Over the last three decades, Rufus Wainwright has released 10 studio albums, written two operas, and countless songs for TV and film. He’s been praised for his originality—Elton John once called him the songwriting GOAT. But in this episode, Rufus explains why having the confidence to be himself was really just about survival. Here are his songs:

1. Over the Rainbow -  Judy Garland

2. Heart Like a Wheel - Kate & Anna McGarrigle

3. I'm Losing You -  Kate & Anna McGarrigle

4. Raspberry Beret - Prince

5. Begin the Beguine - Ella Fitzgerald 

6. La Donna è Mobile -  Luciano Pavarotti

7. Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

Listen to Rufus Wainwright’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Actor, producer, and director Rita Wilson is known for her performances in films like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Now and Then.” Her name can be found on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in credits for massive hits like “Mamma Mia!” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” (She's also been married to one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Tom Hanks, for the past 37 years.) But despite her success, Rita spent her entire career dreaming of a different one—to be a singer-songwriter. In this episode, Rita talks about taking risks later in life, grappling with regret and grief, and finally finding her voice as a musician. Here are her songs.

Listen to Rita Wilson’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Writer and director Cord Jefferson charts his journey from being a rule-following kid to an angry teenager to an adult with depression. After a lifetime of rejection, Cord shares what helped him finally make "American Fiction," the Oscar-winning film that was always in him. Here are his songs.

Listen to Cord Jefferson’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

On this special episode, we’re featuring a conversation from our friends at the Professional Book Nerds podcast, a podcast from the book nerds at OverDrive.  

Every week host Joe Skelley chats book recommendations on a theme with his friends and bookish experts, interviews authors and personalities, and encourages people to check out all the amazing resources their library has to offer. Ranked number 5 of the top 100 book podcasts, this is the place for book nerds! 

In today’s episode, Joe chats with author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) LIVE during his book tour for And Then? And Then? What Else? Joe and Daniel talk about Tim Curry, sharing your personal life publicly, and what exactly it’s like being Lemony Snicket.  

Listen to more episodes of Professional Book Nerds and follow the podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/professional-book-nerds/id1065515588

Cofounder and CEO of Nextdoor, Nirav Tolia, looks back on his childhood in small-town Texas, and how an inner conflict about belonging may have led to him creating the first social network for neighbors. With his commitment to building community, it’s no surprise two of his seven songs include the words ‘home’ and ‘house’ in their titles.

Listen to Nirav Tolia’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions?

From Nirvana to BB King, The Rolling Stones to Radiohead, legendary rock photographer Jay Blakesberg has been documenting music icons for nearly 40 years. His work has been published in thousands of magazines, documentaries and books, but what he’s most known for is creating a seminal photographic archive of the Grateful Dead. Here are his songs.

Listen to Jay Blakesberg’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

From her groundbreaking role playing one of the first openly gay characters on television, to her iconic appearances on David Letterman — where she repeatedly made the host speechless — actor and comedian Sandra Bernhard has always been unapologetically herself. And yet, decades into her career, she says she still discovers new layers every time she performs. Here are her songs.

Listen to Sandra Bernhard’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Lawyer Chesa Boudin’s professional life has been nearly as tumultuous as his upbringing. He was raised by family friends because his parents—members of the Weather Underground—were incarcerated for crimes committed when he was just 14 months old. Boudin eventually became a progressive San Francisco district attorney representing criminal justice reform. However, he was recalled a few years later. These are his songs.

Listen to Chesa Boudin’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Rahsaan “New York” Thomas spent more than two decades incarcerated before being granted a commutation for his rehabilitation efforts behind bars. He shares how his life was shaped by growing up in Brownsville, “the murder capital of New York,” the music that got him through prison life and what he’s working on now. Here are his songs.

Listen to Rahsaan “New York” Thomas’ full playlist on Spotify and also check out the podcast Ear Hustle about life inside prison. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Longtime journalist and media entrepreneur Kara Swisher has been covering Silicon Valley and the Internet since the days of dial-up. She’s taken nearly all of technology's titans to task with a fearless, no-nonsense style. But in this episode, she shows another side of herself: the “San Francisco liberal lesbian who loves country music and wanted to be in the military.” Here are her songs.

Listen to Kara Swisher’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].