Imagine (song)
Encyclopedia
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon
. It is the opening track on his album Imagine
, released in 1971. In 2004, Rolling Stone
ranked "Imagine" at number 3 in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
".
. It reached number 1 in Canada on the RPM
national singles chart, remaining there for two weeks, and was Lennon's only solo Australian number one single, spending five weeks there. When asked about the song in one of his last interviews, Lennon declared "Imagine" to be as good as anything he had written with the Beatles
. The song is one of three Lennon solo songs, along with "Instant Karma!
" and "Give Peace a Chance
", in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone
ranked "Imagine" the third greatest song of all time in their editorial The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
.
's 1964 book Grapefruit
. The words were reproduced on the back cover of the Imagine album.
In a 1980 interview with David Sheff for Playboy
magazine, Lennon remarks on the message of "Imagine":
Ono indicated that the lyrical content of "Imagine" was "just what John believed—that we are all one country, one world, one people. He wanted to get that idea out." In addition, the content of "Imagine" was inspiration for the concept of Nutopia: The Country of Peace
, created in 1973. Lennon included a symbolically mute "anthem" to this country on his album Mind Games
. Also, inspiration for Yoko's Imagine Peace Tower
in Iceland
came from words in the second verse: Imagine all the people living life in peace.
In the book Lennon in America, by Geoffrey Giuliano
, Lennon commented that Imagine was an "anti-religious
, anti-nationalistic
, anti-conventional
, anti-capitalistic
[song], but because it's sugar-coated, it's accepted."
home, Tittenhurst Park
. As they walk to the front door, they enter the house by disappearing outside and appearing inside. The camera pans up to see a window with the line inscribed "This is not here." The film then consists primarily of Lennon playing on a white grand piano in his white livingroom, while Ono opens the shutters, bathing the room in sunlight.
Another music video for the song, made in 1986 by Zbigniew Rybczyński
, was released. In 1987, it won the "Silver Lion
" prize for Best Clip at Cannes
.
, where it peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart
. Following Lennon's murder in 1980, the single re-entered the UK chart and was number one for four weeks in January 1981. "Imagine" was re-released as a single in the UK in 1988, peaking at number 45, and again in 1999, reaching number three.
"Imagine" was the sole John Lennon track included in a promotional-only various artists compilation album issued by Capitol records entitled The Greatest Music Ever Sold, catalogue Capitol SPRO-8511/8512. Distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season, it was part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign promoting 15 "Best Of" albums released by the record label. The song was also included on a six-disc boxed set commemorating Capitol Records' sixtieth anniversary that was issued in 2002. Imagine, along with the entire John Lennon catalogue, was remastered and re-issued in 2010, to celebrate what would have been his 70th year.
named "Imagine" one of the top 100 most-performed songs of the 20th century. "Imagine" ranks number 23 in the year-2000 list of best-selling singles of all-time in the UK.
Following the September 11 attacks, the song was included on the 2001 Clear Channel memorandum "do not play" list.
In 2002, "Imagine" was named the second best single of all time behind Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody
", in a UK poll conducted by the Guinness World Records British Hit Singles Book.
In 2004, "Imagine" ranked number 3 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
, behind The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction
" and Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone
".
On 1 January 2005, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
named "Imagine" the greatest song in the past 100 years as voted by listeners on the show 50 Tracks
. The song ranked number 30 on the Recording Industry Association of America
's list of the 365 Songs of the Century
bearing the most historical significance. Virgin Radio
conducted a UK favourite song survey in December 2005 and "Imagine" was voted into the top spot. In Australia, it was selected the greatest song of all time on the Nine Network's
20 to 1
countdown show on 12 September 2006 and voted eleventh in youth network Triple J
's Hottest 100 Of All Time on 11 July 2009. The song was named number one on Australia's MAX channel's 5000-song countdown that went through the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In 2006, Jimmy Carter
said "in many countries around the world—my wife and I have visited about 125 countries—you hear John Lennon's song 'Imagine' used almost equally with national anthems."
