John Lennon

I like Imagine, but not really anything else. I heard that he wasn't a good father and even disowned his son. But my rating isn't based on that, it's based on only enjoying one song by him.

Better with The Beatles...a little too far "out there" on his own. Atheists/Agnostics might have liked it a lot, but "Imagine" was surely personally offensive to those of religious faith--especially the majority who don't "use" religion as a weapon as a division, but rather hold faith that it may be a unifying force. I'll go with my beliefs anyday over Lennon's prescribed vision of "utopia"...

IMO: I think Yoko diluted the quality of his later work quite a bit. His lyrics came across as practically obsessed with her...

Awesome songwriter. Brought a lot of depth and creativity to Paul's pop tunes. His later albums were quite good early on and then too much wealth and isolation sort of strangled his songwriting. IMO his songs after The Beatles far outstrip anything McCartney did. So sad a nutcase ended his life so young. Actually any song written individually by Lennon or McCartney never equalled the music penned by them together.

A lot of arrogance and hostility here. What's wrong with you people? Settle down, kids!

He was definitely the most talented and intelligent Beatle. Some of his solo records were pretty good, though I never cared for pablum like "Imagine" and "Starting Over".  

UPDATE: I still think Lennon is great;after all when I was 5 years old, I wanted him to wait for me to grow up so we could get married. Wasn't in the cards. I've been listening to the White Album lately  and I've concluded that I gave Paul McCartney short shrift. I think his music on this album is actually stronger than Lennon's.

Excellent songwriter witch was his primary strength. For that he deserves a 4 in my book. Adequate guitarist (he's better than me) and pretty good on piano.

I LIKE MANY OF THE SONGS HE WROTE ESPECIALLY "IMAGINE", SO SAD HE WAS MURDERED.

OK an important musician,i was a big fun of him when i was 15,now i think he was overated

next to dylan, the best rock poet ever.

I don't really get this one at all.  I think he's okay....feels kind of like adult contemporary radio stuff to me.  The one thing is that Lennon never toured-and the Beatles seldom did.  Touring is complimentary to any band/musician.  Take that away...all you have are studio albums, which are often hard to judge because you don't know how much is studio magic...the road has a lot to do w/a solo artist/band and while albums certainly are great and often help...there is certainly something lacking in his solo stuff.

the best solo artist ever, period. no one comes near, what this man has done. his music will be around until the end of the world. it stands the test of time.

What can you say about someone that went from being an English art school bum to playing Hamburg clubs on pill speed to becoming a superstar rock icon all in a matter of just a few years? This will do things to a person's mind very quickly. I like a few of The Beatles tunes around 1965-66 and that's about it. I don't care for Sgt. Pepper, I don't think it is the masterpiece that it is touted as being and as far as his solo stuff (and really all of the post Beatles solo records for that matter),  I just really don't want to sit and listen to some doped-out, arrogant rich English jerk that lives in a fantasyland tell me that we all need to get together, throw away our possessions, our religions, our lifestyles and all hold hands and get with the idealistic peace program. Uh-huh, you first! I agree with ILikePie. I don't advocate his murder, but I certainly was no fan of his solo stuff,  his condescending, stuck-up attitude or his unrealistic quasi-socialist political leanings. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

This man is not a good musician. He is not a freedom fighter. He is not a hero. He is an arrogant, stuck-up jerk, who was up his own arse.

I have to agree with meatmaller. He is on of 4 and not even in the best 2 of those 4 in my opinion.

Are u kidding me? Why is Lennon rated so high? he's one of 4. Please get him off the list before I puke. Ahead of Clapton and Zeppelin, whatever. The best thing about this guy was the bullet that went through him.

There would have been no Beatles without John Lennon. The same can be said of McCartney, but McCartney would not have been the song writer he was if not for Lennon. Lennon was a lyrical genius. Of course I did not agree with all of his politics, his drugs, or his view on religion, but when it comes to the category of Rock Music I have to say he was the best.

Great with the beatles, obvioulsy wrote some great stuff solo along with dylan all of the beatles were the 2 most influental artists in history.

Brilliant. Beautiful, caring, imaginative, creative, enigmatic, temperamnetal, romantic, lyrical, generous, poetic, revolutionary, universal, the greatest thing that ever happened to music in the 20th Century. A genius, and my favorite artist of all time. Not enough words to do him justice.

With the Beatles-he would automatically get 5 star! But by himself (or with Yoko),1 isn't low enough!

