Music defines all stages of our lives – and me and my mixtape have nothing to hide | Maddie Thomas

From Van Morrison to Latin pop, music is the signpost that takes me to far-flung places and home again

We've all said it (or indeed screamed it) when a song from our past comes on: What a throwback!"

Music soundtracks our lives. It becomes ingrained in our memory alongside our biggest milestones, from weddings to funerals, summer lovin to heartbreak.