Exclusive:Spotify unspun: Listening habits of First Minister and his political rivals revealed from Motorhead to Eminem

The First Minister, meanwhile, may surprise us all with his list of most listened tunes during another typically fraught year at Holyrood.

Spotify Wrapped is the marketing phenomenon dreamed up by the streaming platform which, for each of its 700m or so listeners worldwide, delivers an incredibly indepth analysis of individual user’s listening habits. It charts most listened songs, artists, albums and genres over the course of the year and packs it up in hours and minutes listened. Our average listening age, judged by the decades that we enjoye the most, is also given.

For some users, the package of information delivered straight to their phones, is something like an early Christmas present and a chance to reflect on our past year, and the songs that provided the soundtrack to all that it threw our way.

For others, the results are something best preferred private. There is no varnish to Spotify Wrapped, just information pure, raw and without artifice.

So would Scotland’s political leaders go for releasing the highlights of their listening year. Amazingly, perhaps, they did. Most, however, could not resist a little soundbite to help deliver their results.

ANAS SARWAR

Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, surprised himself with his top tunes, given his taste for R’n’B. His most listened song was, in fact The Game by Motorhead, the band led by hellraiser Lemmy.

Mr Sarwar said “While my usual music is R’n’b, this year the songs have been skewered towards wrestling music because I love to play at home with my wrestling fanatic youngest son.”

The Motorhead track is an anthem for WWE star Triple H, with the band playing the tune live at his match entrances.

The Scottish Labour leader’s second most listened song - Cult of Personality by Living Colour - is also big in WWE world and the entrance theme for pro wrestler CM Punk.

“The music is helping be psyche up for the big crunch match next May!” he added, in reference to the forthcoming Holyrood elections.

Hall of Fame by Will.i.am; Still Dre by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and 24K Magic by Bruno Mars made up the rest of Mr Sarwar’s top five most listened tunes of the year.

RUSSELL FINDLAY

Russell Findlay, leader of Scottish Conservatives, also likes a bit of rap. His most listened to artist of 2025 was Eminem, followed by dance producer David Guetta, Faithless, 50 Cent and Dr Dre.

Meanwhile, Mr Findlay’s most played song was House of the Rising Sun, by The Animals. Like his political rival Anas Sarwar, he shares a fondness for Still D.R.E by Dr Dre and Snoop Dog.

Mr Findlay described his list as “slightly cringe” but added that, in his defence, it was his first ever year on Spotify. “I pledge to do much better in 2026,” he said.

ROSS GREER

Optics in politics, as we know, are everything and Ross Greer, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said much of his Spotify Wrapped list was “far too cringe to see the light of day”.

But, he did reveal that his most listened tune was The Joseph Megamix from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, which he described as “an absolute banger”.

Despite his fondness for the West End musical hit, Mr Greer felt compelled to “apologise to his friends, family and party for having the shame of having a Conservative member of the House of Lords at the top of my Wrapped this year.

“Unfortunately for us all, the Joseph Megamix is just excellent, even if Lloyd Weber’s voting record is definitely not.”

Mr Lloyd-Webber stood down as a Conservative peer in 2017.

Mr Greer said that his “feelgood” song soundtracked his party’s work on scrapping peak rail fares, increasing free school meals and the Scottish Green’s “record high” in the polls.

But, there was still plenty to rage about, Mr Greer said, with the party co-leader finding solace in his punk and metal, including bands Sum 41 and Hamburg-based outfit Lord ofthe Lost, who he saw live at The Garage in Glasgow a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, Celtic music broke into his favourite genres for the first time, he said.

ALEX COLE- HAMILTON

Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, revealed his most listened to song was Conversion by Nick Cave, from his last album Wild God. He also favoured some French beats, with Electronic Performers by Air his second most listened to track.

Moya by Canadian chamber rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor was another favourite, followed on his list with The King of Rome by The Unthanks, a band with their roots in Northumbrian folk, coming in fourth.

Let in Burn by Swedish experimentalists Goat was the fifth track on the list, which soundtracked “driving to Ukraine to deliver ambulances to the armed forces thee for immediate use on their frontlines”.

The tunes also came into play to “celebrate the defection of Jamie Green to the Lib Dems” and driving the “undualled A9 to knock doors in the Highlands” as the party looks to “turn those seats Lib Dem gold” next year, the politician said.

JOHN SWINNEY

After much anticipation for his response, First Minister John Swinney sadly revealed that he didn’t actually use Spotify and was not a fan of streaming platforms.

Nevertheless, in the First Minister’s headphones this year has been August by Taylor Swift, the only artist not from Scotland on his favourites list. He earlier spoke of his ‘bond with the Swifties’ when Loch Tay, ‘the most beautiful place on the planet’ - which sits in Mr Swinney’s constituency, was renamed Loch Tay Tay in honour of the megastar.

Mr Swinney tapped into the mania ahead of Taylor Swift’s appearance in Edinburgh last Summer, when she played to more than 200,000 fans over three nights. Now, that’s a turnout.

Amy MacDonald’s Let’s Start a Band, The Fratellis’ Yes Sir I can Boogie; Snow Patrol’s You are my Joy and Skerryvore ‘s Take my Hand completed the First Minister’s playlist.

Mr Swinney said: “And with Skerryvore in there too, it sums up a year where I’ve spent part of the summer on our gorgeous islands, enjoyed great Scottish music, and balanced it all with a bit of Taylor Swift for good measure.”