Mojo Filter's Top 40 John Lennon Songs

[mojofilter]

Check out and leave comments on my previous threads listing my Top 50 Male Solo Artists (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=43287), Top 20 Female Solo Artists (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=43395), Top 50 Bands (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=42727), Top 30 Beatles Songs (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1389710#post1389710), and Top 40 Michael Jackson Songs (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1414687#post1414687).


The following are my Top 40 Songs by, in my opinion, the greatest solo artist and rock musician of all time, and the founder of The Beatles...


JOHN LENNON
http://www.culturamas.es/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/John-Lennon-Black-and-White-HD-1024x576.jpg
40. THE LUCK OF THE IRISH
(1972, Some Time in New York City)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNwqV_HpMSE
The album is possibly John's worst, and the most out of all his solo releases that received negative feedback from critics and fans, but it does feature a few gems, the best of which is this song with his wife Yoko Ono. A revolutionary song for the Irish in their struggle against England.

[cricket]

I'm sure I don't know nearly as much of his solo work as you do, but yea, a total legend.

[mojofilter]

I'm sure I don't know nearly as much of his solo work as you do, but yea, a total legend.

I know many MoFo's would not probably know most of the songs on this list. But at least I can introduce everybody to the greatest pieces of work by a legend 😊

[mojofilter]

39. DO THE OZ
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-pBUAwAdHo
This is considered a Lennon rarity, and was finally released as a bonus track on the 2000 reissue of his debut album Plastic Ono Band. A psychedelic hard rocking track with nonsensical but brilliant lyrics.

[mojofilter]

38. SCARED
(1974, Walls And Bridges)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOiKRPjjQNY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0v0jqtBDVI
A song written during John's famous "lost weekend" when he was away from Yoko for a period of almost 18 months. John was known for writing deep and personal songs all the time, and this one sees him expressing how lost and scared he was living without her. The rehearsal version of the song featured on 1986's posthumous Menlove Ave is just as remarkable as the original version.

[mojofilter]

37. OLD DIRT ROAD
(1974, Walls And Bridges)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-32wXXWRn4
Recorded in collaboration with American rocker Harry Nilsson, this soft rock gem is delightful to the ears.

[mojofilter]

36. COLD TURKEY
(1969, Stand-alone Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEnNEIVR9EM
This was John's first official studio-recorded solo single after his departure from The Beatles. A song about his addiction to drugs. The song is famous for featuring Eric Clapton on guitar and Ringo Starr on drums, and for the final segment of the song where John screams and growls to simulate the painful withdrawal from drugs. The song would later feature as a track on the 1975 release Shaved Fish.

[mojofilter]

35. GIMME SOME TRUTH
(1971, Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQBa2pTr9GU
John was the most vocal of The Beatles, and that didn't change much when he went solo. In fact, he became more vocal, releasing songs that were politically and socially charged. Gimme Some Truth is directed at corrupt politicians.

[mojofilter]

34. POWER TO THE PEOPLE
(1971, Stand-alone Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtvlBS4PMF0
Another politically and socially charged song. The early 70's was a time of revolutions and anti-war protests. John became a voice for the movement with these powerful anthems. The song would later feature as a track on the 1975 release Shaved Fish.

[mojofilter]

33. OUT THE BLUE
(1973, Mind Games)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh2Iln6CmYA
One of the beautiful gems on Mind Games, Out The Blue is a sweet ballad John wrote for Yoko while they were separated.

[mojofilter]

32. #9 DREAM
(1974, Walls And Bridges)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGFvlnCq-ts
John really loved Yoko, and it's evident in the number of songs he wrote to, for, or about her. This is one of the best ones.

[mojofilter]

31. STAND BY ME
(1975, Rock 'N Roll)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4_ghOG9JQM
In 1975, John was in a good place. He was back with Yoko, was expecting a child with her, and had a little fun with a covers album of his favorite songs. The highlight on the album being the cover of the classic Ben E. King ballad Stand By Me.

[mojofilter]

30. GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
(1969, Stand-alone Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yU0JuE1jTk
Recorded in a hotel room during John and Yoko's honeymoon, which they invited the media into to promote peace. The event was dubbed a bed-in. This song was the result of the event. It has since become a slogan for peace movements everywhere.