On 25 February 2009, the Supreme Court of the United States
quoted the lyrics to the song in footnote 2 of Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
, a case dealing with the messages of monuments:
On 9 October 2010, John Lennon's 70th Birthday, the Liverpool Singing Choir performed 'Imagine' along with other Lennon songs at the unveiling of the John Lennon Peace Monument
in Chavasse Park, Liverpool
England.
The slogan of Liverpool John Lennon Airport
is "Above Us Only Sky."
A scene in the movie Forrest Gump
in which Gump and John Lennon appear on The Dick Cavett Show
makes it appear that it was Gump's description of China that gave Lennon the inspiration for the lyrics..
The song has received criticism: British newspaper columnist Peter Hitchens has described it as a "brainless atheist hymn" because of its anti- religious sentiments ("Imagine there's no Heaven...and no religion too") and British newspaper columnist Edward Heathcoat Amory said in a 2002 newspaper article in the Daily Mail that "Imagine is no hymn to peace, but a deliberate exercise in nihilistic, revolutionary propaganda, the work of a man who was as deeply cynical about his admiring public as they are credulous about him."
by over 100 artists.
Joan Baez
covered the song on her 1972 Come from the Shadows
album, and frequently includes it in her concerts.
Seal
, P!nk
, India.Arie
, Jeff Beck
, Konono N°1
, Oumou Sangare
and others recorded "Imagine" for Herbie Hancock
's 2010 album, The Imagine Project
. Herbie Hancock performed it with India.Arie, Kristina Train
, and Greg Phillinganes
at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert on 11 December. This recording won a Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration
on 13 February 2011.
Avril Lavigne
has released a cover of the song.A Perfect Circle
covered the song on their eMOTIVe album. Blues Traveler
covered the song for the "Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon" tribute album and recently Chris Cornell
covered it on his 2011 acoustic live album "Songbook".
In 1980, the rock band Queen
performed it live as a tribute to Lennon. Once on December 9th, 1980
, in London
, the day after Lennon's death, and on the 14th of December in Frankfurt
.
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
. It is the opening track on his album Imagine
Imagine (album)
Imagine is the second album by John Lennon. Recorded and released in 1971, the album tended toward songs that were gentler, more commercial and less avant-garde than those on his critically acclaimed previous album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The album is considered the most popular of his works...
, released in 1971. In 2004, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
ranked "Imagine" at number 3 in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
".
Charts
"Imagine" was issued as a single a month after the album in the United States, catalogue Apple 1840, and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It reached number 1 in Canada on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
national singles chart, remaining there for two weeks, and was Lennon's only solo Australian number one single, spending five weeks there. When asked about the song in one of his last interviews, Lennon declared "Imagine" to be as good as anything he had written with the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. The song is one of three Lennon solo songs, along with "Instant Karma!
Instant Karma!
"Instant Karma!" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1970 on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 1003 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1818 in the United States. It is the third solo single issued by Lennon, and it peaked at #3 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 singles...
" and "Give Peace a Chance
Give Peace a Chance
"Give Peace a Chance" is a song written by John Lennon, originally under the moniker Lennon–McCartney, released as a single in 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 13 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1809 in the United States. It is the first solo single issued by Lennon, and...
", in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
ranked "Imagine" the third greatest song of all time in their editorial The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
.
Background and composition
The song's central theme was inspired by Cloud Piece, a three-line instructional poem that appeared in Yoko OnoYoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
's 1964 book Grapefruit
Grapefruit (book)
Grapefruit is an artist's book written by Yoko Ono, originally published in 1964. It has become famous as an early example of conceptual art, containing a series of "event scores" that replace the physical work of art – the traditional stock-in-trade of artists – with instructions that an...
. The words were reproduced on the back cover of the Imagine album.
In a 1980 interview with David Sheff for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine, Lennon remarks on the message of "Imagine":
-
- Sheff: On a new album, you close with "Hard Times Are Over (For a While)". Why?
