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Over the years, Paul asked me to make him compilations of music. Actual shiny CDs of music: this was before the days of Spotify playlists (although I imagine had music streaming services been around then, he would still have wanted CDs).
He wanted the first compilation to be named Hooch Highs '69. If you've watched Paul's TedxGWU talk, you'll know the reference, and the 4-CD compilation was indeed filled with music from the late 60s/early 70s, when Paul was in Vietnam. Here is the tracklist:
CD1
01 Magical mystery tour – The Beatles
02 I feel free – Cream
03 Lay lady lay – Bob Dylan
04 Expecting to fly – Buffalo Springfield
05 Truckin’ – Grateful Dead
06 Om – The Moody Blues
07 Guinnevere – Crosby, Stills and Nash
08 Backstreet girl – The Rolling Stones
09 Whole lotta love – Led Zeppelin
10 Hurdy gurdy man – Donovan
11 Strawberry fields forever – The Beatles
12 Echoes – Pink Floyd
13 Today – Jefferson Airplane
14 One is the loneliest number – Three Dog Night
15 Nights in white satin – The Moody Blues
16 All things must pass – George Harrison
CD2
01 The day begins – The Moody Blues
02 To love somebody – The Bee Gees
03 The fool on the hill – The Beatles
04 White room – Cream
05 Wooden ships – Crosby, Stills and Nash
06 Magic carpet ride – Steppenwolf
07 Girl from the North country – Bob Dylan with Johnny Cash
08 Stairway to heaven – Led Zeppelin
09 Take a pebble – Emerson, Lake and Palmer
10 Eyes of a child – The Moody Blues
11 Something – The Beatles
12 Green river – Credence Clearwater Revival
13 In-a-gadda-da-vida – Iron Butterfly
14 Lady Jane – The Rolling Stones
15 Let it be – The Beatles
CD3
01 Come together – The Beatles
02 Tuesday afternoon – The Moody Blues
03 Witchy woman – The Eagles
04 Broken arrow – Buffalo Springfield
05 Our house – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
06 Atlantis – Donovan
07 Dear diary – The Moody Blues
08 Speak to me/Breathe – Pink Floyd
09 Thank you – Led Zeppelin
10 Because – The Beatles
11 Dr. Livingstone, I presume – The Moody Blues
12 Black magic woman – Santana
13 White rabbit – Jefferson Airplane
14 Hey Jude – The Beatles
15 White bird – It’s a Beautiful Day
16 The end – The Doors
CD4
01 Imagine – John Lennon
02 Helplessly hoping – Crosby, Stills and Nash
03 Holiday – The Bee Gees
04 Sunshine of your love – Cream
05 I want you (She’s so heavy) – The Beatles
06 Kind woman – Buffalo Springfield
07 Are you sitting comfortably? – The Moody Blues
08 Lucky man – Emerson, Lake and Palmer
09 Purple haze – Jimi Hendrix
10 Sun king/Mean Mr. Mustard – The Beatles
11 Can’t find my way home – Blind Faith
12 Timothy Leary is dead – The Moody Blues
13 Tonight I’ll be staying here with you – Bob Dylan
14 Light my fire – The Doors
15 Time has come today – The Chambers Brothers
16 Here comes the sun – The Beatles
Paul was not particular about the running order, but he did want the compilation to end with "Here comes the sun." I think we understand what that says about his nature, and belief in resilience.
The second compilation he asked for was on the occasion of his 60th birthday in 2007. Thus, the compilation was titled Sixty Candles, and played at the celebratory party. Unlike Hooch Highs, which focuses on music from a few years, Sixty Candles was more wide-ranging, and spans the decades. The songs from the mid-80s especially reminded him of his world travels. It's of course not exhaustive; Joni Mitchell is not very heavily represented, though Paul loved her, because he tended to listen to the entirety of her albums.
