Every John Lennon Solo Album, Ranked

John Lennon‘s solo career was incredibly prolific for how short it truly was. Through his partnership with Paul McCartney, Lennon made some of the greatest hits in music history, and created The Beatles‘ sound. But as soon as the band broke up (and even before it was officially over), he worked hard to develop his own identity, separate from the Fab Four, and through a lot of experimentation on different genres and styles, he seemed to have found his signature sound right before his life and career were tragically cut short.

In this article, we’re going to dive into the seven albums Lennon put out after leaving The Beatles. Although he died just 10 years after the band broke up, he left behind a beautiful and varied catalog. All of these albums are great in their own way, and, of course, every fan has their own preference, but there are some that undoubtedly stand out from the rest.

7

‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ — 1975

For what was meant to be a simple project, the making of Rock ‘n’ Roll was incredibly turbulent. At the time John Lennon started working on it in 1974, he was living in Los Angeles, separated from his wife Yoko Ono. Maybe it was the personal circumstances that turned him nostalgic, but the man who had been keen on experimenting with avant-garde sounds for years was now deciding to return to his roots. Rock ‘n’ Roll was a covers album, and Lennon sang his own renditions of rock classics from the ’50s and ’60s like “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” “Stand By Me,” and “Peggy Sue.” He recruited producer Phil Spector, whose history with The Beatles was controversial due to his production of Let It Be, but while the two musicians had understood each other in the past, the partnership turned sour very quickly this time. At one time, Spector even brought a gun to the studio and shot at the ceiling as a way to scare Lennon into compliance. Ultimately, the project was shelved until Lennon was able to finish it months later in a better environment, and was ultimately released in February 1975. The album performed well in the charts, and, of course, Lennon’s voice does these rock classics justice, but it’s still a covers’ compilation, so it’s only fair it opens this list.

6

‘Some Time in New York City’ — 1972

One of the many politically charged projects John Lennon released, and perhaps the most explicit one. This record features very controversial lyrics, with nods to the civil rights movement in the song “Angela,” which is a tribute to Angela Davis, the conflicts in Northern Ireland, with “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “The Luck of the Irish,” and protests against police brutality in songs like “Born in Prison” and “John Sinclair.” This album is proof of the role that art plays in politics. John Sinclair was the name of a man who had been sentenced to ten years in prison for marijuana possession, and Sinclair was released from prison shortly after this song came out. It’s an incredible album, but it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, for obvious reasons.

5

‘Imagine’ — 1971

Probably a controversial opinion to rank this iconic album this far from the top. There’s no question Imagine is one of the most important parts of Lennon’s career, not only because of the huge significance of the title track, but also because of the many other timeless tunes it contains. Imagine topped the charts and was praised by critics when it came out, and hits like “Jealous Guy”, “Gimme Some Truth,” and of course, “Imagine,” remain iconic songs. But another thing that makes this album stand out is that it marked the most vicious moment of the Lennon-McCartney feud. After The Beatles broke up, Lennon resented Paul McCartney, and he channeled this anger into a vicious diss track titled “How Do You Sleep?”, a song filled with explicit attacks at McCartney and his musicianship. Shortly after, the former songwriting partners were able to reconcile, but this track remains an uncomfortable point in the album for many fans.

4

‘Mind Games’ — 1973

In contrast to other of John Lennon’s previous albums, Mind Games didn’t perform that well critically and commercially, but it has remained a fan favorite through the years. The opening track, “Mind Games,” is a peace anthem, where he calls for unity and love, though it’s not as political as his songs in Some Time in New York City, and ends with a call to “Make love, not war.” Then there’s “Tight A$,” a call back to his early rock ‘n’ roll roots with slide guitars that seem to emulate George Harrison’s signature sound. There are several love songs for Yoko Ono, such as “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry),” a song about comfort and forgiveness, and “One Day (At a Time)” and “Out the Blue”, which are about devotion and fidelity. Overall, it’s a much more relaxed and optimistic album, which is why, despite the mixed reviews, it seems to hold a special place in people’s hearts.

3

‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ — 1970

Plastic Ono Band was the first album John Lennon released after he left The Beatles, and it was an incredible post-band debut. It might be the album that most perfectly encapsulates Lennon’s essence as a songwriter. It includes a little bit of everything: there are political statements, crude reflections on his past, odes to his wife, and of course, a few digs at his former bandmates. The song opens with the sound of church bells to the song “Mother,” a tearful offering to his mother and their complicated relationship. There are, of course, love songs, such as “Look at Me” and “Love,” all dedicated to Yoko Ono. “Working Class Hero” is an anthem to the working class, and its dark folk sound pulls you in immediately. And finally, there’s “God,” an epic track that broke fans’ hearts. In this song, Lennon is declaring the end of the 1960s, and with it, the end of everything that defined the youth of that decade. Yes, even The Beatles. He had already hinted at that in the song “I Found Out,” where he sang “I seen religion, from Jesus to Paul,” seeming to equate religious fervor to Beatlemania (and particularly, Paul McCartney). In “God,” he explicitly states “I don’t believe in Beatles,” and “the dream is over.” Plastic Ono Band is quintessential Lennon, and that’s why it deserves a spot in the top three.

2

‘Walls and Bridges’ — 1974

Walls and Bridges is the infamous “Lost Weekend” album. John Lennon wrote and released it in 1974, during his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono. The album was a reflection on the changes of this dynamic, the feeling of creative freedom from being on his own while missing the woman he loved at the same time. Walls and Bridges included two hit singles: “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night”, a dance track that is a collaboration with Elton John, and “#9 Dream,” which features a dreamlike sound with beautiful orchestration and harmonies. This album is a masterpiece, but Lennon wasn’t convinced at the time it was worth releasing. At first, he wanted to “just throw this away,” but his friends convinced him not to. “They said: ‘Hey, it’s all right.’ So I said: ‘It’s all right. Oh it’s not bad at all. I quite like some of it myself. OK, let’s put it out,’” Lennon explained. This album goes to show that sometime even the greatest musicians’ instincts are not always right.

1

‘Double Fantasy’ — 1980

Double Fantasy is an album that, to this day, divides fans, but there are many reasons why it should be considered, if not the best, then at least one of the greatest works of John Lennon. It’s his final record, released less than a month before his tragic passing, and the one that consolidates him as a top-notch balladist. It opens with a beautiful, hopeful track titled “(Just Like) Starting Over”, which only sounds more heartbreaking the more time passes. This love song about his marriage makes it very clear how much Lennon looked forward to many more years of romance. In “Watching the Wheels,” Lennon reflects on his peaceful life and how he was much happier being a family man after a five-year hiatus where he focused on raising his youngest son. There are a couple rock tracks, like “Cleanup Time” and “I’m Losing You,” but the gems on this album are undoubtedly the ballads, with “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” as the crown jewel, a heartwarming, gentle tune for his son Sean.

John Lennon left us much too soon, but his legacy will live on forever, and these records are proof.