Inheritance Tracks

Singer-songwriter Laura Mvula chooses 'Golden Brown' by Omar and 'The World Is Yours' by Nas.

Actor James McAvoy chooses 'Maggie May' by Rod Stewart and 'Ally Bally Bee' sung by Mary Anne Paterson.

ER actor Noah Wyle chooses ‘We Belong Together’ by Rickie Lee Jones and ‘Peter and the Wolf’ by Sergei Prokofiev.

This edition of Inheritance Tracks come from an actress with a strong claim for national treasure status – Lesley Joseph.With a career spanning over sixty years, she has entertained us as on the small screen in the likes of Birds of a Feather and on stage as Mother Superior in the Sister Act musical.Inherited: Marche Militaire composed by Franz Schubert and performed by the Philharmonic Wind Orchestra Passing on: What About Us by P!nkProducers: Lowri Morgan and Ben Mitchell

Our inheritance tracks this week come from Lisa Kudrow, no less. The Emmy Award-winning star from Friends returns to our screens in the latest series of The Comeback.As Phoebe Buffay her attempts at music-making were famously harrowing – but her Inheritance Tracks, predictably enough, are a real joy.Inherited: Downtown by Petula Clark Passing on: Wonderful Baby by Don McLeanProducers: Ben Mitchell and Anna Bailey

Dr Sian Williams is a chartered counselling psychologist working in the NHS. Sian presented BBC Breakfast for over a decade, as well as Saturday Live between 2012 and 2014. Radio 4 listeners will know her from her series Life Changing which returns in April. Her book on living well with anxiety called ‘The Power of Anxiety: How to Ride the Worry Wave’ is out now. Inherited: Calon Lan by Cerys Matthews and The Fron Male Voice Choir Pass on: Better Together by Jack Johnson Producer: Catherine Powell

BBC News presenter Adam Fleming with Girls Aloud’s ‘Jump’ and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, ‘Spring 1’, recomposed by Max Richter.

Comedian, writer and actor Mike Wozniak chooses ‘Minor Swing’ by Django Reinhardt and ‘Corpus Christi Carol’ by Jeff Buckley.

Andy Zaltzman inherits 'Got my Mojo Working' by Muddy Waters and passes on 'My Very Best' by The Big Moon.

Popular Irish novelist Marian Keyes, inherits 'Only Our Rivers Run Free' by Christy Moore and 'The Bottle' by Gil Scott-Heron.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Matt Edmondson chooses ‘I Want It That Way’ by Backstreet Boys and ‘Green Light’ by Lorde.

Oscar winning actor Riz Ahmed chooses ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ by Nazia Hassan and ‘Gabriel’ by Roy Davis Jr.

Lebanese-born musician Mika, inherits ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana and passes on ‘Pata Pata’ by Miriam Makeba.

Our inheritance tracks this week come from the musician and broadcaster Mika, who is back out on tour with his latest album Hyperlove. Mika was born in Lebanon, and raised in Cyprus, Paris and London, all of which feed into his intriguing new album and makes for a fascinating edition of Inheritance Tracks. Inherited: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana Passing on: Pata Pata by Miriam MakebaProducer: Ben Mitchell

Claire Foy is an actor who’s enjoyed great success playing two queens, one of whom enjoyed a significantly longer reign than the other, as Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth II.And stars in the film adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s memoir, H is for Hawk. Inherited: When You Were Sweet 16 by Perry Como Passing on: Blóðberg by Sigur RósProducers: Ben Mitchell and Anna BaileyFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2026.

Actor Mark Heap chooses ‘Were You There?’ by Tennessee Ernie Ford and ‘L'Ascension’ composed by Olivier Messiaen.

Musician Justin Hawkins chooses There Are More Questions Than Answers by Johnny Nash and Pancho and Lefty by Townes Van Zandt.

Actor Emily Watson chooses ‘La Boheme’ by Giacomo Puccini and ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials.

Actor Paul Bettany chooses ‘The Eton Rifles’ by The Jam and ‘Hollow Ponds’ by Damon Albarn.

New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern chooses Under the Boardwalk by The Drifters and Hope by Fat Freddy's Drop.