Tracey Emin: soundtrack of my life

Born in Croydon in 1963 and raised in Margate, Tracey Emin rose to fame – and controversy – as an artist in the mid 90s. She was nominated for the Turner prize in 1999, represented Britain at the 2007 Venice Biennale, and in 2011 was appointed professor of drawing at the Royal Academy. Emin has designed the statues for this year’s Brit awards, which take place on 25 February.

The first record that had an impact on me

The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (1973)

In Margate, we had a secondhand record shop where you could buy scratched albums for 30p. I got a copy of The Dark Side of the Moon there when I was 12. It wasn’t the first record I ever bought – that was Crazy Horses by the Osmonds – but this was when I actually decided to have taste in music. It was a magical and special album. We had a record player at home and I’d listen to it over and over. It wasn’t a family thing – my mum worked all the time and my dad wasn’t there. He was always listening to Turkish music anyway. When I was young, we had a copy of The Twist in Turkish and my mum used to put it on and dance to it.

The sound of my teenage years

Young Americans, David Bowie (1975)

David Bowie made a big impression on me because of the way he dressed, because he was poetic, because of his attitude. I got into him when I was 13 or 14, along with Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed. I’ve probably listened to Young Americans more than any other song. Later, I got to know David Bowie quite well. When I first met him, he said he really liked my work. And I said: “Me too! I’ve been listening to your music all my life.” It’s really nice when that happens, especially when it’s someone you really admire and who’s changed history through their music.

The record that reminds me of an old boyfriend

I Want You, the Milkshakes (1987)

I went out with Billy Childish for years so I listened to a hell of a lot of the Milkshakes. Billy had different bands and when they became even remotely successful they’d change their name and their identity. The Milkshakes were probably one of his most successful bands. They were just about to break big and then they decided to break up. I tried to go to every single gig that Billy played because I was his girlfriend and it was really important for me at the time.

The record I listen to while making art

We Shall Overcome, Gospel Var (2014)

If I ever listen to music when I’m working, it’s because I want to dance. I’m doing really big paintings at the moment so I’ll get up and have a bit of a dance, then have a bit of a paint. There’s a really big mirror in my studio and I dance in front of it. It sounds vain but it’s really isn’t; it’s fun and it keeps your body awake so you don’t get too soporific. At the moment I’m listening to Gospel Var’s new album. Var is the part of France where my house is and I’d seen them playing in churches in the area. They do over-the-top gospel covers and they’re really entertaining – and brilliant to dance to.

The record that takes me back to a sad time

Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Middle of the Road (1971)

Most of the music I listen to is really sad, such as Leonard Cohen or Johnny Cash, but it doesn’t necessarily have to sound sad – it’s sad because the situation it reminds me of is sad. When I was a little girl and my mum left home, this song was in the charts and it was really poignant for me. The chorus is: “Where’s your mama gone?” When I listen to this song I go back directly into that place. I become seven again.

A record that surprised me recently

A Hard Day’s Night, the Beatles (1964)

This is really strange: at Christmas I watched the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night. I watched it thinking: “Oh my God, their voices are so beautiful, these young men are like angels singing.” I’d never thought that before, so I went straight out and bought the album. It’s interesting because I was totally familiar with the Beatles but suddenly I was listening to them in a completely different way. When I put this on now, I’ll play it 10 times in a row.

The record that drove my studio mad

Ta-Dah, Scissor Sisters (2006)

I tend to listen to things over and over. Seven or eight years ago, I played the Scissor Sisters all day long for weeks and weeks and my studio was getting quite annoyed with me, really wishing I’d stop. I came in one day and said: “Guess what, great news, I’ve got a new CD.” They went: “Oh, thank God.” And I put it on and it was the Scissor Sisters, the same album. I just meant that I’d got a new copy of it because the other one was getting really beat up.

As you can probably see, my music taste is really eclectic. I’m not a snob in any way. I just really enjoy music a lot and I love dancing to it as well.