John Winston Lennon, MBE (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.
Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager, forming his first band, The Quarrymen evolving into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969, he changed his name to John Ono Lennon. Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his infant son Sean, but re-emerged in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release.
Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, his drawings, on film, and in interviews, becoming controversial through his political and peace activism. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement.
As of 2010, Lennon's solo album sales in the United States exceed 14 million units, and as writer, co-writer or performer, he is responsible for 25 number-one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all-time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music.[1] Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the group later worked in many genres ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. The nature of their enormous popularity, which first emerged as "Beatlemania", transformed as their songwriting grew in sophistication. They came to be perceived as the embodiment of ideals of the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.
Initially a five-piece line-up of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe (bass) and Pete Best (drums), they built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960. Sutcliffe left the group in 1961, and Best was replaced by Starr the following year. Moulded into a professional outfit by their manager, Brian Epstein, their musical potential was enhanced by the creativity of producer George Martin. They achieved mainstream success in the United Kingdom in late 1962, with their first single, "Love Me Do". Gaining international popularity and acquiring the nickname "Fab Four" the following year, they toured extensively until 1966. During their subsequent "studio years", they produced what critics consider some of their finest material including the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), widely regarded as a masterpiece. After their break-up in 1970, the band members all found success in independent musical careers. Lennon was murdered outside his home in New York City in 1980, and Harrison died of cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr remain active.
The Beatles are the best-selling band in history,[2][3] and over four decades after their break-up, their recordings are still in demand. They have had more number one albums on the UK charts and have held the top spot longer than any other musical act. According to the RIAA, they have sold more albums in the United States than any other artist, and they headed Billboard magazine's list of all-time top Hot 100 artists in 2008. They have received 7 Grammy Awards from the American National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and 15 Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people.
John Lennon
Studio albums
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band · Imagine · Mind Games · Walls and Bridges · Rock 'n' Roll
With Yoko Ono
Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins · Unfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lions · Wedding Album · Some Time in New York City · Double Fantasy · Milk and Honey · Double Fantasy Stripped Down
Live albums
Live Peace in Toronto 1969 · Live in New York City
Compilations
Shaved Fish · The John Lennon Collection · Menlove Ave. · Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon · Wonsaponatime · Instant Karma: All-Time Greatest Hits · Acoustic · Peace, Love & Truth · Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon · Power to the People: The Hits
Soundtracks
Imagine: John Lennon · The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Box sets
Lennon · John Lennon Anthology · Gimme Some Truth · John Lennon Signature Box
Books
In His Own Write · A Spaniard in the Works · Skywriting by Word of Mouth
Films
How I Won the War (1967) · Two Virgins (1968) · No. 5 (1968) · Honeymoon (1969) · Freedom (1970) · Fly (1970) · Legs (1970) · Apotheosis (1970) · Erection (1971) · Imagine (1972) · Dynamite Chicken (1972) · Oh! Calcutta! (1972) · John and Yoko: A Love Story (1985) · Imagine: John Lennon (1988) · In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000) · The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) · The Killing of John Lennon (2006) · I Met the Walrus (2007) · Chapter 27 (2008) · Nowhere Boy (2009) · Lennon Naked (2010)
Family
Alfred Lennon (father) · Julia Lennon (mother) · Mimi Smith (aunt) · George Smith (uncle) · Julia Baird (half-sister) · Cynthia Lennon (1st wife) · Julian Lennon (1st son) · Yoko Ono (2nd wife) · Sean Lennon (2nd son)