Today is the 25th anniversary of Lennon's death. Musically, he had some down moments as a solo artist, but he was probably still the best- McCartney had some fine moments, but produced a lot of dreck, Harrison peaked early, and Ringo had some good stuff, but was essentially just a good time, inoffensive entertainer sort. I like Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and Imagine lp's. He never made what I would consider a true 5 star album on his own, but he always had good non-lp singles, and all of his real albums, except the early weird things he did with Ono, have at least some good stuff on them. Lennon could be preachy, and sometimes took rather ill advised positions both musically and politically, and I'm not a Yoko apologist, her attempts at being musical are farcical at best- her quivering shrieks are some of the most frighteningly awful things there are. Yet I think he was rather brave, and he was not one of the ivory tower sorts: he really believed in his ideals. Lennon had an understanding of working class people, he was one, and while some of his ideas, such as those expressed in 'Imagine" might be a little naive or impractical,, I think his heart was in the right place. Being investigated at the instigation of a notoriously wicked person like Stom Thurmond IS NO BLACK MARK on anyone's record. He could also be devastatingly funny at times. With the possible exception of Presley or Dylan, he is, arguably, the most important figure in rock history.

I remember Lennon from the early days of the Beatles - he as a great character and a very astute and witty man. That all disappeared the moment he met Yoko. He became serious and dour. And to what end? Did he put his money where his mouth was? Neither of them did anything that cost them a bean, unlike Paul and Linda. I recall J & Y pontificting on the Eamon Andrews show once about their vegetarianism and meditation, and "Buddistic" thinking. This from a couple of people who wore animal skins and kept an entire room to house their fur coats at the right temperative. Hypocrites? Are you kidding? Hypocrites is not a strong enough word.

Lennon is a masterpeice I LOVE YOU WILL Chase if you cant see that you are Stew-pod!!!????

the Broadway show has a showcase of outstanding voices singing John's songs.. the audience gave them a rousing standing ovation..

Lennon was good but where is Paul McCartney on this list? He was MUCH more successful than Lennon after the Beatles broke up.

one of my favorite Beatles...peolpe talk to much stuff about him. Hes a great guy.

I guess I was pissed about the breakup of the fab four and that Yoko Ono thing to get too much into John Lennon as an artist.

You people are retards. Lennon was a genius and you all are jealous.

don't think he could sing at all

He was another rock star who got sucked into using his talents to push his political views on the general public. His song Imagine is a perfect example.

A true poet. Some of his solo work fell a bit short, but overall he was great. I didn't agree with a lot of his politics, but I appreciated the way he expressed himself and wish there were more around like him today.

Part of a revolutionary band and a changing time in music.

As a soloist he was overrated. Yes, he wrote some great songs but he also wrote some pretentious crappola. His peace trip is overrated. This man was a Socialist hard leftist who hibernated in the Dakota for 5 years doing Coke!

A master songwriter taken tragically from this world by crazed gunman. His music lives on...

Miss him. He literally changed music. Doing a paper on the Beatles. Anyone wanna help me? Got any good sites? HELP! --meghan

I can't believe how many pigs are still out there. Some of you guys need to learn how to listen. John Lennon's solo work had something that is sorely in need in today's workL: space. Yes, he left a little for you to fill in the gaps. It's not something missing! Some of you guys need to take your cowboy hats off and listen!

truely amazing song writer, but over rated as a leader in world peace.

john lennon was an individual who brought hope to mankind. the hope that this world could be a better place. having suffered much from his childhoood, much of his songs express anger towards god and this world, however we have to take into account that he was a confused depply wounded man therefore he had a right to resent the world for not giving him what he needed however his anger directed towards god seems to come out of ignorance since he relates his pain with god

He's the best poet I know. I think I should study him in my 20th century poetry class.

One of the greatest composers of our time the other being Sir Paul McCartney. Although John's views were a little of center, his heart was in the right place. All you need is love and Give Peace a Chance are not terrible things to say. Listen to songs like Norwegian Wood, In My Life, or Imagine just to name a few. They are brilliant songs. It is tragic to see that people like Ricky Martin, NSync and Britinny Spears are considered great performers by todays youth. Listen to the music and you will understand.

John is uneven solo. as much as it pains me to give him 3 stars, i must. don't get me wrong i love the message inherent in his music. the whole Peace/Love/Power to the People deal, i find very uplifting and direct. Unlike Chapman or other lunatics and despite my own prejudices against the rich, i never found Lennon to be a hypocrite, but instead a lost man awakening from a decade of Beatlemania to find himself wealthy beyond imagination but w/no sort of personal legacy. So John Lennon set out to create a legacy of message through his music, and that he did tackling topics such as the Attica Riots, Irish subjugation, female subjugation, not to mention a deep self-examination, the type of inward look at yourself that most people are afraid to undertake. my problems with John's music are simple. the message simply overpowers the music. most of the backtracks on Lennon's songs weren't very good. they was too much echo, too much of that Phil Spector song. sometimes it's like listening to someone singing Free the people now! to the melody of Be My Little Baby it got distracting. after a 5 year House Husband break Lennon seemed to find his groove again. with the songs on Double Fantasy John found that mixture of personal message and music. problem was, this time he split the bill w/Yoko. i have no problems w/Yoko Ono other than she needed to stay off John's discs

Yoko was a fraction of the breakup but too were the eastmans and the EGO in the band. Lennon was great, and if you hate dirty hippies then i take it you hate nearly every 60s-70s musician.The people who don't like lennon, why leave your negative comments, i mean i wouldn't be that sad to take the time to read reviews and write about a person i hate?! Also look in the guiness book of reccords and realise that more than half the nation loved them.. so meither themselves or their music could be half bad. Lennon was a great songwriter, BE CONTENT WITH THE MUSIC.... thanks

One point for the optimistic, Imagine, but that is all.