[mojofilter]

29. HAPPY CHRISTMAS (WAR IS OVER)
(1971, Stand-alone Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4Uu0OlmTg
John used the Christmas theme to promote peace and the end of war with this song. Since it's release, the song has become a holiday season staple.

[mojofilter]

28. MIND GAMES
(1973, Mind Games)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dHUfy_YBps
One of the greatest John anthems for love, unity, and peace. He even inserted the famous hippy line "Make love, not war" at the end of the song for verification.

[mojofilter]

27. IT'S SO HARD
(1971, Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itaUoVsAqMs
One of the hard rocking tunes on Imagine, It's So Hard is John doing what he does best.

[mojofilter]

26. BLESS YOU
(1974, Walls And Bridges)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcHHlbmNALY
Another sweet ballad John wrote for Yoko while they were separated, Bless You is by far one of John's best and overlooked gems.

[mojofilter]

25. ONLY PEOPLE
(1973, Mind Games)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkbq1opWb8A
A fun little peace anthem John featured on Mind Games. This is one of his most underrated songs.

[mojofilter]

24. I FOUND OUT//WELL WELL WELL
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFQeDzVFrA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8MId-DtvZE
These two songs are the hardest rocking tunes on John's debut album, and they are tied. Both classic rockers.

[mojofilter]

23. NOBODY LOVES YOU (WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT)
(1974, Walls And Bridges)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjGcJc7lPYA
John took it hard that he was separated from Yoko for over a year and was feeling that the world had forgotten about him. The result was this dark and gloomy, but equally brilliant, song.

[mojofilter]

I know many of you guys probably don't care much for this thread. John Lennon is a legend. I assumed many of you would be familiar with his songs.


I promise the next artist I cover will be somebody you will all enjoy :)

[mojofilter]

22. WORKING CLASS HERO
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziwsjE1O4Ow
John channeled Bob Dylan for this folksy and extremely outspoken little ditty where John plays a simple chord progression on acoustic guitar and nothing else, criticizes the differentiation between social classes, and drops the F bomb....twice. One of his most brilliant masterpieces.

[mojofilter]

21. HOW DO YOU SLEEP
(1971, Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbdDPovV6ho
The Beatles' breakup was described by John once as being like a divorce, and similar to a divorce, the breakup turned sour and ugly to the point where the members, with the exception of Ringo, took jabs at each other in their solo work. This was John's response to Paul McCartney after Paul made some remarks about John in his album Ram. "The only thing you done was Yesterday, and since you've gone, you're just Another Day" and "The sound you make is muzak to my ears, you must have learned something in all those years". It doesn't get more scathing than this. A brilliantly dark and elusive tune that featured George Harrison, who at the time had a sour relationship with Paul as well, on guitar.

[mojofilter]

And, here we are...my Top 20 John Lennon songs...


I truly believe the list I have so far and what is to come is the ultimate guide to John's song catalog. If you're planning on getting into his music, this is the list to start off with :)

[mojofilter]

20. GROW OLD WITH ME
(1984, Milk And Honey)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0R8D6WTIlA
One of the final songs John wrote in his lifetime, this amazingly touching ballad, written for Yoko of course, was featured in its demo version as it was recorded by John in 1980 on his first posthumous album Milk And Honey in 1984. Considering John wrote and recorded this song just months before his untimely and tragic death, the song is bound to put a tear in your eye, not matter how tough you think you are.

[Kaplan]

I know many of you guys probably don't care much for this thread. John Lennon is a legend. I assumed many of you would be familiar with his songs.


I promise the next artist I cover will be somebody you will all enjoy :)

I love John Lennon. And you can't find an artist everybody will enjoy. Coincidentally, I've been listening to his solo albums in the car this past week. I'm up to Double Fantasy, minus the Yoko songs. When I did my own top 50 countdown I had "Working Class Hero" on it. (Plus two Lennon-penned Beatles' tracks.)

And for the record "Do the Oz" was a B-side, not part of the Plastic Ono Band album. Not that it really matters. Look forward to the rest.

[mojofilter]

I love John Lennon. And you can't find an artist everybody will enjoy. Coincidentally, I've been listening to his solo albums in the car this past week. I'm up to Double Fantasy, minus the Yoko songs. When I did my own top 50 countdown I had "Working Class Hero" on it. (Plus two Lennon-penned Beatles' tracks.)