Related
People
The Beatles · Lennon–McCartney · May Pang · Harry Nilsson · David Peel · John Sinclair · Rosaura Lopez · Frederic Seaman · Plastic Ono Band · Mark David Chapman
Media
The Lost Lennon Tapes · Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music (concert) · ROOTS: John Lennon Sings The Great Rock & Roll Hits · Pussy Cats · Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon · Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur · A Toot and a Snore in '74 · Lennon (musical) · Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon (DVD) · The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
Articles
Assassination · 251 Menlove Avenue · Bagism · Liverpool John Lennon Airport · More popular than Jesus · John Lennon Museum · The Immigrant · Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny) · Songwriting Contest
The Beatles
John Lennon · Paul McCartney · George Harrison · Ringo Starr
Stuart Sutcliffe · Pete Best
History
The Quarrymen · In Hamburg · At The Cavern Club · Decca audition · Beatlemania in the United Kingdom · North American releases · In the United States · In 1966 · More popular than Jesus · The studio years · In India · Breakup · Death of John Lennon · Reunions · Anthology · Love (Cirque du Soleil) · The Beatles: Rock Band · Line-ups · Timeline
Filmography and
Videography
A Hard Day's Night · Help! · Magical Mystery Tour · Yellow Submarine · Let It Be · The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit · The Beatles at Shea Stadium · The Compleat Beatles · The Beatles Anthology · All Together Now
Live performances
Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro UK Tour · 1964 world tour · 1965 European tour · 1965 US tour · 1966 US tour · List of live performances
Associated places
34 Montagu Square, Marylebone · Abbey Road · Abbey Road Studios · The Bag O'Nails · Beatlemania Hamburg · Beatles-Platz · Blue Angel · The Casbah Coffee Club · Candlestick Park · The Cavern Club · Kaiserkeller · Kinfauns · Savile Row · Scotch of St James · Stanley Street · The Star-Club · Strawberry Field · Tittenhurst Park · The Top Ten Club · Wigmore Street · Yellow Submarine sculpture
Associated companies
Apple Corps · Apple Records · Harrisongs · Lingasong Records · MPL Communications · Northern Songs · Parlophone · Phillips' Sound Recording Services · Seltaeb · Sony/ATV Music Publishing · Startling Music
Influence
Artists who have covered The Beatles · Beatlemania · British Invasion · Fifth Beatle · Influence on popular culture · Jeff Lynne and The Beatles · Recording technology · The Rutles · Tributes
Lists
Awards and nominations · Bootlegs · Cover songs · Discography · Instruments · Post-breakup collaborations · Record sales · Recording sessions · Songs · Sgt. Pepper cover
Related articles
Apple Corps v Apple Computer · Apple scruffs · Beatle boots · The Beatles (TV series) · The Beatles Anthology (book) · Beatles Day · The Beatles Tapes from the David Wigg Interviews · The Beeb's Lost Beatles Tapes · The Ed Sullivan Show · How I Won the War · In My Life · Lennon/McCartney · Paul is dead · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film) · Up Against It
People associated with The Beatles
Personnel
Neil Aspinall · Dave Dexter, Jr. · Geoff Emerick · Mal Evans · Glyn Johns · Bert Kaempfert · Jeff Lynne · Magic Alex · Ken Mansfield · George Martin · Giles Martin · Phil McDonald · Ken Scott · Norman Smith · Phil Spector · Alistair Taylor · Chris Thomas · Ken Townsend
Businessmen
Peter Bennett · Sid Bernstein · Peter Brown · Lee Eastman · Brian Epstein · Dick James · Allen Klein · Larry Parnes · Allan Williams
Musicians
Eric Clapton · The Dirty Mac · Donovan · Bob Dylan · Johnny Gentle · Nicky Hopkins · Johnny Hutchinson · Mick Jagger · Brian Jones · Jim Keltner · David Mason · Tommy Moore · Chas Newby · Jimmie Nicol · Harry Nilsson · Peter and Gordon · Plastic Ono Band · Billy Preston · Ronnie Scott · Ravi Shankar · Tony Sheridan · Rory Storm and the Hurricanes · Andy White
Writers
Tony Barrow · Ray Connolly · Hunter Davies · Mark Lewisohn · Alan W. Pollack · Bruce Spizer · Derek Taylor
Girlfriends / wives
Jane Asher · Pattie Boyd · Astrid Kirchherr · Cynthia Lennon · Linda McCartney · Yoko Ono · Francie Schwartz · Maureen Starkey
Parents / guardians
Mona Best · Alfred Lennon · Julia Lennon · Jim and Mary McCartney · George Smith · Mimi Smith
Other
Bill Harry · Ken Brown · George Dunning · Horst Fascher · The Fool · Robert Freeman · Bruno Koschmider · Richard Lester · Murray the K · Pete Shotton · Ivan Vaughan · Jürgen Vollmer · Klaus Voormann · Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The Beatles album discography
Albums in the core catalogue are marked in bold.