Lennon: It's not a new message: "Give Peace a Chance"—we're not being unreasonable. Just saying "give it a chance." With "Imagine" we're asking, "can you imagine a world without countries or religions?" It's the same message over and over. And it's positive.
- Sheff: On a new album, you close with "Hard Times Are Over (For a While)". Why?
Ono indicated that the lyrical content of "Imagine" was "just what John believed—that we are all one country, one world, one people. He wanted to get that idea out." In addition, the content of "Imagine" was inspiration for the concept of Nutopia: The Country of Peace
Nutopia
Nutopia is a conceptual country, sometimes referred to as a micronation, founded by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. One of the reasons that the country was founded was address Lennon's then-ongoing immigration problems though satirical means. There is no leadership and not all citizenships have been...
, created in 1973. Lennon included a symbolically mute "anthem" to this country on his album Mind Games
Mind Games
Mind Games is John Lennon's fourth post-Beatles album, and was recorded and released in 1973. Like his previous album, the politically topical and somewhat abrasive Some Time in New York City, Mind Games was poorly received by music critics...
. Also, inspiration for Yoko's Imagine Peace Tower
Imagine Peace Tower
The Imagine Peace Tower is a memorial to John Lennon from his widow, Yoko Ono, located on Viðey Island in Kollafjörður Bay near Reykjavík, Iceland. It consists of a tall "tower of light", projected from a white stone monument that has the words "Imagine Peace" carved into it in 24 languages...
in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
came from words in the second verse: Imagine all the people living life in peace.
In the book Lennon in America, by Geoffrey Giuliano
Geoffrey Giuliano
Geoffrey Giuliano is an American author, radio personality and film actor, best known for his biographies of The Beatles members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, and of musician Pete Townshend....
, Lennon commented that Imagine was an "anti-religious
Criticism of religion
Criticism of religion is criticism of the concepts, validity, and/or practices of religion, including associated political and social implications....
, anti-nationalistic
Anti-nationalism
Anti-nationalism denotes the sentiments associated with the opposition to nationalism, arguing that it is undesirable or dangerous. Some anti-nationalists are humanitarians or humanists who pursue an idealist form of world community, and self-identify as world citizens. They reject chauvinism,...
, anti-conventional
Convention (norm)
A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria, often taking the form of a custom....
, anti-capitalistic
Anti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
[song], but because it's sugar-coated, it's accepted."
Promotional film
Directed by Lennon and Ono, the accompanying film begins with a view of them strolling through the garden of their BerkshireBerkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
home, Tittenhurst Park
Tittenhurst Park
Tittenhurst Park was the home of John Lennon and Yoko Ono from the late summer of 1969 until August 1971, and then the home of Ringo Starr and family until the late-1980s. It is located on a 72-acre estate in London Road, Sunningdale, near Ascot, Berkshire SL5 0PN, England, close to the Surrey...
. As they walk to the front door, they enter the house by disappearing outside and appearing inside. The camera pans up to see a window with the line inscribed "This is not here." The film then consists primarily of Lennon playing on a white grand piano in his white livingroom, while Ono opens the shutters, bathing the room in sunlight.
Another music video for the song, made in 1986 by Zbigniew Rybczyński
Zbigniew Rybczynski
Zbigniew Rybczyński is a Polish filmmaker who has won numerous prestigious industry awards both in the United States and internationally. He was also a teacher of cinematography, and digital cinematography. Currently he is a researcher of blue and greenscreen compositing technology at Ultimatte...
, was released. In 1987, it won the "Silver Lion
Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a global event for those working in advertising and related fields. The seven-day festival, incorporating the awarding of the Lions awards, is held yearly at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France...
" prize for Best Clip at Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
Later release
"Imagine" was released as a single in the United Kingdom in 1975 in conjunction with the album Shaved FishShaved Fish
The year the album was released, a Creem magazine reader's poll included it among the top five "Best Reissues" of 1975, placing fourth, behind two Rolling Stones compilations, Made in the Shade and Metamorphosis, and The Basement Tapes....
