John Winston Lennon was born
October 9, 1940 in Liverpool. Lennon is
described not only as one fourth of The Beatles, but as a master
songwriter, musician, visionary, genius, and
peacemaker, With his life cut short at the
age of 40, Lennon's music continues to
inspire. Lennon began his musical journey
when in his teens and receiving his first
guitar. This led to his first band, 'The
Black Jacks.' By the time Lennon was 17, the
conception of The Beatles was underway and music
icon status was only a few years away.
Lennon wrote
and released his book In
His Own Write.
Lennon wrote
and released his second book A
Spaniard In The Works.
March 4: Lennon stirred up
controversy when his statement that The Beatles were
more popular than Jesus was published in The
London Evening Standard.
Lennon won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year (songwriter)
("Michelle" with Paul
McCartney).
November 9: Lennon met Yoko
Ono in London at her art gallery.
During the year, Lennon divorced
his first wife and began a relationship with Yoko
Ono.
Lennon and Ono
were arrested for marijuana possession in
London and plead guilty a month later.
Lennon and Ono released Unfinished
Music No. 1 - Two Virgins with the controversial
cover art of both of them naked.
Lennon married Yoko Ono
in Gibraltar.
March 25: Lennon and Yoko began
a week long 'bed-in' in a suite at The
Amsterdam Hilton hotel to talk about world
peace to the press.
Lennon released Unfinished
Music No. 2 - Life With The Lions.
Lennon released his single
"Cold Turkey." The song was about
Lennon's bought with heroin withdrawal.
Lennon released Wedding
Album.
Lennon released the live LP Live
Peace In Toronto from a performance at
the Toronto 'Rock 'N' Roll Festival' in
September, 1969. .
The Beatles officially broke up
leaving Lennon with a solo career to come.
Lennon released Plastic
Ono Band.
Lennon released Imagine.
Lennon topped the Billboard LP
chart for a week with Imagine.
Lennon released Some
Time In New York City.
During the year, Lennon faced a
long battle to get a visa to stay in the US.
Lennon's outspokenness about anti-war and his
encounters with drugs had resulted in the FBI
investigating him for several years.
Lennon released Mind
Games.
Lennon released Walls
And Bridges. The LP was recorded during an
18 month separation with Ono.
Lennon topped the Billboard LP
chart for a week with Walls
And Bridges.
Lennon topped the Billboard Hot
100 Singles chart for a week with
"Whatever Gets You Through The
Night."
Lennon hit the
Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with
"#9 Dream."
Year-End Chart
Position: # 114
Simon hit the
Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with
"Stand By Me.."
Year-End Chart
Position: # 187
Lennon released a collection of
cover tunes - Rock
'N' Roll.
The compilation Shaved
Fish was released.
Lennon was given official
permission to live in the US.
# 68
Singles Artist of the Year
Lennon released Double
Fantasy.
Lennon hit the Top 40 and Top 10 with "(Just Like) Starting
Over."
from the LP Double
Fantasy
ARC chart run: 27 - 19 - 10 - 7 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 5 - 9 - 14 - 26 - 33 - 40 - off
Year-End Chart
Position: # 5
available for download at iTunes and Amazon.mp3
On December
8th, Lennon was murdered in New York.
Double
Fantasy topped the Billboard LP chart
for 8 weeks.
Lennon hit #1 for 4 weeks with "(Just Like) Starting
Over."
Lennon topped
the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart for 5
weeks with "(Just Like) Starting
Over."
Lennon topped
the UK singles chart for a week with "(Just Like) Starting
Over."
# 7
Singles Artist of the Year
"Woman" hit the Top 40.
from the LP Double
Fantasy
ARC chart run: 35 - 22 - 15 - 8 - 4 - 4 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 5 - 10 - 20 - 31 - 37 - 40 - off
Year-End Chart
Position: # 21
available for download at iTunes and Amazon.mp3
"Woman" hit the Top 10.
Lennon hit #1 for a week with "Woman."
Lennon hit the
Top 40 with "Watching The Wheels."
from the LP Double
Fantasy
ARC chart run: 38 - 32 - 26 - 19 - 14 - 10 - 8 - 7 - 16 - 24 - 36 - off
Year-End Chart
Position: # 82
available for download at iTunes and Amazon.mp3
Lennon hit the Top 10 with "Watching The Wheels."
Lennon was
nominated for 2 American Music
Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Double
Fantasy) and Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.
Lennon won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year (Double
Fantasy) and was nominated for Record of the Year ("(Just Like) Starting
Over")
and Best Pop Vocal
Performance - Male (Double
Fantasy).
