What Are John Lennon’s 5 Biggest US Hits?

We can only speculate where John Lennon might have gone with his music had he not been taken so soon. But we can say for sure that his solo career, although only about a decade long, produced some of the most iconic songs of the era.

Videos by American Songwriter

Lennon brought his ability to combine powerful messages with instantly affecting music from his Beatle days to his solo work. These five songs of his did the best of all on the charts in the US.

5. “Instant Karma” – No. 3 in 1970

Lennon released this quickly designed single at a point (February 1970) when The Beatles were already defunct but before the news had been announced to the world. In addition to George Harrison playing guitar, many Fab Four-adjacent players were involved in the recording (Billy Preston, Klaus Voorman, Mal Evans). But drummer Alan White made the biggest impact on the sound with his thumping fills. “Instant Karma!” also soars thanks to Lennon’s thrilling vocals atop a wonderful chant-along tune.

4. “Imagine” – No. 3 in 1971

“Imagine” came at a time when Lennon was getting a bit envious of the pop success of his Beatle bandmates. Hence, he played up the sweetness of the melody and, along with co-producers Phil Spector and Yoko Ono, coated the song with prettiness. Lyrically, the verses, while insightful, are rendered somewhat clumsily. But “Imagine” overcomes all that thanks to the tenderness of the vocal effort and the gentle melody. The directness of the plea also carries it along the way. But it’s ultimately Lennon’s indefinable “it” factor that made this such an anthem.

3. “Woman” – No. 2 in 1981

The songs that Lennon wrote for Double Fantasy were relatively modest things. They showed off his exemplary songcraft, and they beautifully displayed where he was at in his life. His death transformed them into balms for a mourning world. “Woman”, for example, is a somewhat simple ode to the fairer sex that’s boosted by Lennon’s pop-friendly production touches. As the first single released in his name following his murder, fans grasped onto it and heard yet boundless profundity.

2. “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” – No. 1 in 1974

It seems impossible that any album from John Lennon could be underrated. After all, the guy is so missed, and he released such a relatively small amount of solo material, you’d think people would cling to every last bit of it. And yet it feels like Walls And Bridges, a truly excellent effort, doesn’t get the love it should. People mostly know it these days as the conduit for “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night”, the boisterous duet with Elton John that rode the force of the principals’ personalities to the top of the US charts.

1. “(Just Like) Standing Over” – No. 1 in 1980

From the opening moments of “(Just Like) Starting Over”, it was evident just how clear-headed and sharp John Lennon was at the time of the recording. You couldn’t take that for granted at the time. People had been speculating for years about the state of his muse as he concentrated on family life. There’s a lot to love on this track. The brilliant transition from dreamy opening to swaggering main section immediately seals the deal on its excellence. From there, it’s just such a blast to hear Lennon doing his best Elvis while promising a return to the good old days.

Photo by Tom Wargacki/WireImage