, where it peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Following Lennon's murder in 1980, the single re-entered the UK chart and was number one for four weeks in January 1981. "Imagine" was re-released as a single in the UK in 1988, peaking at number 45, and again in 1999, reaching number three.
"Imagine" was the sole John Lennon track included in a promotional-only various artists compilation album issued by Capitol records entitled The Greatest Music Ever Sold, catalogue Capitol SPRO-8511/8512. Distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season, it was part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign promoting 15 "Best Of" albums released by the record label. The song was also included on a six-disc boxed set commemorating Capitol Records' sixtieth anniversary that was issued in 2002. Imagine, along with the entire John Lennon catalogue, was remastered and re-issued in 2010, to celebrate what would have been his 70th year.
Legacy and recognition
Since its release, "Imagine" has been included in a broad array of most-influential and greatest-songs-of-all-time lists. In 1999 BMIBroadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
named "Imagine" one of the top 100 most-performed songs of the 20th century. "Imagine" ranks number 23 in the year-2000 list of best-selling singles of all-time in the UK.
Following the September 11 attacks, the song was included on the 2001 Clear Channel memorandum "do not play" list.
In 2002, "Imagine" was named the second best single of all time behind Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
", in a UK poll conducted by the Guinness World Records British Hit Singles Book.
In 2004, "Imagine" ranked number 3 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
, behind The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
" and Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone
Like a Rolling Stone
"Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a grueling tour of England...
".
On 1 January 2005, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
named "Imagine" the greatest song in the past 100 years as voted by listeners on the show 50 Tracks
50 Tracks
50 Tracks is a Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio One in 2004. The show, hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, was a listener vote to determine the 50 most essential songs in pop music history. This said, the choice was not by any means based solely on popular vote...
. The song ranked number 30 on the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
's list of the 365 Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
bearing the most historical significance. Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
conducted a UK favourite song survey in December 2005 and "Imagine" was voted into the top spot. In Australia, it was selected the greatest song of all time on the Nine Network's
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
20 to 1
20 to 1
20 to 1 is an Australian television series, currently hosted by Bert Newton that counts down an undefined "top 20" of elements or events of popular culture, such as films, songs, sporting scandals. Previously the show was hosted by Charles "Bud" Tingwell and narrated by David Reyne...
countdown show on 12 September 2006 and voted eleventh in youth network Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's Hottest 100 Of All Time on 11 July 2009. The song was named number one on Australia's MAX channel's 5000-song countdown that went through the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In 2006, Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
said "in many countries around the world—my wife and I have visited about 125 countries—you hear John Lennon's song 'Imagine' used almost equally with national anthems."
On 25 February 2009, the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
quoted the lyrics to the song in footnote 2 of Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, 555 U.S. 460 , is a legal case heard by the United States Supreme Court on 12 November 2008 and decided on 25 February 2009...
, a case dealing with the messages of monuments:
-
- What, for example, is "the message" of the Greco-Roman mosaic of the word "Imagine" that was donated to New York City’s Central Park in memory of John Lennon? See NYC Brief 18; App. to id., at A5. Some observers may "imagine" the musical contributions that John Lennon would have made if he had not been killed. Others may think of the lyrics of the Lennon song that obviously inspired the mosaic and may "imagine" a world without religion, countries, possessions, greed, or hunger.
On 9 October 2010, John Lennon's 70th Birthday, the Liverpool Singing Choir performed 'Imagine' along with other Lennon songs at the unveiling of the John Lennon Peace Monument
John Lennon Peace Monument
The John Lennon Peace Monument, in Liverpool, England, is a peace monument dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.Also known as the European Peace Monument, it was unveiled by Julian and Cynthia Lennon at a ceremony in Chavasse Park, Liverpool, on Saturday October 9, 2010 to celebrate what would...
in Chavasse Park, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
England.
The slogan of Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England. Formerly known as Speke Airport, RAF Speke, and Liverpool Airport the airport is located within the City of Liverpool adjacent to the estuary of the River Mersey some southeast...
is "Above Us Only Sky."
