John Lennon, The #90 Artist of the Rock Era

 "One of the best composers of his or any era."

"Music that touches me deeply."

"A genius for all-time."

So much heart and soul."

"Music with real meaning."

"Hard to believe music this great was done by a mere mortal."

"An artist who was light years ahead of most of his contemporaries."

"I have always admired John, his music and persona.  He was not afraid to push barriers or push the buttons of the establishment."

"He is one of the most special people to ever walk the earth...every one of his songs spoke straight to my soul."

"One of the best songwriters of all-time."




There was a time when all four ex-Beatles were ranked among The Top 100 Artists*.  In 2016, two remain.

Together with Paul McCartney, he formed the top songwriting partnership of all-time and is considered as one of the top lyricists in history.  He began recording solo projects before the Beatles broke up and it was no surprise when he went on to have a successful solo career.  He was inactive for several years in the '70s while spending time with his wife Yoko and son Sean.   While he was respected for that move, that extended time away from the studio and relatively short solo career (1970-1980) nearly keeps Lennon out of The Top 100 Artists*.  In 1979, John released an album and all signs pointed to a huge comeback.  On December 8, shortly after the release of the album's first single, he was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment.

John Lennon was born October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England.    John's middle name of Winston was taken from then-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. His father Alfred, a merchant seaman, was away most of the time but sent checks to John's mother, Julia.  In February of 1944, Alfred was absent without leave and the checks stopped.  Six months later, he showed up offering to look after the family but by this time, Julia was pregnant with another man's child.  In 1946, Lennon's father visited him and took him away with plans to secretly emigrate to New Zealand.  Julia followed them and after an angry argument, Alfred forced five-year-old John to choose between the two of them.  He eventually chose his mother and did not have contact with his father for 20 years.

Although Lennon spent much of his childhood living with his aunt and uncle, John's mother Julia visited him often.  Julia played Elvis Presley records for John and taught him how to play the banjo.

In 1956, Julia bought John his first guitar, which was delivered to Julia's house.  John told his Aunt Mimi that he would be famous one day, to which she replied, "The guitar's all very well, John, but you'll never make a living out of it." 

Lennon was all caught up in the skiffle craze in Liverpool, and at age 15, he formed the Quarrymen, which after personnel changes and several name changes, evolved into the Beatles.  John graduated from Quarry Bank High School.  

The Beatles took the world by storm and recorded some of the greatest songs of all-time, but internal problems beset the group.  Early on in the life of the Beatles, Lennon (second from left in photo above) began to write more thought-provoking lyrics, and his political views came to the center when John began his solo career.  Between 1968 and 1969, Lennon and wife Yoko Ono released three albums of experimental music.

Lennon and Ono married on March 20, 1969.  On May 26, they began a highly publicized bed-in for peace in Room 1742 of Hotel La Reine Elizabeth in Montreal, Canada.  The bed-in was a protest invented by John and Yoko in which they stayed in their hotel room bed and invited media to film and interview them in the hotel. 
 

The couple formed the Plastic Ono Band, which resulted in the album Live Peace in Toronto 1969.  Petula Clark and Tommy Smothers are among the guests on the project.  It contains a signature Lennon song, "Give Peace A Chance", which reached #1 in the Netherlands, #2 in the U.K. and Austria, #4 in Germany, #6 in Australia, #8 in Canada and #14 in the United States.

The Plastic Ono Band was a loose affiliation of musicians who worked with Lennon over several years.  In September, Eric Clapton, Laus Voorman and Alan White joined Lennon at the Toronto Rock 'N' Revival Show at the Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Canada.  

On November 25, John returned his Master of the British Empire to Buckingham Palace, which alienated him from the establishment in Great Britain and led John to emigrate to the United States.

 

Another non-album single, "Cold Turkey", reached #12 in the United States.

 

In 1970, Lennon enlisted the help of Beatle George Harrison on guitar and friend Billy Preston on keyboards for the standalone single "Instant Karma (We All Shine On).  The song hit #2 in Canada, #3 in the U.S., #4 in Austria, #5 in the U.K., #6 in Australia, #7 in West German and the Netherlands and #9 in Norway. 

Although Lennon left the Beatles in September of 1969, the official breakup of the group was not announced until April of 1970.  In May, Lennon and Ono took part in a six-month course in primal scream therapy.  Lennon wrote much of the material for his debut solo album during the sessions and included themes from his troubled youth as well as topics brought to the surface during his treatment.  Lennon released his first solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band in 1970.

Lennon unleashed an attack on everyone form politicians to parents to religion to society on "I Found Out", a Top Track* from John, that features former Beatles mate Ringo Starr on drums..

This solid track is called "Mother".

Although he was a millionaire many times over, John never ceased identifying with the common person.  This is another super effort:  "Working Class Hero"

On September 3, 1971, Lennon boarded a flight from London's Heathrow Airport to New York City to permanently live in the United States.  He never went back to his home country again.

