Marley, and even Raye. Choosing tunes that take us on a tour of the British Isles, the Commonwealth, and beyond, the king’s playlist is packed with Afrobeats, old-school classics, and lots of surprises!
Curious? Press play to find out the king’s top 30 tunes!
The reggae anthem by Bob Marley and the Wailers topped the king’s playlist. Marley spent a lot of time in the UK after fleeing an attempted assassination in his hometown of Jamaica. He soon made London his second home and recorded some of his biggest hits in the city.
This upbeat song by Millie Small was a big hit in the Swinging Sixties , and would have been very popular in the king’s teens. Small reworked the track originally recorded by American singer Barbie Gaye, and it has since been credited as one of the first songs in the ska music genre.
This 1934 classic was sung by Al Bowlly and accompanied by the Ray Noble Orchestra. Bowlly was one of Britain's most popular crooners in the ‘30s, although this song is much better known for the jazzy rendition released by Nat King Cole in the late 1950s.
In a previous interview, His Majesty mentioned his love of Édith Piaf and this French classic. However, for his Commonwealth playlist, he chose a rendition by Jamaican singer-songwriter Grace Jones.
The king met Raye in 2024, the same year she won British Artist of the Year and Best New Artist at the Brit Awards. So, this choice is a great nod to British contemporary music from His Majesty.
This song by Ghanaian musician Daddy Lumba is another reggae entry for the king. Lumba has recorded over 30 albums and is often said to be one of the greatest Ghanaian musicians of all time.
This Afrobeats hit featuring Fave is by Davido, a Nigerian-American singer-songwriter. Released in 2023, the King of England is proving to be surprisingly up-to-date with his music choices!
‘The Click Song,’ or ‘Qongqothwane,’ is a traditional song of the Xhosa people of South Africa. It is sung by Miriam Makeba, nicknamed Mama Africa, who was a South African singer and civil rights activist.
Jools Holland and Ruby Turner are the definition of British big band music. Both of them also received special honors from the Queen, so their joyful rendition of ‘My Country Man’ fits right in with this regal radio list.
Anoushka Shankar is a British-American singer and sitar player of Indian descent—and her music clearly strikes a chord with Charles. She is also the youngest and first female recipient of a British House of Commons Shield.
King Charles made a royal visit to Malaysia in 2017, and must have gotten a taste for the music! This jazzy tune was released the following year by Malaysian singer and songwriter Siti Nurhaliza.
Sung by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Carl Doy, and accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, ‘E Te Lwi E (Call to the People)’ speaks of grief and pride for those lost to war and migration in the Commonwealth country.
King Charles is the current monarch of Canada, and so it’s no surprise that he wanted to include one of the country’s favorite artists, Michael Bublé, on his list. Despite being best known for singing tunes from the Great American Songbook, the king selected one of Bublé's originals.
We are just as surprised as you to see Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) on here. She did, however, release the song in May 2003 and then met Charles just five months later. So maybe she gave him a signed copy of the track!
When talking about this 1988 hit from Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, the king said, "This is music for dancing. Again, it has that infectious energy which makes it, I find, incredibly hard to sit still!"
This Diana Ross hit concludes the king’s Apple playlist. However, this track also featured on a special radio show he did in 2021 to thank NHS staff. The songs have since been made into a Spotify playlist, and there are some more surprises to come!
The Three Degrees performed this song live for Charles’ 30th birthday at Buckingham Palace. According to the king, it still gives him the “irresistible urge to get up and dance" over 40 years later.
Eimear Quinn represented Ireland with this song in the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest, and gave the country their seventh and most recent win to date. Who knew the king was a Eurovision fan?
The debut single of British singer Peter Skellern was released in the early '70s when Prince Charles (as he was known then) was said to be quite the bachelor!
‘La Mer' or 'The Sea’ is a jazz standard tune by French singer and showman Charles Trenet. Luckily, the king is fluent in French, so he can sing (and hopefully) dance along!
Old Blind Dogs is a Scottish folk music band famous for their Celtic tunes. The king is known to love Scotland and spends a lot of time at his Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle. So we’re sure he’s blasting this inside the castle walls!
This movie soundtrack comes from the 1935 film ‘Broadway Gondolier,’ where it was sung by Dick Powell and The Mills Brothers. The king has several songs from musicals on his list, so he must be a fan of the genre.
This classic is sung by Fred Astaire to Ginger Rogers in another hit from the Golden Age of Hollywood, ‘Shall We Dance’ (1937). The pair perform a famous dance routine to the music, which has since become just as well known as the song itself.
He may be the king now, but for many he will always be remembered as the Prince of Wales, a title he held for 64 years. So this Welsh anthem by Bryn Terfel and The Risca Choir seems very appropriate.
Keen to take us on a tour of the British Isles, this is a folk song by Welsh harpist Catrin Finch. The title translates to ‘Crossing the Stone,’ and the king is such a fan of the piece that he had it played at his coronation in 2022.
This song was originally written for the 1964 stage musical ‘Funny Girl,’ and was later made famous when Barbra Streisand sang it in the 1968 film adaptation. Maybe this is what the king sings whenever he gets bad press!
Despite there being no classical songs on either of the king’s lists, he has expressed a great love of the genre over the years. He even made his choir debut at school with Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest,’ and had a selection of the composer's music played at his coronation.
His Majesty also had a few pieces of music commissioned especially for his coronation, including a coronation anthem composed by musical mogul Andrew Lloyd Webber. Two years later, the king made him a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
As the head of the Church of England, it’s no surprise that the king likes listening to hymns. Along with his wife Camilla, the couple chose a selection to be played at their wedding, including this appropriately titled one by Charles Wesley.
Of course, we had to end on the British national anthem, ‘God Save the King.’ His Majesty may not have actually said that it's one of his favorites, but as it’s an anthem dedicated to saving his life, we imagine he doesn't mind it …!
Sources: (BBC) (Apple Music) (Classic FM) (Sky News)
King Charles reveals his favorite songs
Tune into the king’s very surprising playlist
MUSIC Royals
Ever wonder what music might play in the halls of Buckingham Palace? Well, wonder no more, because King Charles has officially released an Apple Music playlist!
His Royal Highness recorded ‘The King's Music Room,’ a special program on Apple Music 1 to celebrate Commonwealth Day. He selected his favorite songs of “joy“ and “celebration”—and we can promise you, it’s not what you’re expecting!
It turns out the 76-year-old monarch is a big fan of artists like Beyoncé, Bob Marley, and even Raye. Choosing tunes that take us on a tour of the British Isles, the Commonwealth, and beyond, the king’s playlist is packed with Afrobeats, old-school classics, and lots of surprises!
Curious? Press play to find out the king’s top 30 tunes!