A scene in the movie Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
in which Gump and John Lennon appear on The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including:* ABC daytime ...
makes it appear that it was Gump's description of China that gave Lennon the inspiration for the lyrics..
The song has received criticism: British newspaper columnist Peter Hitchens has described it as a "brainless atheist hymn" because of its anti- religious sentiments ("Imagine there's no Heaven...and no religion too") and British newspaper columnist Edward Heathcoat Amory said in a 2002 newspaper article in the Daily Mail that "Imagine is no hymn to peace, but a deliberate exercise in nihilistic, revolutionary propaganda, the work of a man who was as deeply cynical about his admiring public as they are credulous about him."
Cover versions
"Imagine" has been recordedCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by over 100 artists.
Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
covered the song on her 1972 Come from the Shadows
Come from the Shadows
Come From the Shadows was a 1972 album by Joan Baez. After recording for the independent label Vanguard for more than a decade, Baez signed with A&M, and attempted to point her career in a slightly more "commercial" direction...
album, and frequently includes it in her concerts.
Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
, P!nk
P!nk
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
, India.Arie
India.Arie
India.Arie is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and record producer . She has sold over 3.3 million records in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album.-Background:Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado...
, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
, Konono N°1
Konono N°1
Konono Nº1 is a Grammy nominated musical group from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. They combine three electric likembé with voices, dancers, and percussion instruments that are made out of items salvaged from a junkyard...
, Oumou Sangare
Oumou Sangaré
Oumou Sangare is a Malian Wassoulou musician, sometimes referred to as "The Songbird of Wassoulou." Wassoulou is a historic region south of the Niger River, and the music there is descended from traditional hunting songs, and is accompanied by a calabash...
and others recorded "Imagine" for Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
's 2010 album, The Imagine Project
The Imagine Project
The Imagine Project is an album by Herbie Hancock released on June 22, 2010. The album, which was recorded in many locations throughout the world and features collaborations from various artists, was complemented by a documentary about the recording process. Hancock's interpretations of these songs...
. Herbie Hancock performed it with India.Arie, Kristina Train
Kristina Train
Kristina Train is an American pop/soul singer and songwriter.-Biography:Train was born in New York City, but was raised in Savannah, Georgia from the age of nine. Her mother, Kathy Beatty, is a schoolteacher in Savannah. Train is an only child...
, and Greg Phillinganes
Greg Phillinganes
Greg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert on 11 December. This recording won a Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers collaborate...
on 13 February 2011.
Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
has released a cover of the song.A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
covered the song on their eMOTIVe album. Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler is a rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band has been influenced by a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock...
covered the song for the "Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon" tribute album and recently Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
covered it on his 2011 acoustic live album "Songbook".
In 1980, the rock band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
performed it live as a tribute to Lennon. Once on December 9th, 1980
1980 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the day after Lennon's death, and on the 14th of December in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
Personnel
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
: vocal, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Klaus VoormannKlaus VoormannKlaus Voormann is a German Grammy Award-winning artist, noted musician, and record producer. He designed artwork for many bands including The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Wet Wet Wet and Turbonegro. His most notable work as a producer was his work with the band Trio, including their worldwide hit "Da Da...
: bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Nicky HopkinsNicky HopkinsNicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
: pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Alan WhiteAlan White (Yes drummer)Alan White is an English rock drummer known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. White was also a member of the Plastic Ono Band, playing live in 1969 at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, which was recorded and released three months later as Live Peace in Toronto 1969...
: drums - The Flux Fiddlers: stringsString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
External links
- http://tittenhurstlennon.blogspot.com/ – Photoblog dedicated to John Lennon at Tittenhurst Park and the song "Imagine".
- John Lennon and Neil Young: Jammin' with Neil – performed on "Tribute to Heroes" (9/11/2001) by Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
- Unveiling of ‘Peace & Harmony’, European Peace Monument – Dedicated to John Lennon