John
Lennon Collection was released.
# 52
Singles Artist of the Year
Milk
And Honey was released.
Lennon hit the
Top 40 with "Nobody Told Me."
from the LP Milk
And Honey
ARC chart run: 32 - 19 - 17 - 11 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 8 - 10 - 17 - 28 - off
Year-End Chart
Position: # 68
available for download at iTunes and Amazon.mp3
Lennon hit the Top 10 with "Nobody Told Me."
Live
In New York City was released.
The live set was from a 1972 concert.
Menlove
Ave. was released and
included unreleased outtakes and alternate
versions of Lennon's songs.
Imagine:
John Lennon was released. The
compilation was released in conjunction with
a documentary on Lennon.
The box set Lennon was released.
Lennon was
awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award
at the Grammy Awards.
Lennon was inducted into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo
artist.
Lennon
Legend: The Very Best Of John Lennon was released.
Ranked # 16 on VH1: Greatest
Artists of Rock & Roll (and
# 47 on Rock On The Net's
Poll).
The box set John
Lennon Anthology and a
shortened version of the set, Wonsaponatime, were released.
VH1: 100
Greatest Rock Songs included
"Imagine" at # 10.
(available
for download at )
Rolling Stone
& MTV: 100 Greatest Pop Songs included
"Imagine" at # 15.
VH1: 100 Best
Songs of the Past 25 Years included "(Just Like) Starting
Over"
at # 72.
Rolling Stone:
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time included Plastic Ono Band (1970) at # 22
and Imagine (1971) at # 76.
Rolling Stone:
The Immortals - The 100 Greatest Artists of
All Time included Lennon at # 38.
Two LPs of Lennon's work were
released: Acoustic, which included 17
tracks, and an updated version of Rock
'N' Roll.
Rolling Stone:
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time included
"Imagine" at # 3.
# 216 on the Top Pop Artists
of the Past 25 Years chart.
The soundtrack for The
U.S. Vs. John Lennon was released.
Lennon's cover of "Ain't
That A Shame" could be heard on the Fats
Domino tribute
compilation Goin'
Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino.
Lennon
Legend: The Very Best Of John Lennon was certified
platinum.
Rolling Stone:
'The Greatest Singers' includes Lennon at # 5.
The box set Signature
Box, the hits collection Power
To The People: The Hits, and
Double
Fantasy Stripped Down (2CDs
including a remastered and 'stripped down'
version of the LP) were released.
|
Unfinished Music No. 1 -
Two Virgins
Released: November, 1968
Billboard
peak:
# 124
Tracks: "Two Virgins
Side One" - "Two Virgins Side
Two" - "Remember Love" |
|
Unfinished Music No. 2 -
Life With The Lions
Released: May, 1969
Billboard
peak:
# 174
Tracks: "Cambridge
1969" - "No Bed For Beatle
John" - "Baby's Heartbeat"
- "Two Minutes Silence" -
"Radio Play" |
|
Wedding Album
Released: October, 1969
Billboard
peak:
# 178
Tracks: "John And
Yoko" - "Amsterdam" |
|
Live Peace In Toronto
Released: December, 1969
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 10
Live Tracks: "Blue Suede
Shoes" - "Money" -
"Dizzy Miss Lizzy" - "Yer
Blues" - "Cold Turkey" -
"Give Peace A Chance" -
"Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only
Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)" -
"John John (Let's Hope For
Peace)" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
John Lennon / Plastic
Ono Band
Released: December, 1970
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 6
Rolling Stone:
Tracks:
"Mother" - "Hold On"
- "I Found Out" - "Working
Class Hero" - "Isolation"
- "Remember" - "Love"
- "Well Well Well" - "Look
At Me" - "God" - "My
Mummy's Dead" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Imagine
Released: September, 1971
US: 2x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone:
Tracks:
"Imagine" - "Crippled
Inside" - "Jealous Guy" -
"It's So Hard" - "I Don't
