Mike’s 5 Favorite John Lennon Singles
It was a sad day in the world of music on this day 36 years ago. It was on this day in 1980, around 10:50PM, that a a troubled young man named Mark Chapman walked up to John Lennon and shot him four times in the back in the archway of The Dakota apartment where Lennon lived in Manhattan. Lennon was reportedly conscious when they took him to the hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
I remember I was at work at the State Schools when they broke in with the news that John Lennon had been shot. For me, this was the day the music died. The world of music would never be the same again. Lennon had just released Double Fantasy three weeks before his murder and went on to win the 1981 Album of the Year at the 24th annual Grammy Awards. Lennon would never again set foot into a studio and gone were the possibilities of a Beatles reunion.
In remembrance of the man who gave us so much great music as both a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist (and the Plastic Ono Band) here are my Five Favorite John Lennon Singles:
- 1
Give Peace a Chance
Released in 1969 while he was still a member of the Beatles, this tune went on to become an anthem of the anti-war movement of the time and peaked at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
- 2
Instant Karma
This single was the first solo effort by a member of the Beatles to sell a million copies.
- 3
Imagine
As the best-selling single of his solo career, I like to think that this was how Lennon hoped the world could be someday.
- 4
Whatever Gets You Through The Night
The lead single from his 1974 release Walls and Bridges, it topped the charts at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
- 5
Watching the Wheels
Released posthumously in 1981, this single was the third and final release from Double Fantasy and made it to No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
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