It’s been 80 years since John Lennon was born and 40 since he died — an excellent time to appreciate the life and work of one of the most influential figures in modern history. Since the moment the Beatles first made their mark on popular culture in the early 1960s, John, Paul, George and Ringo have been a fixture in our hearts and ears — never far away and never out of style. John Lennon was probably the most personal Beatle of them all. As the leader of the band and a solo artist, he couldn’t help but share what he was going through in his life. Often it was thrilling. Sometimes, it was raw, painful and flawed. But, good or bad, Lennon never hid who he was — and we loved him for his honesty.
Why we love John Lennon • He was the leader of the band: the rocker, the clown, and the rebel. He was the one who sang most openly about loss and pain, but also about his yearning for truth, peace, and hope.
“When I was younger, so much younger than today…” • Born in the midst of World War II to usually absent parents, John Lennon didn't lack for comfort as a child but he did feel like he was often unaccepted and misunderstood
“Then when I was a teenager, I knew that I had got something going…” • In America, the Beatles were an overnight sensation. But John and his band worked for years with little to show for it before they broke through and found success
“Look at me. Who am I supposed to be?” • As his fame and fortunes started to grow, so did Lennon's discomfort with his own insecurities and past traumas. John worked to address these issues for the rest of his life
The best of Lennon • Before they were famous, John Lennon and Paul McCartney agreed to share equal credit on all their songs. But as the years passed, many Beatles songs were the work of Lennon or McCartney alone. Here are 10 notable Beatles songs written entirely (or mostly) by John on his own.
“Relax and float downstream” • By 1966, the Beatles were entering their most creative period as a band. Yet it was also an era marked by John's increasingly desperate efforts to find peace and happiness on his own
“Ocean child calls me” • John Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono was complicated and charged with mixed emotions for the other members of the Beatles, as well as their millions of fans
“I was the Walrus, but now I am John” • Lennon had built up a lot of emotions by the time the Beatles ended. Without the influence of his former bandmates, he decided to let it all out
“Slippin’ and slidin’, peepin’ and a-hidin’” • For 18 months, John Lennon lived a wild and apparently carefree life away from Yoko Ono. Fueled by drugs and alcohol, his work was spotty but he renewed relations with old friends
Five times the Beatles almost reunited • It never happened, but it came close, including a hint shortly before Lennon died
“I just had to let it go” • When John Lennon returned home to Yoko Ono, he started living a quieter life without parties and attention. He also stopped releasing music, and instead focused on his family.
John Lennon on “The Missing Years” • In 1980, Lennon gave his final interviews and painted a picture of what his life was like away from the public eye
“Just like starting over” • In 1980, John Lennon emerged after five years with a new album and plans for the future that included making more new music
The final interview • In his last conversation with the world, John Lennon was frank and unflinching about his work—and himself
“So I just got to tell you, goodbye, goodbye” • On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was murdered. In the hours, days and years to follow, his family, friends and fans struggled with his sudden death and profound feelings of loss
Why did Chapman do it? • Over the years, John Lennon's murderer has tried to explain why he...
