Despite his untimely death at the age of 40 in 1980, John Lennon was (and still is) one of the most legendary songwriters who changed the world with his music.

Lennon's transition from Beatles member to acclaimed solo artiste was paved with his fair share of media attention and personal drama, but his innate talent in songwriting is solid proof why he remains second to none.

Here’s a look back into Lennon’s life, accompanied by some of the best songs he wrote throughout his career.

ALL’S WELL, ENDS WELL?

After spending almost three years performing in Hamburg, Germany, The Beatles finally had the opportunity to return to London and record their debut studio album, Please Please Me.

Their first single, “Love Me Do”, reached number 17 on the British charts, prompting a worldwide craze that we would come to know as Beatlemania.

Within a year, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were on their first-ever national tour, playing to thousands of frenzied teenage fans.

As The Beatles’ fame continued to grow, the band continued its prolific music releases, putting out a total of seven albums in just two short years.

Although these albums were well-received, they realised that they’d hit a creative rut – most of their songs were starting to sound the same. In addition, having performed thousands of shows to screaming fans who drowned out their singing, the band members were beginning to show signs of fatigue.

Three months later, after various experimentations in songwriting and production, Revolver was released in 1966, setting a precedent for other bands that represented the Swinging Sixties’ youth, thus kicking off a second wave of revolution in rock music.

Regarded as the start of The Beatles’ psychedelic period, Revolver offered outspoken commentary on contemporary issues like tax rates, crippling loneliness, and recreational drugs.

While many argue that the album was not as spectacular as Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), there’s simply no denying the fact that Revolver produced many all-time favourites like “Yellow Submarine”, “Eleanor Rigby”, and “Here, There And Everywhere”.

And in October 2022, a remastered, five-CD re-release of Revolver was made available, much to the delight of Beatlemaniacs who continue to support their idols.

Bowing under the strain of the Beatlemania phenomenon, combined with conflicting opinions in the band and their manager Brian Epstein’s death, The Beatles broke up in 1970.

Let It Be became the 12th and final album they recorded, launched together with a documentary of the same name that included the band’s final public performance on a rooftop.

Phil Spector, a well-known American producer, was roped in to mix the album, an insurmountable feat considering the band members' mutual hostility and unwillingness to record together.

Somehow, Spector managed to put together a semblance of an album from year-old session tapes, adding orchestral overdubs to some tracks, like “I’ve Got A Feeling”.

An alternative mix was later released in 2003, initiated by McCartney, who felt that the original version failed to capture the stripped-down, live aesthetic originally intended for Let It Be.

Even so, while McCartney had openly expressed his dislike for Spector’s treatment on the 1970 version of Let It Be, Lennon defended the producer’s work.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said: “He was given a load of badly recorded music, and with a lousy feeling to it. And he made something out of it. When I heard it, I didn’t puke.”

PROTESTING FOR PEACE

“Imagine” is Lennon’s best-selling single of his solo career, with lyrics that call for the listener to imagine a world where people live in peace, unburdened by war, greed or hunger.

The main inspiration behind the song came from Yoko Ono’s 1964 book, Grapefruit.

In an interview with BBC in 1980, Lennon himself admitted that it should have been credited as a Lennon-Ono song, because a lot of it, including the lyrics and the concept, came from her.

“In those days, I was a bit more selfish, a bit more macho, and I sort of omitted her contribution,” he said.

Ultimately, in 2017, Ono was credited as a co-writer of “Imagine”.

More than 50 years have passed since “Imagine”, but to this day, it remains a strong influence among many musicians who call it “the best protest song ever”.

In an interview with Forbes writer Steve Baltin, guitarist Carlos Santana said, “It takes a lot of courage, actually balls, as people can get really angry when you say, 'Imagine no religion'.

“Every time you hear that song, all the nations stand at attention and they just celebrate the possibility of living on this planet without the trappings of organised religion or politics.”

He went on: “It's not an organised money-making thing, making people feel dumb... So when you say 'Imagine' is a protest song, it’s not just for hippies, it's a protest on all the principles.”

Although “Imagine” received acclaim from fans and peers alike, Lennon felt that his idealisms were not conveyed clearly enough.

As a result, he made Some Time In New York City (1972), a part-studio, part-live double album with Ono as Plastic Ono Band.

Due to its politically-charged lyrics speaking of sexism, racism and colonialism, as well as poorly-thought out song titles, it was (unsurprisingly) poorly-received.

Following the scathing reviews on Some Time In New York City, Lennon intended to return to a more moderate musical style for his fourth solo album, Mind Games.

However, as he worked on the album, his relationship with Ono became even more strained, and this led to them parting ways.

After their brief separation in the early 1970s, Lennon and Ono got back together when Ono became pregnant with their son, Sean, who was born on Lennon’s 35th birthday. Both parents decided to take a hiatus from the music industry, and Lennon became a stay-at-home dad.

NEW MUSIC AND AN ABRUPT ENDING

In 1980, seeing that Sean no longer needed round-the-clock supervision, and having survived a near-death experience on a trip to Bermuda, Lennon discovered a newfound love for writing music once again.

In the short span of a few weeks, he composed a total of 25 songs, including classics like “Watching the Wheels”, “Woman”, and “(Just Like) Starting Over”.

These songs would eventually end up in Double Fantasy, which he recorded together with Ono.

In an ideal world, Lennon would have continued his solo career as an indie artist, ultimately living a fulfilling life, both professionally and privately.

However, reality took a different turn. Barely three months into the release of the new album, Lennon was tragically shot in the back by Mark David Chapman while returning to his apartment from the recording studio.

His death shocked the world, and fans mourned the loss of a musical legend gone too soon.

“Imagine” and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” reached number one and two respectively on the UK charts, and soon, “Woman” the second single from Double Fantasy, took over the top spot.

When The John Lennon Collection, a compilation of Lennon’s greatest hits, came out in 1982, it raced to reach number one, selling 300,000 copies in just one week in England. Three weeks later, album sales topped one million copies.

Years later, Ono released her 15th solo album with Plastic Ono Band, Take Me To The Land Of Hell (2013).

Produced by Sean Lennon, the album carries 13 tracks, one of which shares the same name as the album. In it, Ono sings, “I hear your heartbeat to the end of life,” a touching tribute to the legend whom she shared a major part of her life and career with.

Take a stroll down memory lane with Sound of Life’s “The Best of John Lennon” playlist:

 For more on John Lennon and The Beatles, read:

• Age Old, New Gold: Why The Beatles’ Remastered ‘Revolver’ Album Merits a Listen
• 6 Ways The Beatles Changed The World Of Music Forever
• John Lennon and Yoko Ono: An Unforgettable Romance Lasting Five Decades
• "Between The Beatles and Hymns": Kathryn Williams on What Makes A Christmas Song

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Cover Credit: Joost Evers / Anefo

Writer | Michelle Tan

Having spent the past decade turning her passion into profession, Michelle is a freelance writer/translator based in Malaysia. Her lifelong dream is to become an urban hermit.