In 1971, Lennon released the album Imagine.  The title song became an instant classic--#1 in Canada and Australia, #3 in the U.S., #5 in the Netherlands and Switzerland, #6 in Norway and #7 in West Germany.

People had grown up with Lennon, but many of his lyrics as a solo performer were ahead of their time. This is the Top Track* "Gimme' Some Truth".

Another fan favorite from Lennon's solo career is "Jealous Guy".

The album topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic.  In December, John released one of The Top Christmas Songs of All-Time*, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". 

Lennon's criticism of the Vietnam War caused a paranoid U.S. president Richard Nixon to spend four years trying to deport him.  In March of '72, John and Yoko fought back, filing an appeal with the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Office in New York after getting deportation orders.  John's 1972 album Some Time in New York City contained a song about Lennon's difficulty in obtaining a green card.  Lennon gave two benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972 for patients of the Willowbrook State School mental facility.  They turned out to be his last full concert appearances.

In 1973, Immigration Authorities in the U.S. ordered Lennon to leave the country.  In October, John sued the U.S. Government, accusing it of tapping his telephone.    

Later in the year, Lennon released the album Mind Games.  The title song reached #18 in the U.S.

Lennon spent the next 18 months separated from his wife, Yoko Ono.  John had been on a creative and commercial slide for several years as well.  That drop-off turned around when Lennon recorded the album Walls and Bridges, released in 1974.  Elton John helped out on the single "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night", a #1 song in the United States and #2 in Canada.

 

But it was the follow-up single, "#9 Dream", which found Lennon in an uncharacteristic peaceful, even spiritual reflection.  This soothing treat is underrated even at #9.

Lennon also wrote the title song and played piano for Beatle buddy Ringo Starr on Ringo's album Goodnight Vienna.

Lennon made a guest appearance at Elton John's November 28, 1974 concert at Madison Square Garden.

Lennon co-wrote "Fame" for David Bowie and lent guitar and backing vocals to the track.  

John and Yoko reunited and in 1975, Lennon released an album of cover songs called Rock 'n' Roll.

In October, the New York State Supreme Court voted by a 2 to 1 majority to reverse Lennon's deportation order.  Two days after that decision, John's second son, Sean, was born.  Lennon took five years off from the music industry to devote attention to his family.

Lennon released his first compilation album, Shaved Fish, which sold over one million copies.

In 1976, a judge approved Lennon's application for his Green Card, allowing him to live permanent in the U.S.  Four years later, John emerged from his inactivity and began to write songs again while he was vacationing in Bermuda.  He recorded songs at the Hit Factory in New York.

Lennon released the album Double Fantasy in 1980.  Although John had no active recording contract, David Geffen agreed to release the album on his label without hearing any songs.  The first single was "(Just Like) Starting Over", a #1 song in the U.S. the U.K., Canada, Australia, Austria and Switzerland which has sold over one million copies and won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.  
On December 8, shortly after the release of "(Just Like) Starting Over", John and Yoko returned to their New York apartment.  A weirdo was waiting for Lennon and shot him in the back four times.  John Winston Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival.
 

After Lennon's death, "Imagine" catapulted to #1 in the U.K.  "Woman" was released as a single, a #1 smash in the U.K. and Canada, #2 in the United States and Switzerland, #3 in Austria, #4 in Australia and West Germany and #5 in Norway.  The album topped charts in the United States and the U.K.

Lennon posthumously won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the American Music Awards.

Another of Lennon's greatest songs was also released.  "Watching The Wheels", #3 in Canada, #6 in Switzerland and #10 in the U.S.

 

In 1984, an album of Lennon's songs were released with the title Milk and Honey.  The single "Nobody But Me" became his last hit, #4 in Canada, #5 in the United States, #6 in the U.K. and Australia and #7 in Norway.

Several compilations were released after Lennon's death:  in 1982, The John Lennon Collection, Imagine:  John Lennon in 1988 and the 1997 album Lennon Legend:  The Very Best of John Lennon.

On October 9, 1990, "Imagine" was played simultaneously in 130 countries on what have been Lennon's 50th birthday.  In 1998, the John Lennon Anthology was released, which went Gold.

Lennon was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire with the other members of the Beatles in 1965.  In 1987, Lennon was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, in 1988 as a member of the Beatles and in 1994 as a solo artist.  In 1992, Lennon was awarded a posthumous Grammy Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement.

Lennon released nine Gold, two Platinum and three Multi-Platinum albums.  He enjoyed 17 hits, with eight Top 10's and two #1's.

Lennon landed 18 career hits, 8 Top 10's and two #1 songs.

Lennon will always be remembered for his incredible lyrics, and he did his best work by far with the Beatles.  But his solo work also contained deep, soul-searching songs, some of which will be remembered 100 years from now.