Studio albums
Please Please Me · With The Beatles · A Hard Day's Night · Beatles for Sale · Help! · Rubber Soul · Revolver · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band · The Beatles · Yellow Submarine · Abbey Road · Let It Be
US albums
Introducing... The Beatles · Meet The Beatles! · The Beatles' Second Album · Something New · The Beatles' Story · Beatles '65 · The Early Beatles · Beatles VI · Yesterday and Today · Magical Mystery Tour · Hey Jude
Canadian albums
Beatlemania! With The Beatles · Twist and Shout · The Beatles' Long Tall Sally
Extended plays
Twist and Shout · The Beatles' Hits · The Beatles (No. 1) · All My Loving · Souvenir of Their Visit to America · Four by The Beatles · Long Tall Sally · Extracts from the Film A Hard Day's Night · Extracts from the Album A Hard Day's Night · 4-by The Beatles · Beatles for Sale · Beatles for Sale (No. 2) · The Beatles' Million Sellers · Yesterday · Nowhere Man · Magical Mystery Tour
Live albums
The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl · Live at the BBC
Compilations
The Beatles' Christmas Album / From Then to You · Past Masters · Anthology (vol. 1 · 2 · 3)
Remixes
Yellow Submarine Songtrack · Let It Be... Naked · Love
Box sets
The Beatles Collection · The Beatles: The Collection · The Beatles Box · The Beatles Box Set · The Capitol Albums (vol. 1 · 2) · The Beatles in Mono · The Beatles Stereo Box Set
The Beatles compilation discography
Bert Kaempfert
recordings
My Bonnie (w/ Tony Sheridan; GER, 1962) • The Beatles with Tony Sheridan & Guests (1964) • Ain't She Sweet (1964) • The Beatles' First (GER, 1964 / UK, 1967) • In the Beginning (Circa 1960) (1970) • The Early Tapes of The Beatles (1984) • Beatles Bop – Hamburg Days (2001)
Hits
A Collection of Beatles Oldies (1966) • 1962–1966 (1973) • 1967–1970 (1973) • 20 Greatest Hits (1982) • The Number Ones (AUS, 1983) • 1 (2000)
Themes
Rock 'n' Roll Music (1976) • Love Songs (1977) • The Beatles' Ballads (1980) • Reel Music (1982)
Non-album tracks
Hey Jude (US, 1970 / UK, 1979) • Rarities (UK, 1978) • Rarities (US, 1980) • Past Masters, Volume One (1988) • Past Masters, Volume Two (1988)
Alternative versions
Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999) • Let It Be... Naked (2003)
Other
The Beatles in Italy (ITA, 1965) • The Beatles' Christmas Album (US) / From Then to You (UK) (1970) • Por Siempre Beatles (ARG, 1971) • Love (2006)
Unreleased
Sessions (due date 1985)
Live albums
Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 (1977) • The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl (1977) • First Live Recordings (1979) • Live at the BBC (1994)
Anthology
Anthology 1 (1995) • Anthology 2 (1996) • Anthology 3 (1996)
Boxed sets
The Beatles Collection (UK, 1978 / US, 1979) • The Beatles Box (1980) • The Beatles: The Collection (1982) • The Beatles Mono Collection (1982) • The Beatles Box Set (1988) • The Capitol Albums, Volume 1 (2004) • The Capitol Albums, Volume 2 (2006) • The Beatles Stereo Box Set (2009) • The Beatles in Mono (2009)
The Beatles singles discography
UK and US
(All Labels)
1963
"Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why" · "From Me to You" / "Thank You Girl" · "She Loves You" / "I'll Get You" · "I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "This Boy" (UK) - "I Saw Her Standing There" (US)
1964
"Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That" · "A Hard Day's Night" / "Things We Said Today" (UK) - "I Should Have Known Better" (US) · "I Feel Fine" / "She's a Woman"
1965
"Ticket to Ride" / "Yes It Is" · "Help!" / "I'm Down" · "We Can Work It Out" / "Day Tripper"
1966
"Paperback Writer" / "Rain" · "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby"
1967
"Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever" · "All You Need Is Love" / "Baby, You're a Rich Man" · "Hello, Goodbye" / "I Am the Walrus"
1968
"Lady Madonna" / "The Inner Light" · "Hey Jude" / "Revolution"
1969
"Get Back" / "Don't Let Me Down" · "The Ballad of John and Yoko" / "Old Brown Shoe" · "Something" / "Come Together"
1970
