Bruce Springsteen — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Bruce Springsteen — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Artist

Bruce Springsteen

37 episodes

Chosen over the decades

37

Total castaways

2010s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alan Parker
Amanda Khozi Mukwashi
Anita Roddick
Britt Ekland
Doug Allan
Duncan Goodhew
Emmylou Harris
Frank Oz
Greg Dyke
Gurinder Chadha
Jackie Collins
Jens Stoltenberg
Joe Wicks
John Malkovich
Jo Nesbø
Jon Ronson
Judy Murray
Julie Walters
Lindsey Hilsum
Mark McCormack
Micky Flanagan
Nick Hornby
Noel Edmonds
Pam Ayres
more

Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø on his father's New Year's Eve story of a comrade's head exploding
Castaway · 21 June 2026Lauren Laverne
Richard Young
Richard Young on building a guitar from a plank of wood
Castaway · 15 February 2026Lauren Laverne
Lindsey Hilsum

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Lindsey Hilsum on impersonating a Red Cross worker

Castaway · 30 March 2025Lauren Laverne

Steven Spielberg

18°24′S 129°36′W

Steven Spielberg

How a three-minute western for a Boy Scout merit badge sparked Steven Spielberg's filmmaking bug

Castaway · 18 December 2022Lauren Laverne

20°26′S 102°06′W

Jon Ronson

Jon Ronson on getting on buses alone in London as a child

Castaway · 5 June 2022Lauren Laverne

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi

05°39′S 051°27′W

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi on her grandfather's story about trees having a conversation about her

Castaway · 30 May 2021Lauren Laverne

Jens Stoltenberg

18°48′S 003°34′W

Jens Stoltenberg

Jens Stoltenberg on not being able to read until he was nine

Castaway · 12 July 2020Lauren Laverne

22°26′S 147°02′W

Joe Wicks

Joe Wicks on the only time he said he hated his dad

Castaway · 14 June 2020Lauren Laverne

Stephen Merchant

18°19′S 016°35′W

Stephen Merchant

How Stephen Merchant discovered a John Cleese message on his parents’ answerphone

Castaway · 22 December 2019Lauren Laverne

22°16′S 136°44′W

Pam Ayres

How a shaming moment made Pam Ayres decide to leave home

Castaway · 5 August 2018Kirsty Young

18°34′S 032°32′W

Micky Flanagan

Micky Flanagan on the summer of his life working in a kitchen

Castaway · 19 November 2017Kirsty Young

Professor Phil Scraton

20°53′S 014°16′W

Professor Phil Scraton

Phil Scraton on watching a poor boy punished in assembly and knowing it was wrong

Castaway · 5 November 2017Kirsty Young

Paul Greengrass

04°19′S 124°37′W

Paul Greengrass

Paul Greengrass on Doreen Lawrence fixing him with a steely look

Castaway · 17 September 2017Kirsty Young

Gurinder Chadha

23°21′S 027°21′W

Gurinder Chadha

Gurinder Chadha on her son's 'Good for you, Mama' hug on set

Castaway · 22 November 2015Kirsty Young

03°26′S 136°02′W

Doug Allan

Doug Allan on being mistaken for a seal by a walrus

Castaway · 20 July 2014Kirsty Young

20°06′S 116°51′W

Judy Murray

Judy Murray on the heart attack and severe nausea of watching her sons play

Castaway · 22 June 2014Kirsty Young

05°00′S 153°44′W

Val McDermid

Val McDermid on the pizza that wasn't a pizza

Castaway · 14 July 2013Kirsty Young

10°27′S 102°21′W

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins on being thrown off stage for insincerity

Castaway · 18 July 2010Kirsty Young

14°30′S 031°25′W

Rob Brydon

Rob Brydon on the shopping channel job that stalled his acting career

Castaway · 16 May 2010Kirsty Young

22°11′S 135°59′W

Greg Dyke

Greg Dyke on reading Lord Hutton's report and knowing the public would side with the BBC

Castaway · 20 May 2007Kirsty Young

18°24′S 177°14′W

Stephen King

Stephen King on his wife fishing Carrie out of the bin

Castaway · 19 November 2006Kirsty Young

13°13′S 038°20′W

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris on the phone call that told her father was missing in action

Castaway · 21 December 2003Sue Lawley

20°28′S 099°46′W

Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby on how therapy sparked the idea for Fever Pitch

Castaway · 28 September 2003Sue Lawley

02°54′S 175°44′W

John Malkovich

John Malkovich on falling asleep under a makeup table before shows

Castaway · 1 December 2002Sue Lawley

Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP

13°15′S 004°52′W

Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP

Iain Duncan Smith on deciding to run for leader after talking to his wife

Castaway · 24 November 2002Sue Lawley

00°24′S 065°37′W

William Gibson

William Gibson on the Sony Walkman that inspired cyberspace

Castaway · 19 November 1999Sue Lawley

Rt Hon Tony Blair MP

18°14′S 012°44′W

Rt Hon Tony Blair MP

Tony Blair on the morning his father had a stroke

Castaway · 24 November 1996Sue Lawley

Peter Scudamore

02°11′S 120°14′W

Peter Scudamore

Peter Scudamore on throwing stones at posts as a child to predict his racing success

Castaway · 29 May 1994Sue Lawley

13°31′S 129°22′W

Britt Ekland

Britt Ekland on marrying Peter Sellers after just ten days

Castaway · 22 May 1994Sue Lawley

06°43′S 036°17′W

Duncan Goodhew

Duncan Goodhew on losing his hair after an eighteen-foot fall

Castaway · 7 June 1992Sue Lawley

18°00′S 153°11′W

Mark McCormack

Mark McCormack on being hit by a car at six and taking up golf

Castaway · 2 July 1989Sue Lawley

19°24′S 095°11′W

Anita Roddick

Anita Roddick on being turned down by a bank in a Bob Dylan t-shirt with her babies

Castaway · 22 May 1988Michael Parkinson

21°41′S 100°54′W

Jackie Collins

Jackie Collins on waving to the resident Flasher in Regent's Park

Castaway · 7 December 1986Michael Parkinson

02°04′S 082°46′W

Alan Parker

How a question from his son led Alan Parker to Bugsy Malone

Castaway · 5 January 1986Michael Parkinson

03°00′S 172°32′W

Julie Walters

How Julie Walters had to enlist her brothers to protect her from her mother

Castaway · 2 February 1985Roy Plomley

04°05′S 090°50′W

Frank Oz

Frank Oz on screaming fights with his father during a children's park show

Castaway · 29 August 1981Roy Plomley

11°16′S 019°57′W

Noel Edmonds

Noel Edmonds on quitting a £3,000-a-year job at 19 with nothing to fall back on

Castaway · 14 October 1978Roy Plomley