And for the record "Do the Oz" was a B-side, not part of the Plastic Ono Band album. Not that it really matters. Look forward to the rest.


Sweet! Can you post the link to your Top 50? I'd love to check it out.


Do you know what the A-side for Do The Oz was?


I also usually skip through the Yoko tracks myself :D

[mojofilter]

19. LOOK AT ME
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kio4vTbL-so
Written during the time The Beatles were in India with the Maharishi, and were preparing for the 1968 album White Album, Look At Me is a spell-binding acoustic number that is just as great as his other acoustic songs he wrote for that album, which included Dear Prudence and Julia.

[Kaplan]

Sweet! Can you post the link to your Top 50? I'd love to check it out.


Do you know what the A-side for Do The Oz was?


I also usually skip through the Yoko tracks myself :D

I had to look up the track and the A-Side was "God Save Us." I'd never heard it before. I just knew Do the Oz was only a bonus track on the CD, and that it'd been a b-side.

My top 50:
http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=42739

[mojofilter]

18. BORROWED TIME
(1984, Milk And Honey)

[/URL][URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfWPkLvM7kc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kio4vTbL-so)
This song is possibly John's eeriest song, even though the song itself has an upbeat tone, due to the fact of him writing the song and reflecting on his life and stating he was living on borrowed time just months before he was tragically killed in 1980. The song was featured on his posthumous album in 1984.

[mojofilter]

17. (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER
(1980, Double Fantasy)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAJ2AoEwDvY
In 1980, John made a comeback to music after 5 long years. This was the first single, a message to all his friends in the business, as well as his wife, that they had all grown and that it was time to start over with the beginning of a new decade. John channels Elvis and Roy Orbison in his singing style as a tribute to his childhood heroes. One of his most brilliant songs ever. The fact that the song is so optimistic about the future makes it equally sad considering John was killed just weeks after the song's, and album's, release.

[mojofilter]

16. IMAGINE
(1971, Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVg2EJvvlF8
This is John's biggest classic and the one song everybody associates with him. However, and not meaning to put it down as it is one of my 20 favorites, it is not the best song on the album or ever released by him. Without a doubt, the song's message of world unity and peace is enduring.

[mojofilter]

15. WATCHING THE WHEELS
(1980, Double Fantasy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceckNNKjcR8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhfkvT8_fHU
During the 5 years John was on hiatus taking care of his baby boy Sean and being a house-husband, many people in the business, including rock legends like Mick Jagger, questioned John's motives for backing out, thought he was lazy, and advised him to get back to work. This funny song was his response as it was featured on his final album Double Fantasy. The acoustic version of the song, featured on the 2004 compilation of John's acoustic recordings titled Acoustic, is just as amazing.

[mojofilter]

14. OH MY LOVE
(1971, Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LzNNgctnbs
Featuring former band mate George Harrison on guitar, this endearing and touching ballad became one of the highlights on the Imagine album.

[mojofilter]

13. I'M STEPPING OUT
(1984, Milk And Honey)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9D94QPZ970
Written for what was to be his follow up to 1980's comeback release Double Fantasy, the song was released posthumously in 1984. John, sounding relaxed and at ease, and having a lot of fun recording music, sings about wanting to leave the house and his duties as a stay-at-home husband and dad, and go out on the town.

[mojofilter]

12. GOD
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wP1nT1oN8M
Written at a time when The Beatles were no more, and both John and Yoko were targets of scrutiny and criticism from the media, John declared that he believed in nobody but himself and Yoko as a unit, knocking down famous and historical icons like Kennedy, Hitler, and Buddha, and that "Beatle John" was to be laid to rest forever. One of his most brilliant pieces of work. The dream, meaning the Beatles, was officially over, and John, who founded the band, declared it first.

[mojofilter]

11. REAL LOVE
(1988, John Lennon: Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH81uwLbqys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1CTWETZpAo
Written in 1979, and released posthumously for the 1988 documentary movie John Lennon: Imagine, this song is by far one of John's gentlest and most beautiful ballads. The song would be re-recorded by the remaining Beatles for the Anthology series in 1995, becoming one of 2 Beatles songs, the first in 25 years.