Want To Be A Soldier" - "Give
Me Some Truth" - "Oh My
Love" - "How Do You
Sleep?" - "How?" -
"Oh Yoko!" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Some Time In New York
City
Released: June, 1972
Billboard
peak:
# 48
Tracks: "Woman Is
The N***** Of The World" -
"Sisters, O Sisters" -
"Attica State" - "Born In
A Prison" - "New York
City" - "Sunday Bloody
Sunday" - "The Luck Of The
Irish" - "John Sinclair" -
"Angela" - "We're All
Water" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Mind Games
Released: October 26, 1973
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Mind
Games" - "Tight As" -
"Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)" -
"One Day (At A Time)" -
"Bring On The Lucie (Freda
People)" - "Nutopian
Internation Anthem" -
"Intuition" - "Out Of The
Blue" - "Only People" -
"I Know (I Know)" - "You
Are Here" - "Meat City" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Walls And Bridges
Released: October 4, 1974
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Going Down
On Love" - "Whatever Gets You
Through The Night" - "Old Dirt
Road" - "What You Got" -
"Bless You" -
"Scared" - "#9 Dream"
- "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Brid Of
Paradox)" - "Steel And
Glass" - "Beef Jerky" -
"Nobody Loves You (When You're Down
And Out)" - "Ya Ya" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Rock 'N' Roll
Released: February, 1975
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 6
Tracks:
"Be-Bop-A-Lula" - "Stand
By Me" - "Rip It Up / Ready
Teddy" - "You Can't Catch
Me" - "Ain't That A Shame"
- "Do You Want To Dance" -
"Sweet Little Sixteen" -
"Slippin' And Slidin'" -
"Peggy Sue" - "Bring It On
Home To Me" - "Send Me Some
Lovin'" - "Bony Morone" -
"Ya Ya" - "Just
Because" |
|
Shaved Fish
Released: October, 1975
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 12
Tracks: "Give Peace
A Chance / Cold Turkey" -
"Instant Karma" - "Power
To The People" - "Mother"
- "Woman Is The N***** Of The
World" - "Imagine" -
"Whatever Gets You Through The
Night" - "Mind Games" -
"#9 Dream" - "Happy Xmas
(War Is Over) / Give Peace A Chance
(Reprise)" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Double Fantasy
Released: November 17, 1980
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 8 weeks)
Tracks: "(Just Like)
Starting Over" - "Kiss Kiss
Kiss" - "Cleanup Time" -
"I'm Losing You" - "I'm
Movin' On" - "Beautiful Boy
(Darling Boy)" - "Watching The Wheels" - "Yes,
I'm Your Angel" - "Woman" -
"Beautiful Boys" - "Dear
Yoko" - "Every Man Has A Woman
Who Loves Him" - "Hard Times
Are Over" |
|
John Lennon Collection
Released: November, 1982
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 33
Tracks: "Give Peace
A Chance" - "Instant
Karma" - "Power To The
People" - "Whatever Gets You
Through The Night" - "#9
Dream" - "Mind Games" -
"Love" - "Happy Xmas (War
Is Over)" - "Imagine" -
"Jealous Guy" - "Stand By
Me" - "(Just Like)
Starting Over" - "Woman" - "I'm
Losing You" - "Beautiful Boy
(Darling Boy)" - "Watching The Wheels" - "Dear
Yoko" - "Move Over Ms. L."
- "Cold Turkey" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Milk And Honey
Released: January, 1984
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 11
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "I'm
Stepping Out" - "Sleepless
Night" - "I Don't Wanna Face
It" - "Don't Be Scared" -
"Nobody Told Me" - "O'
Sanity" - "Borrowed Time"
- "Your Hands" - "(Forgive
Me) My Little Flower Princess" -
"Let Me Count The Ways" -
"Grow Old With Me" -
"You're The One" |
|
Live In New York City
Released: January, 1986
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 41
Live Tracks: "New York
City" - "It's So Hard" -
"Woman Is The N***** Of The
World" - "Well, Well,
Well" - "Instant Karma" -
"Mother" - "Come
Together" - "Imagine" -
"Cold Turkey" - "Hound
Dog" - "Give Peace A
Chance" |
|
Menlove Ave.