"Let It Be" / "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)"
1978
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help from My Friends" / "A Day in the Life"
1995
"Free as a Bird" / "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)"
1996
"Real Love" / "Baby's in Black"
UK only
(Parlophone,
Apple)
1962
"My Bonnie" / "The Saints" · "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You"
1964
"Ain't She Sweet" / "If You Love Me, Baby"
1976
"Yesterday" / "I Should Have Known Better" · "Back in the U.S.S.R." / "Twist and Shout"
US only
(Vee-Jay, Swan,
Tollie, Capitol,
Apple)
1964
"Twist and Shout" / "There's a Place" · "Do You Want to Know a Secret" / "Thank You Girl" · "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You · "Sie Liebt Dich (She Loves You)" / "I'll Get You" · "I'll Cry Instead" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" · "And I Love Her" / "If I Fell" · "Matchbox" / "Slow Down"
1965
"Eight Days a Week" / "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" · "Yesterday" / "Act Naturally"
1966
"Nowhere Man" / "What Goes On"
1970
"The Long and Winding Road" / "For You Blue"
1976
"Got to Get You into My Life" / "Helter Skelter" · "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" / "Julia"
1982
"The Beatles Movie Medley" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
John Lennon discography
Releases
↙Studio albums 8
↙Live albums 2
↙Compilation albums 17
↙Singles 21
↙Experimental albums 3
John Lennon was an English singer-songwriter and was one of four members of the band The Beatles. His studio album discography begins with Plastic Ono Band from 1970, his first album release after the break-up of the Beatles, three previous albums done in collaboration with Yoko Ono issued in the 1960s designated as experimental.
Albums
Studio albums
Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications
1970 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Label: Apple
Released: 11 December 1970
6 8 3 2 — 39 8 5 1 4
[11]
US: Gold[12]
1971 Imagine
Label: Apple
Released: 9 September 1971 (US)
8 October 1971 (UK)
1 1 1 2 5 10 1 1 1 1
US: 2× Platinum[12]
1972 Some Time in New York City
(with Yoko Ono)
Label: Apple
Released: 12 June 1972 (US)
15 September 1972 (UK)
48 11 10 — — — 6 15 — 2
1973 Mind Games
Label: Apple
Released: 16 November 1973
9 13 8 28 — — 14 6 7 7
US: Gold[12]
UK: Gold[13]
1974 Walls and Bridges
Label: Apple
Released: 4 October 1974
1 6 4 1 — 41 11 14 16 3
US: Gold[12]
UK: Silver[13]
1975 Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Apple
Released: 21 February 1975
6 6 5 5 3 37 12 15 — 9
US: Gold[12]
UK: Gold[13]
1980 Double Fantasy
(with Yoko Ono)
Label: Geffen
Released: 17 November 1980
1 1 1 1 2 2 6 2 4 1
US: 3× Platinum[12]
UK: Platinum[13]
FRA: Platinum[14]
GER: Gold[15]
1984 Milk and Honey
(with Yoko Ono)
Label: Polydor
Released: 27 January 1984
11 3 4 15 10 20 16 3 4 7
US: Gold[12]
UK: Gold[13]
CAN: Gold[16]
Experimental albums
Year Album US
1968 Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins
(with Yoko Ono)
Label: Apple
Released: 29 November 1968
124
1969 Unfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lions
(with Yoko Ono)
Label: Zapple
Released: 9 May 1969
174
Wedding Album
(with Yoko Ono)
Label: Apple
Released: 7 November 1969
178
Live albums
Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications
1969 Live Peace in Toronto 1969
Label: Apple
Released: 12 December 1969
10 — 7 — — 29 19 —
US: Gold[12]
1986 Live in New York City
Label: Parlophone, Capitol
Released: 10 February 1986
41 55 66 33 33 13 — 12
US: Gold[12]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Compilation albums
Year Album Peak chart positions Certification
(sales thresholds)
US
1975 Shaved Fish
Label: Apple
Released: 24 October 1975
12 8 8 5 70 37 22 5 9 28
US: Platinum[12]
UK: Gold[13]
1982 The John Lennon Collection
Label: Parlophone, Odeon Records (some countries), Geffen Records (US)
Released: 1 November 1982 (UK), 8 November 1982 (US)
33 1 1 — 29 62 8 32 1 4
US: 3× Multi-Platinum[12]
UK: 3× Platinum[13]
AUT: Gold[22]
CAN: Gold[16]
FRA: Platinum[14]
NOR: Gold[23]