[mojofilter]

Top 10 will be posted later...


Leave comments...

[mojofilter]

10. ISOLATION
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA9Otsxj9yw
Following his marriage to Yoko and the breakup of The Beatles, John attended primal scream therapy that unloaded many dark and painful memories, including the death of his mother, disappearance of his father, the fear of loneliness, and a tough upbringing. The result of those therapy sessions were songs that were deeply honest, raw, and personal to the point where John mastered the art of self-reflective songwriting. The album Plastic Ono Band was a collection of songs that fell under that bracket, and Isolation was a highlight, a song about John and Yoko being scrutinized by everyone and feeling isolated from the world.

[mojofilter]

9. BEAUTIFUL BOY (DARLING BOY)
(1980, Double Fantasy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A56ZuKgPYg
A song John wrote for his son Sean, this heartfelt and beautiful lullaby has made millions of people around the world cry, including Paul McCartney.

[mojofilter]

8. HOW?
(1971, Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQU84QlukP4
The most beautiful gem on the Imagine album, How is such a moving symphonic song that came about as a result of John attending primal scream therapy. In it, John expresses his confusion with life and the world in the most honest and sincerest way.

[mojofilter]

7. WOMAN
(1980, Double Fantasy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h33_K5Orxg4
The ultimate love ballad, written for Yoko but addressed to all women, Woman is an astonishing tune released on John's final album that became a hit, and moving millions around the world to tears, right after his tragic death in December of 1980.

[mojofilter]

6. I'M LOSING YOU
(1980, Double Fantasy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8KKH1Ce4Rw
This bluesy hard rocking song from John's final album is quite possibly his catchiest and most incredible straight-out rock song he had ever released.

[mojofilter]

5. HOLD ON
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bYnH4gPbvc
Another song that came about from primal scream therapy, John is talking to himself, Yoko, and the world to hold on through the tough times they were living through at the time. John had just come off The Beatles' breakup and was uncertain about his next move, Yoko was fighting for the custody of her daughter, and the world was witnessing a devastating war in Vietnam and was struggling to promote peace. A very simple song but powerful nonetheless.

[mojofilter]

4. JEALOUS GUY
(1971, Imagine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOzqg1Z8rTU
A moving symphonic masterpiece John wrote as an apology to his ex-wife Cynthia and other women in his life that he had hurt. The song is by far the best track on the Imagine album.

[mojofilter]

3. NOBODY TOLD ME
(1984, Milk And Honey)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_0di2IL440
Originally written and intended for Ringo Starr to sing but ended up on his posthumous release in 1984, this is by far the best song John had created in the later part of his career before his untimely death. This is John going back to his roots as a witty social commentator on the way things were at the time he wrote it circa 1980 (UFO sightings over New York, people running but not getting anywhere, people disposing of their food while others around the world starve...etc).

[mojofilter]

2. MOTHER
(1970, Plastic Ono Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDVkkwl6aJo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvFi0wvGrMw
The best song John came up with as a result of primal scream therapy, a raw, emotional, moving, deep, and dark message to his deceased mother and estranged father about leaving him at a very young age. With this track alone, John wrote the most personal song that any musician would ever be able to write.

[mojofilter]

1. INSTANT KARMA!
(1970, Stand-alone Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqP3wT5lpa4
This is by far the ultimate rock peace anthem ever written. John wrote, recorded and released this song within 10 days, making it the fastest-released song in music history. The song helped revive the career of Phil Spector, who produced the track.

[mojofilter]

That concludes my Top John Lennon Songs list...


Next up, my Top 30 Songs by


http://www.virginmedia.com/images/phil-collins-quit-80s-revival-590x350.jpg

[christine]

Hi Mojo. I like Lennon's solo stuff, but my favourites amongst them are the more rocky numbers. I find his contemplative songs can err on the banal side, or maybe that's just me being cynical! His song Love has the most awful lyrics like he stole a load of those tacky wall plaques from a homeware shop and tacked them together - Love is you,You and me, Love is knowing, we can be ugh!

I'm not keen on Imagine, and Working Class Hero always feels like a Dylan parody to me! :D

He has some great songs tho - my favourites are Woman, and Jealous Guy, but best of all is Whatever Gets You Through The Night, love that song!