Released: October, 1986
Billboard
peak:
# 127
Tracks: "Here We Go
Again" - "Rock And Roll
People" - "Angel Baby" -
"Since My Baby Left Me" -
"To Know Her Is To Love Her" -
"Steel And Glass" -
"Scared" - "Old Dirt
Road" - "Nobody Loves You"
- "Bless You" |
|
Imagine: John Lennon
Released: October, 1988
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 31
Tracks: "Real
Love" - "Twist And Shout"
- "Help" - "In My
Life" - "Strawberry Fields
Forever" - "A Day In The
Life" - "Revolution" -
"The Ballad Of John & Yoko"
- "Julie" - "Don't Let Me
Down" - "Give Peace A
Chance" - "How?" -
"Imagine" (Rehearsal) -
"God" - "Mother" -
"Stand By Me" - "Jealous
Guy" - "Woman" -
"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" -
"(Just Like)
Starting Over" - "Imagine"
|
|
Lennon (box set)
Released: July, 1991
Tracks: "Give Peace
A Chance" - "Blue Suede
Shoes" - "Money" -
"Dizzy Miss Lizzy" - "Yer
Blues" - "Cold Turkey" -
"Instant Karma" -
"Mother" - "Hold On"
- "I Found Out" - "Working
Class Hero" - "Isolation"
- "Remember" - "Love"
- "Well, Well, Well" -
"Look At Me" - "God"
- "My Mummy's Dead" -
"Power To The People" -
"Well (Baby Please Don't Go)" -
"Imagine" - "Crippled
Inside" - "Jealous Guy" -
"It's So Hard" - "Give Me
Some Truth" - "Oh My Love"
- "How Do You Sleep?" -
"How?" - "Oh Yoko" -
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" -
"Woman Is The N***** Of The
World" - "New York City" -
"John Sinclair" - "Come
Together" - "Hound Dog" -
"Mind Games" - "Aisumasen
(I'm Sorry)" - "One Day (At A
Time)" - "Intuition" -
"Out Of The Blue" -
"Whatever Gets You Through The
Night" - "Going Down On
Love" - "Old Dirt Road" -
"Bless You" -
"Scared" - "#9 Dream"
- "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of
Paradox)" - "Steel And
Glass" - "Nobody Loves You
(When You're Down And Out)" -
"Stand By Me" - "Ain't
That A Shame" - "Do You Want To
Dance" - "Sweet Little
Sixteen" - "Slippin' And
Slidin'" - "Angel Baby" -
"Just Because" - "Whatever
Gets You Through The Night" (live) -
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
- "I Saw Her Standing There" -
"(Just Like)
Starting Over" - "Cleanup
Time" - "I'm Losing You" -
"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" -
"Watching The Wheels" - "Woman" - "Dear
Yoko" - "I'm Steppin' Out"
- "I Don't Wanna Face It" -
"Nobody Told Me" -
"Borrowed Time" -
"(Forgive Me) My Little Flower
Princess" - "Every Man Has A
Woman Who Loves Him" - "Grow
Old With Me" |
|
Lennon Legend: The Very
Best Of John Lennon
Released: February, 1998
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 65
Tracks:
"Imagine" - "Instant
Karma" - "Mother" -
"Jealous Guy" - "Power To
The People" - "Cold
Turkey" - "Love" -
"Mind Games" - "Whatever
Gets You Through The Night" -
"#9 Dream" - "Stand By
Me" - "(Just Like)
Starting Over" - "Woman" -
"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" -
"Watching The Wheels" - "Nobody Told Me" -
"Borrowed Time" - "Working
Class Hero" - "Happy Xmas (War
Is Over)" - "Give Peace A
Chance" |
|
John Lennon Anthology (box set)
Released: November, 1998
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 99
Tracks: "Working
Class Hero" - "God" -
"I Found Out" - "Hold
On" - "Isolation" -
"Love" - "Mother" -
"Remember" -
"Imagine" -
"Fortunately" - "Baby
Please Don't Go" - "Oh My
Love" - "Jealous Guy" -
"Maggie Mae" - "How Do You
Sleep?" - "God Save Oz" -
"Do The Oz" - "I Don't
Want To Be A Soldier" - "Give
Peace A Chance" - "Look At
Me" - "Long Lost John" -
"New York City" - "Attica
State" (live) - "Imagine"
(live) - "Bring On The Lucie (Freda
Peeple)" - "Woman Is The N*****
Of The World" - "Woman Is The
N***** Of The World" (live) -
"It's So Hard" (live) -
"Come Together" (live) -
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" -
"Luck Of The irish" (live) -
"John Sinclair"(live) -
"Mind Games (I Promise)" -
"Mind Games (Make Love, Not
War)" - "One Day At A
Time" - "I Know" -
"I'm The Greatest" -
"Goodnight Vienna" - "A
Kiss Is Just A Kiss" - "Real
Love" - "You Are Here" -
"What You Got" - "Nobody
Loves You When You're Down And Out"
- "Whatever Gets You Through The
Night" (Home) - "Whatever Gets
You Through The Night" -
"Yesterday" (Parody) - "Be
Bop A Lula" - "Rip It Up /
Ready Teddy" - "Scared" -
"Steel And Glass" -
"Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of
Paradox)" - "Bless You" -
"Going Down On Love" -
"Move Over Ms. L." -
"Ain't She Sweet" -
"Slippin' And Slidin'" -
"Peggy Sue" - "Bring It On
Home To Me / Send My Some Lovin'" -
"Phil And John 1-3" - "Be
My Baby" - "Stranger's
Room" - "Old Dirt Road" -
"I'm Losing You" - "Sean's
Little Help" - "Serve
Yourself" - "My Life" -
"Nobody Told Me" - "Life
Begins At 40" - "I Don't Wanna
Face It" - "Woman" - "Dear
Yoko" - "Watching The Wheels" - "I'm
Stepping Out" - "Borrowed
Time" - "The Rishi Kesh
Song" - "Sean's Loud" -
"Beautiful Boy" - "My.
