Make a playlist

The soundtrack to someone’s life

Personal playlists are like albums of musical memories. They collect in one place the tunes you love best and that mean the most. Your playlist is as unique as you are.

Music for Dementia Ambassador Tony Christie and his granddaughter Deià have made a playlist. They agree it’s been a voyage of discovery for them both.

Deià says “It’s like becoming a music detective. We talk about the different things he’s done in his life and the people who are important to him. Then we find music connected to those memories. Or sometimes part of a tune will pop into his mind, and we’ll track down the whole song.”

Tony says, “I don’t think we will ever be done. I have a whole lifetime of musical memories to explore.”

Tony’s playlist includes a song by the Inkspots that his uncle used to play on the piano, and The House On The Hill by Peggy Lee.

“Whenever granddad hears that song, he dances with my gran in the kitchen so we agreed it definitely had to go on the playlist!” says Deià.

You can listen to Tony’s playlist and find tips and resources to make your own playlist below.

An elderly man and a young woman sitting together on a couch, intently looking at a tablet. Several framed photos are visible in the background.

Older man wearing yellow-tinted glasses and scarf hugging a young girl in a brown leather jacket, both smiling indoors.

Playlist resources

Two people at a table in conversation, one holding a tablet, with a takeaway cup and medication bottle on the table, in a bright room with brick walls.

Playlist for Life has loads of free resources to create 'the soundtrack to your life'. Learn about the memory bump, red flag songs and how to use your playlist throughout the day.

Go to Playlist for Life →

Build your own playlist

Elderly woman wearing headphones and a knit hat, raising her hands.

Ready-made playlists

Two elderly women wearing headphones, laughing and holding musical instruments, maracas and tambourine, sitting on a sofa with a floral wallpaper background.

Playlist for Life have made more than 200 playlists on Spotify by genre, year and identity. You can access these for free without needing a Spotify account.

Click to access ready-made playlists →

BBC Music Memories is a free tool with clips of tunes arranged by decade, genre, geography and hobbies. Visit their site to find out what memories might spark.

Go to BBC Music Memories →

Find a musical memory

Real life stories

  • Two women sitting outdoors, one elderly wearing sunglasses and a pink vest, and the other with long blond hair wearing a blue patterned blouse.

    “If it’s one of her off days I’ll say ‘shall we put the music on?’ And we both start singing”

    Brenda and Trish

  • An elderly couple sitting indoors, smiling. The man wears a polo shirt, while the woman is in a cardigan and headscarf, holding a walking stick. Light filters through blinds behind them.

    “You start to sing and you feel much better…you start to wonder if you’re the same person.”

    Tim and Cindy

  • Two women sitting together, one older and one middle-aged, inside a room with floral curtains and a window showing an outdoor view.

    “It can just be five minutes or even just one song, but that’ll do.”

    Patricia and Clara