1986 Menlove Ave.
Label: Parlophone
Released: 3 November 1986
127 — — — 92 — 32 — — —
1988 Imagine: John Lennon
Label: Parlophone
Released: 10 October 1988
31 64 14 — — — 14 — — —
US: Gold[12]
UK: Gold[13]
CAN: Platinum[16]
SWI: Gold[24]
1990 Lennon
Label: Parlophone
Released: 30 October 1990
— — 39 — — — 53 — — —
1997 Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon
Label: Parlophone
Released: 27 October 1997 (UK), 24 February 1998 (US)
65 3 37 5 — 11 46 85 39 28
US: Platinum[12]
UK: 2× Platinum[13]
AUS: 4× Platinum[25]
AUT: Gold[22]
CAN: Platinum[16]
SWI: Gold[24]
1998 John Lennon Anthology
Label: Capitol/EMI
Released: 2 November 1998
99 64 — — 86 — 30 — — —
US: Gold[12]
Wonsaponatime
Label: Capitol/EMI
Released: 2 November 1998
— 76 83 — — — 57 — — —
2001 Instant Karma: All-Time Greatest Hits
Label: Timeless/Traditions Alive Music
Released: 1 February 2002
— — — — — — — — — —
2004 Acoustic
Label: Capitol/EMI
Released: 1 November 2004
31 133 — — — — 23 — — —
2005 Peace, Love & Truth
Label: EMI
Released: 4 August 2005
— — — — — — — — — —
Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon
Label: Parlophone/Capitol/EMI
Released: 3 October 2005
135 11 — 22 — — 39 52 13 17
UK: Gold[13]
CAN: Gold[16]
2006 The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Label: Parlophone/EMI/Capitol
Released: 25 September 2006
— — — — — — — — — —
Remember
(Starbucks-released compilation)
Label: EMI/Starbucks
Released: 2006
44 — — — — — — — — —
2010 Gimme Some Truth
Label: Capitol
Released: 5 October 2010
196 — — — — — 71 — — —
Power to the People: The Hits
Label: Capitol
Released: 5 October 2010
24 15 10 — 7 33 25 64 — 33
John Lennon Signature Box
Label: Capitol
Released: 5 October 2010
148 — — — — 30 21 88 — 40
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Singles
Year Title Peak chart positions Album
1969 "Give Peace a Chance" 2 14 8[29] 6[30] 4 — — 81 non-album single
"Cold Turkey" 12 30 30[31] 25[30] — — — 91 non-album single
1970 "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" 5 3 2 6 7 — 31 58 non-album single
"Mother" — 43 12 57 26 — 3 30 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
1971 "Power to the People" 6 11 4 21 7 — 5 66 non-album single
"Imagine" 1 3 1 1 — — — 14 Imagine
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" 2 — 43 9 45 — — 30 non-album single
1972 "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" — 57 73 — — — — 38 Some Time in New York City
1973 "Mind Games" 26 18 11 16 37 — — 46 Mind Games
1974 "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" 36 1 2 34 42 — — 72 Walls and Bridges
1975 "#9 Dream" 23 9 35 — — — — 97
"Stand by Me" 30 20 13 61 22 19 — 74 Rock 'n' Roll
1980 "(Just Like) Starting Over" 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 37 Double Fantasy
1981 "Woman" 1 2 1 4 4 3 2 —
"Watching the Wheels" 30 10 3 45 46 4 6 —
1982 "Love" 41 — — 94 — — — 58 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
1984 "Nobody Told Me" 6 5 4 6 25 — — — Milk and Honey
"Borrowed Time" 32 108 — — — — — —
"I'm Stepping Out" 88 55 — — — — — —
"Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" — — — — — — — — Every Man Has a Woman
1985 "Jealous Guy" 65 80 — — — — — — Imagine
"—" denotes releases that did not chart