THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

20-John Lennon-Imagine.

1971-It was not released as a single in the UK until 1975 when it reached Number 6. After Lennon’s assassination the song was re-issued and peaked at Number 1 in 1981. In 1999 the song was once again re-released, and this time it made Number 3, and in 2012 it re-entered the chart on downloads reaching Number 18.

Best Bit-At 0.39. John Lennon composed ‘Imagine’ on two ‘Steinway’ pianos. In 2000 George Michael (1963-2016) (see also best songs 991-342 and 142) paid over $2 million for the one which was used in the songs promotional film, and placed it in the Beatles museum in Liverpool.

John Winston Ono Lennon was born on October 9th, 1940, in Liverpool, England, he has more entries on this ‘1000 best songs list’ than any other artist, as a solo performer (see also best songs 927-473-456 and 168) and as a member of the Beatles (see also best songs 599-319-238-218-157-141-41-10 and 5). At approximately 5:00. p.m, on December 8th, 1980, Lennon autographed a copy of his current Album ‘Double Fantasy’ for Mark David Chapman before leaving ‘The Dakota’ apartments (see also best songs 38) with Yoko Ono for a recording session at the Record Plant in New York City. After the session, Lennon and Ono returned to the Dakota in a limousine at around 10:50 p.m, (Eastern Time Zone). They left the vehicle and walked through the archway of the building, Chapman then shot Lennon twice in the back and twice in the shoulder at close range. Lennon was rushed in a police vehicle to the emergency room of the ‘Roosevelt Hospital,’ where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:15 p.m.

The discography of John Lennon away from the Beatles includes 11 studio Albums released between 1968-1984, and 23 singles issued between 1969-1985, of which 16 reached the UK top 40 with three of those songs making Number 1, all after his death. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, he has had 13 top 40 hits, with two of those singles reaching the top spot. For the discography of the Beatles see best songs 5.

‘Imagine’ is also the title of John Lennon’s second solo studio Album, and his sixth away from the Beatles, and was first issued in September 1971, although not initially released as single in the UK, it was issued in America where it peaked at Number 3 on Billboard. ‘Imagine’ was written by John Lennon, with the production credited to Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Phil Spector (1939-2021) (see also best songs (820-782-737-262-192-127 and 91). In 2017 Yoko Ono’s name was finally added to the song writing credits. Two days before his death in 1980 in a radio interview Lennon had said that, ‘Imagine should be credited as a Lennon/Ono song, because a lot of the lyric and the concept came from Yoko, but those day, I was a bit more selfish, a bit more macho, and I sort of omitted to mention her contribution, but it was right out of ‘Grapefruit,’ (published in 1964) her book.’ Some of the text in Ono’s book ‘Grapefruit’ included the lines,’Imagine the clouds dripping,’ and ‘Imagine myself crying and using my tears to make myself stronger.’

‘Imagine’ is John Lennon’s best selling solo single worldwide, with sales in excess of 3 million in America, and over 1.7 million in the UK. Lennon provided the vocals and piano, with the long time Beatles contributor Klaus Voormann playing bass guitar. Alan White (1949-2022) who would become a long term member of the Progressive Rock band ‘Yes,’ and had previously been a member of the ‘Plastic Ono Band,’ was the drummer, while the strings on the track were provided by ‘The Flux Fiddlers,’ who were members of the ‘New York Philarmonic Orchestra,’ who performed for Lennon as session musicians.

‘Imagine’ is John Lennon’s wish for everyone to live in peace and harmony together. Lennon asks us to try to break free from the religious superstitions that control our thought process, and holds us back. He tells us to live for today, and not to prepare for a ‘heaven’ that you may be rewarded with tomorrow, for which there is no proof even exists. He also tells us to not hoard possessions, instead we should share things so everyone has enough. Some critics have called the songs message over simplistic, or not well thought out. From a personal point of view, human beings will always find something to fight about, if everyone was the same, then the person wearing the red shoes would start an argument with the person wearing the blue shoes.

‘You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.’