10 of John Lennon's Greatest Songs

The 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death on December 8th should have acted as a reminder as to how powerful Lennon's music was. Few artists have matched John Lennon's songwriting ability, or the deeply affecting quality of his voice. Here's ten of John Lennon's best songs, and though his Beatles compositions were credited as being co-written with Paul McCartney, it's common knowledge as to which Beatles songs were mainly written by John, and which were mainly written by Paul.

1. Imagine (1971)
A song which encapsulated John Lennon's view of the world. He hated war, and the causes of war, and if that meant abandoning religion, so be it. Imagine is popularly regarded as one of the greatest songs of the 20th Century, and, in essence, is a very simple song, both musically and lyrically. In the aftermath of the Beatles, Lennon's songwriting was still at a very high level, of which Imagine was the best example.

2. Strawberry Fields Forever (1967)
Ever his harshest critic, John Lennon didn't think too highly of this psychedelic masterpiece, written while Lennon was making the movie How I Won the War. Strawberry Fields Forever was arguably the Beatles greatest song. Just the title evokes an image of a happy place, and the lyrics back it up, in taking us on a magical journey, amidst a psychedelic backdrop.

3. A Day in the Life (1967)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band contained groundbreaking music all the way through, and A Day in the Life was no exception, and included the final chord which seemed to go on forever. Paul McCartney's middle section was an interesting filler, but it's Lennon's other-worldly, poignant vocals, and weird lyrical connections which make this an outstanding piece of work. It's music as art.

4. Help! (1965)
Help! sums up how we've all felt at times. The past is another country, and sometimes it's a better one. Help! was released in 1965, which was the year when the maturity of the Beatles really began to shine through - and impress even the more serious sections of the press.

5. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (1967)
From Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was the world of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll in sonic form. Spellbinding lyrics and sounds, and the definitive psychedelic song of the 1960s.

6. In My Life (1965)
One of the great reflective songs. Hard to believe that we can be filled with love for everyone we've met, but Lennon displays his humanitarian side at a very deep level with this Rubber Soul classic.

7. Across the Universe (1970)
Probably John Lennon's most underrated song with the Beatles. From Let It Be, Across the Universe somehow slipped under the radar for years, but beneath the Indian mysticism is the defiant "Nothing's gonna change my world". Originally recorded for a World Wildlife Fund charity record, No One's Gonna Change Our World, which was organized by comedian Spike Milligan. The version for Let It Be was altered, which Lennon didn't approve of.

8. Happy Xmas (War is Over) (1971)
My personal favorite Christmas song. Lennon and Yoko at their most idealistic, but the rousing chorus must have even tugged at the hearts of the hawks in the White House, as Vietnam's hell showed no signs of abating. But, then again, maybe I'm being generous...

9. Love (1970)
Love was among a clutch of great songs John Lennon issued on the eponymous Plastic Ono Band album of 1970. A sure sign that the Beatles break-up was not only imminent, but that Lennon would be able to survive, artistically, quite comfortably without Paul, George and Ringo.

10. Jealous Guy (1971)
Jealous Guy gained prominence when released as a single after John Lennon's death. It seemed to be a heartfelt song based on Lennon's own experience. The visceral truth in Lennon's music is what gave his songs an edge over pretty much every other music artist - before or since.

Compiling a list of just ten of John Lennon's greatest songs has been testing. So, feel free to tell me about any glaring omissions I may have made, in the comments box.

Sources

The Beatles Bible: "Across the Universe"

SongLyricsConnection.com: Across The Universe Lyrics - The Beatles

Personal Knowledge