The Guardian's long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions has produced an epic extraterrestrial playlist for Earth's first contact from beyond the stars. This week's query from Heather in Kent asked: 'If an alien landed and asked you: "What is this thing you call music?" what would you play for them? And why?'
Responses ranged from humorous to serious. One reader suggested a simple children's tune like 'London Bridge Is Falling Down' to explain rhythm and melody, while another opted for Bach's 'Air on the G String' or My Bloody Valentine. Others proposed using the encounter to drive aliens away, with bagpipes or Slim Whitman cited as effective deterrents.
Musical recommendations spanned genres: the Flaming Lips for existential sci-fi, David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler for guitar mastery, and Björk's 'Hyperballad' as barely of this world. One reader noted that any self-respecting alien would already have a Spotify subscription, while another pointed out the assumption that aliens can hear music as humans do may be flawed.
The series also poses a new question: 'Experts say we should use passkeys, but can a smartphone PIN really be safer than a password?'
