Driving to the beat

Scientists claim it is music that makes us good or bad drivers. So what puts the celebrities in the mood?

Emma Parker-Bowles, motoring journalist "I'm a wild rock bitch at heart - I love Courtney Love's band Hole and I'm enjoying a Billy Idol revival at the moment. But it isn't rock all the time - I make compilations and have one for every occasion."

Dylan Jones, editor of GQ "I listen to lots of new music, as well as stuff I might not have gone for when I was younger. At the moment, it's Fleetwood Mac, in particular the Rumours album. I also like the new George Michael album, Patience. Everyone I know hates jazz, so that tends to be consigned to the car - any Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain and Bitches Brew albums or Keith Jarrett's The Koln Concert. For the open road, Bruce Springsteen is fine if it's Arizona or Texas, but not the A302."

Jodie Kidd, model "Reggae in the car reminds me of Barbados, where my family have a home. I also love Morcheeba and Dreadzone - mellow albums, great for keeping road rage at bay."

Vicki Butler-Henderson, Fifth Gear on Five presenter "I'm going through a bit of an Eighties revival at the moment. I saw Duran Duran live at Wembley Arena this week, which inspired me to crank up their greatest hits album as I cruised on an open road. In the city, I love Dionne Warwick - it helps to keep me calm when I'm stuck in traffic jams."

Robin Banks, Kiss 100 DJ "In traffic, it's got to be loud rock, like Rob Zombie or Riverway. My favourites in the car now are Kanye West's The College Dropout and 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

Nicky Haslam, interior designer "I listen to American musicals such as Silk Stockings, Pal Joey and Camelot because they put me in a good mood during the rush-hour. And I love rap - I've been listening to Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Otherwise, I'll listen to opera. I've got Der Rosenkavalier. I sing along when I can but it's got quite a lot of words in it!"

Jenson Button, Formula One driver "If I need to relax, it's got to be R Kelly, The Neptunes or Maxwell. And there's nothing like the Red Hot Chili Peppers or The Darkness to give yourself a bit of a rush."

DJ Lottie, Evening Standard clubbing columnist "The main reason I wanted to learn how to drive was to listen to music in the car. I'll usually listen to demos that people have sent me or music that I have been working on in the studio, so it's usually dance music. On a country lane it'll probably be something like The Cure's Lullaby."

Yasmin Mills, broadcaster "Old classics by Marvin Gaye, but most recently I've been listening to anything by superproducer Pharrell Williams, such as albums by N.E.R.D and the Neptunes. If I'm listening to them, I can imagine driving along a coastal road in the sun in my favourite dress. My husband tends to like heavier, more masculine stuff such as The Strokes."

Julia Carling, television presenter "My kids only let me listen to Hi 5 or Disney's Princess Collection. If they're not in the car and I'm stressed, I like Burt Bacharach and the Beach Boys, especially Wouldn't It Be Nice? Another traffic song has to be Everybody Wants To Rule The World, by Tears to Fears."

Paul McKenna, hypnotist "In traffic, there's nothing like Kruder & Dorfmeister's KD Sessions. They're a couple of Austrian DJs who've remixed a load of tunes into a mellow compilation. Beaucoup Fish, by Underworld, is great for the motorway. The Percy Faith Orchestra's Theme From a Summer Place album is ideal for sunny afternoons. It evokes a lot of childhood memories."