Hyde's Gone (Don't Be Afraid)" -
"Only You" - "Grow Old
With Me" - "Dear John" -
"The Greak Wok" - "Mucho
Mungo" - "Satire 1-3" -
"Sean's In The Sky" -
"It's Real" |
|
Wonsaponatime
Released: November, 1998
Tracks: "I'm Losing
You" - "Working Class
Hero" - "God" - "How
Do You Sleep?" - "Imagine"
(Take 1) - "Baby Please Don't
Go" - "Oh My Love" -
"God Save Oz" - "I Found
Out" - "Woman Is The N***** Of
The World" (live) - "A Kiss Is
Just A Kiss (As Time Goes By)" -
"Be Bob A Lula" - "Rip It
Up / Ready Teddy" - "What You
Got" - "Nobody Loves You When
You're Down And Out" - "I Don't
Wanna Face It" - "Real
Love" - "Only You" -
"Grow Old With Me" -
"Sean's In The Sky" -
"Serve Yourself" |
|
Acoustic
Released: November, 2004
Billboard
peak:
# 31
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Love"
- "Working Class Hero" -
"Well Well Well" - "Look
At Me" - "God" - "My
Mummy's Dead" - "Cold
Turkey" - "I'm A Man" -
"Luck Of The Irish" -
"John Sinclair" - "Woman
Is The N***** Of The World" -
"What You Got" - "Watching The Wheels" - "Dear
Yoko" - "Real Love" -
"Imagine" - "It's
Real" |
|
The U.S. Vs. John Lennon (soundtrack)
Released: September, 2006
Tracks: "Power To
The People" - "Nobody Told Me" -
"Working Class Hero" - "I
Found Out" - "Bed Peace" -
"The Ballad Of John & Yoko"
- "Give Peace A Chance" -
"Love" - "Attica
State" - "Happy Xmas (War Is
Over)" - "I Don't Wanna Be A
Soldier Mama" - "Imagine"
- "How Do You Sleep" -
"New York City" - "John
Sinclair" - "Scared" -
"God" - "Here We Go
Again" - "Gimme Some
Truth" - "Oh My Love" -
"Instant Karma" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Double Fantasy Stripped
Down
Released: October, 2010
Tracks: "(Just Like)
Starting Over" - "Kiss Kiss
Kiss" - "Cleanup Time" -
"I'm Losing You" - "I'm
Movin' On" - "Beautiful Boy
(Darling Boy)" - "Watching The Wheels" - "Yes,
I'm Your Angel" - "Woman" -
"Beautiful Boys" - "Dear
Yoko" - "Every Man Has A Woman
Who Loves Him" - "Hard Times
Are Over" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Power To The People: The
Hits
Released: October, 2010
Billboard
Top 200 LPs
peak: # 24
Tracks: "Power To
The People" - "Gimme Some
Truth" - "Woman" -
"Instant Karma" -
"Whatever Gets You Thru The
Night" - "Cold Turkey" -
"Jealous Guy" - "#9
Dream" - "(Just Like) Starting
Over" - "Mind Games" -
"Watching The Wheels" -
"Stand By Me" -
"Imagine" - "Happy Xmas
(War Is Over)" - "Give Peace A
Chance" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Signature Box (box set)
Released: October, 2010 |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Gimme Some Truth.
Released: October 9, 2020
Billboard
peak:
# 40
Tracks: "Instant
Karma" - "Cold Turkey" -
"Isolation" - "Power To
The People" - "Imagine" -
"Jealous Guy" - "Gimme
Some Truth" - "Come
Together" (live) - "#9
Dream" - "Mind Games" -
"Whatever Gets You Thru The
Night" - "Stand By Me" -
"(Just Like) Starting Over" -
"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) -
"Watching The Wheels" -
"Woman" - "Grown Old With
Me" - "Happy Xmas (War Is
Over)" - "Give Peace A
Chance" |
|