CD1
01 Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler (1962)
02 The lion sleeps tonight - The Tokens (1961)
03 The name game - Shirley Ellis (1964)
04 It's my party - Lesley Gore (1963)
05 With a little help from my friends - The Beatles (1967)
06 You've got a friend - James Taylor (1971)
07 California dreaming - The Mamas and the Papas (1965)
08 Hotel California - The Eagles (1976)
09 Every breath you take - The Police (1983)
10 Dancing in the dark - Bruce Springsteen (1984)
11 Travelin' man - Ricky Nelson (1961)
12 Peace train - Cat Stevens (1971)
13 At 17 - Janis Ian (1975)
14 I am woman - Helen Reddy (1972)
15 Girls just want to have fun - Cyndi Lauper (1983)
16 Dancing queen - ABBA (1976)
17 Angie - The Rolling Stones (1973)
18 Rocky mountain high - John Denver (1973)
19 Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry (1967)
20 The house of the rising sun - The Animals (1964)
21 Saying alive - The Bee Gees (1977)
CD2
01 Town without pity - Gene Pitney (1962)
02 Hurt so bad - Little Anthony and the Imperials (1965)
03 Blue velvet - Bobby Vinton (1963)
04 Crazy - Patsy Cline (1962)
05 Time in a bottle - Jim Croce (1973)
06 Dust in the wind - Kansas (1977)
07 I got you babe - Sonny and Cher (1965)
08 Groovin' - The Rascals (1967)
09 Red red wine - UB40 (1983)
10 Heart of glass - Blondie (1978)
11 I can see clearly now - Jimmy Cliff (1993)
12 Holiday - The Bee Gees (1967)
13 Because - The Beatles (1969)
14 Love me tender - Elvis Presley (1956)
15 We've only just began - The Carpenters (1970)
16 We are the world - USA for Africa (1985)
17 One night in Bangkok - Murray Head (1984)
18 Precious - Annie Lennox (1992)
19 Back street girl - The Rolling Stones (1967)
20 Summer breeze - Seals and Crofts (1972)
21 Maggie May - Rod Stewart (1971)
22 Where have all the flowers gone? - The Kingston Trio (1961)
23 Blowin' in the wind - Peter, Paul and Mary (1962)
CD3
01 La la means I love you - The Delfonics (1968)
02 I just called to say I love you - Stevie Wonder (1984)
03 When I'm sixty-four - The Beatles (1967)
04 When I need you - Leo Sayer (1977)
05 Crying - Roy Orbison (1961)
06 You're so vain - Carly Simon (1972)
07 Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1983)
08 Cherish - The Association (1966)
09 Woodstock - Joni Mitchell (1970)
10 The sound of silence - Simon and Garfunkel (1965)
11 Chapel of love - Dixie Cups (1964)
12 Baby love - The Supremes (1964)
13 Soldier boy - The Shirelles (1962)
14 Everybody plays the fool - The Main Ingredients (1972)
15 Teach your children - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970)
16 It's now or never - Elvis Presley (1960)
17 Lay lady lay - Bob Dylan (1969)
18 We are family - Sister Sledge (1979)
19 It's raining men - The Weather Girls (1982)
20 Torn between two lovers - Mary MacGregor (1976)
21 Sailing - Christopher Cross (1980)
22 Wonderful tonight - Eric Clapton (1978)
CD4
01 Mr Tambourine Man - The Byrds (1965)
02 You are the sunshine of my life - Stevie Wonder (1973)
03 (Sittin' on) The dock of the bay - Otis Redding (1968)
04 I'm sorry - Brenda Lee (1960)
05 Where the boys are - Connie Francis (1960)
06 Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet (1977)
07 Lady Jane - The Rolling Stones (1966)
08 Today - Jefferson Airplane (1967)
09 Truckin' - The Grateful Dead (1970)
10 The good, the bad, and the ugly - Ennio Morricone (1968)
11 Another one bites the dust - Queen (1980)
12 Situation - Yazoo (1982)
13 Bette Davis eyes - Kim Carnes (1981)
14 These boots are made for walking' - Nancy Sinatra (1966)
15 Louie Louie - The Kingsmen (1963)
16 Hey Paula - Paul and Paula (1963)
17 Aquarius/Let the sunshine in - The Fifth Dimension (1969)
18 Lean on me - Bill Withers (1972)
19 One more night - Phil Collins (1985)
20 There's never a forever thing - a-ha (1988)
21 Good vibrations -The Beach Boys (1966)
22 I'm into something good - Herman's Hermits (1964)
23 Xanada - Olviva Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra (1980)More recently, he also loved bellowing, at the top of his lungs, "Uptown girl" (usually with the word "girl" replaced) right into the faces of his dogs -- first Duke, later Baxter. But I don't know if this means that the Billy Joel song was an actual favorite; it certainly wasn't Duke's (Baxter was mostly mystified).
I resemble Paul, rather surprisingly, in that I too am not a music streaming user. If anyone is and wants to re-compile the above into Spotify playlist(s), I'll be happy to add and embed those playlists to this post.