For generations, music lovers have made collections of songs to soundtrack their lives. Nowadays, technology makes it easier than ever to create, find, and share playlists to suit every mood and occasion. We set our readers a playlist challenge. Here are their responses.

THAT WAS A GREAT YEAR PLAYLIST

Starships by Nicki Minaj reminds me of 2012, which I spent studying in Amsterdam. There were loads of other foreigners studying there, and we became very close. We all worked hard, but we partied hard as well. Whenever this song came on at a party or club, we all jumped up and danced—it didn’t matter how tired we were. There’s a great…

ALL-TIME CLASSICS PLAYLIST

The top of any all-time classic list has to be Hey Jude by The Beatles. It’s a song you immediately want to sing along to. The Beatles are the reason why I learned English.

Stuck Me is by The Gimmies, a Japanese band. I’ve seen them live and they were loud and energetic—truly incredible.

[Toshi, Japan]

MUSIC WHEN I’M DOWN PLAYLIST

I’ve put Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, but I actually only play two seasons! The winter section is sad and moving, and that sometimes matches my mood. But then I play the spring section because it’s so uplifting. I’d actually like it played at my funeral. There was life before me, and there will be life after me, like spring that comes again after winter.

Julieta Venegas’s Limón Y Sal also cheers me up. My husband bought it for me. The lyrics basically say, ‘I love you however you are: you don’t have to change anything.’

[Kari, Chile]

MUSIC FOR MY WORST ENEMY PLAYLIST

This was difficult to choose. I hate that Céline Dion song that was used in the film Titanic—My Heart Will Go On. I can’t stand commercial pop music—it’s so sentimental. However, the worst is Gangnam Style by Psy. It reminds me of family weddings and people doing the stupid dance. The problem is it’s so catchy!

The other day I heard it as the ringtone on a mobile phone, and I couldn’t get it out of my head all morning! It was really annoying.

[Kevin, Scotland]

MY FAMILY PLAYLIST

My dad’s a big jazz fan and always has music on in the background. Personally, jazz doesn’t do anything for me. I just find it strange. However, he used to play one song for me—I Wanna Be Like You from the film The Jungle Book. Now we play it for my younger brother, and it always makes him laugh.

Take My Hand is for my sister. We both love indie music, and it’s by a relatively new Hungarian band called Ivan & The Parazol that we’ve been listening to a lot recently. They’re going to be big.