As the race for the 2017 general election rages on, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has responded to the divisive question of whether he prefers Oasis to Blur – as well as revealing his favourite song of all time.
Speaking to NME for this week’s cover interview, Corbyn has grilled on his musical tastes – and who is his favourite of the two Britpop rivals.
“I’m going to plump for Oasis, but I know this will immediately divide the audience, so what I should have said was, ‘I’ll refer it to a focus group to decide,’ but I’m not keen on focus groups…”
Speaking of his musical tastes at large, Corbyn continued: “I’ve got to ’fess up here: I’m not very musical but I love music. When I’m at home late in the evening I have Classic FM on or I have Radio 3 on or I put some music on of other sorts. I listen to a whole range of things. I do love much classical music; I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Mahler, actually. I think this is going to get groans all round the room as I speak now, but I also like folk music, I like listening to some jazz, I like listening to world music as well. Because, essentially, music is very interesting history.”
He continued: Think of the history of popular music – where does it go to? It goes back to the USA, it goes back to Elvis, it goes back to the black music of the southern states. Listen to the music of Latin America, you get Andean pipe music… Its origins go way back before the Spanish conquest of Latin America in the 15th century. And you see a history of social movements through music and I love all of that.
“So I love listening to iconic singers – Joan Armatrading, Joan Baez I really admire – and all the popular music that we have in this country. Do I have an all-time favourite song, tune, singer? Well, I do, and it’s got to be John Lennon and ‘Imagine’.”
Speaking to NME, Corbyn also vowed to ‘deal with’ eradicating the debt of students who had already graduated from university.
“I don’t see why those that had the historical misfortune to be at university during the £9,000 period should be burdened excessively compared to those that went before or those that come after,” said Corbyn. “I will deal with it.”
Check back at NME.com for more of our interview with Jeremy Corbyn
With the polls narrowing, June 8’s result is looking increasingly up in the air. NME’s ‘plus one’ campaign wants you to take a mate to the polls. We know you’re a great person and you’ve already registered. But next Thursday, make sure your mates are up to speed.
The general election takes place on Thursday June 8, 2017.