Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin helps at the presidential coronation of Barack Obama in Washington, 2009, but which jewels in her crown of songs is on this week’s list? Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

Readers recommend: songs about crowns - results

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Krauss to Kestner, Costello to Collective Soul, RR regular takeitawayGuru strides regally across many a kingdom to put a special Handel on last week’s topic

Please take your seats for the crowning of this week’s A-Listers and there’s one in particular that is the “King of Noms” this week.

Coronations since George II in 1727 have been accompanied by music from Handel: the Coronation Anthems and today’s ceremony will be no different as we commence proceedings with Zadok the Priest performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey.

Zadok was instrumental in bringing King Solomon to the throne and officiating the anointing ceremony. I underestimated the religious element of crowns this week and whilst I was aware of the symbolism of the crown of thorns I hadn’t appreciated how many musical references there were to this particular one. My choice from many nominations mentioning it this week is Scud Mountain Boys.

Readers recommend: songs about crowns | Peter Kimpton

There were many different types of crown put forward this week; gold, two-pronged, starry, light, flowers, a pub and thorns, so many crowns of thorns. Where there are thorns there’s likely to be roses - Jethro Tull’s Crazed Institution has a crown of roses to ring around your cranium.

As justification for Alison Krauss’s version of Down to the River to Pray RR reader severin simply said “sublime”. It is, no question, powerfully, fantastically sublime and the tune I’ve listened to most this weekend. From the sublime to the ever so slightly over the top The Crown and the Ring by Manowar. What a triumphal opening and an equally powerful song.

Maintaining the religious theme through the crown of light that is a Halo; from several alternatives nominated on this theme there were two artists singing the same song. This was one of my expected tunes and I went for Lotte Kestner’s version but it was a very, very close call against Beyonce.

You don’t need to be royalty to wear a crown; it can simply be recognition of the importance we place upon one person. In Midnite’s Wearing Her Crown it’s a woman and her kingdom appears to be her kitchen and her subjects her family but she’s no less held in reverence.

Collective Soul ask lots of questions; who’s gonna be - my saviour, the answer, my partner, the shepherd - who’s gonna wear my crown; the response is it may well have to be oneself.

Who will wear the crown is also the question asked by Aretha Franklin in When the Battle is Over but this isn’t a war of succession this is a battle of love between man and woman.

Elvis Costello King of America — Elvis Costello: King of America Photograph:Flickr

There’s no question who wears the crown according to the New Riders Of the Purple Sage, whilst they respect many rock and music heroes it’s clear cut when it comes to “rockabilly” it’s Carl Perkins who wears that crown.

The guru job is a tough gig. So much good music this week despite the lower number of nominations - and the awful events in Paris that inevitably put a shadow across the weekend. Peter quoted Shakespeare - Henry IV “Uneasy is the head that wears a crown” in his introduction to the topic and this is oft misquoted as “heavy is the head” but there’s no misquoting the Zac Brown Band and guest singer Chris Cornell whereas Honeydogs are the complete opposite as they sing “easy lies the head that wears the crown”.

No matter whether it’s in the context of royalty, religion, a husband or wife, being guru or our top A-Lister, whatever the crown is, as Elvis Costello sings - just Wear it Proudly.