This man was not only a great musician and songwriter,but also had the courage to stand up for what he believed in.Wish he was around today,because there aren't enough enlightened folks in the public eye these days.

Listened to Imagine..... and could not imagine John or Yoko with no possesions

he was a king .. and he'll remain a king ruling our hearts and souls ,,,

I read a lot of him lately...but not in newspapers or magazines or whatever. If you really want to be sure about what you read about him, you've got to buy a book, such as...Beatles Anthology...or...just a book about John Winston Lennon himself. Why I give him these five stars? Well, because of these important parts I got from my books. John Lennon is from Liverpool (a working class hero). When he was in primary school, he amused his class mates with his funny stories and little drawings. Before he left home for years, his father attempted taking little John with him, but that didn't work. A few years later his mother died nearby her house, John later said he could have save her, but the tragical car accident just happened too fast. At the age of 15-16-17, he met Paul McCartney, as the started a band with George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. When Pete left the band and Stuart stayd in Germany for a while (he later died because of a fracture), Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) replaced Pete and became the official drummer of the best band in the world: The Beatles (they've also been called The Quarrymen and The Beetles). They had an enourmous (sorry for my English) succes in clubs like the Cavern, Liverpool. Later they were known all over England and then Britain, till suddenly it was the ninetenth of August in 1964: they were touring AMERICA!!!! The Shea Stadium was an astonishing concert, they couldn't even hear themself playing! So in the next few years they were world famous. They already had wonderful songs like Do You Want To Know A Secret, Love Me Do, I've Been Waiting, etc... But then suddenly they were LIVE on a sateliet with a wavelength all over the world...and on every tv you could hear All You Need Is Love, recorded live as well. On the video you can see Paul and John on a chair in a room filled with balloons, decoration and people (including Mick Jagger, behaving polite like a little girl ;). But then 1969 was on its way...Paul got married with Linda Eastman, and 7 days later John married Yoko Ono . Paul idn't like John's (new) wife from Japan (he was married to Cynthia Powell since 1964). So John and Paul started disliking each other. And the last straw: Paul disagreed with The Beatles latest manager. George, Ringo and John wanted Allan Klein, but this was a real enemy of the Eastman family... That was the Let It Be-period... The Beatles broke up. Paul started Wings with his wife (he learned her to play the piano) and Denny Laine. John though...to be honest, I like his music better than Paul McCartney's... John Lennon wrote Oh My Love, Jealous Guy, I Don't Want To Be A Soldier, How Do You Sleep, Gimme Some Truth and above all: IMAGINE... Besides, he had a stronger personallity, which is a good thing... I don't have a problem with Yoko. I know that she's from a rich family and has this talent to make people laugh or get them surprised...or she used to be able to do that... I'm really sorry for her of what happened 24 years ago during the autumn, but somewhere, someone is looking down on her from above, shining like a star...a real star... Love Helene D.M.

John Lennon people? Do we even need this stupid poll thing to tell us how incredibly amazing this man was? John Lennon was one of the most beautiful people to walk the face of the Earth. His music will remain timeless as will he, himself. There will never be another John Lennon, very sad isn't it..... there will never be abother Beatles who blew the socks of the entire world. John's words live on each and every day throughout the world. We should all feel so lucky for having the opportunity to be entertained, and to fall in love with one of the greatest men of all time. Thankyou. All you need is love....... he meant it too....

Lennon's a 4 really, he wrote Imagine and Jealous Guy, I just gave him three to lower his average rating a bit because... well, because I preferred Skynyrd, OK?

John Lennon was a such a beautiful man. He created so many beautiful songs, and every single one of those songs had some sort of story to tell about him, or where he was in his life. He literally opened himself up, at the sake of being scorned and misunderstood. And SO many people, even today and particularly in this board, just do not understand the message he was trying to give. So what if he was a hippy? Those were the times. He was also a genius who had this beautiful dream that he never let go of. And then he finally had to pay the most fatal price for being such an outspoken and unconventional person. He was absolutely breathtaking, arresting, fascinating, and forever and ever will remain my favorite songwriter/singer/musician. To me, he gave the Beatles their spark and made them the legends they became. He carefully mixed perfect phrasing, perfect statements, with a degree of irrationality and irreverance that made him iconic. I love that he found Yoko and was able to go into a whole different creative direction. Unlike many other people, I LOVE his solo music. To me, it spoke more from his heart and soul than even his Beatles songs, and that is simply incomprehensible to imagine. He had his love, his Venus, and the world could not accept that. It still can't. And that's the best part about John Lennon. He was a revolutionary, a giant, a completely complex and brilliant artist who still holds everyone's attention, who still gathers enemies and is still so misunderstood. The saddest thing was he was JUST getting to the point in his life where he seemed so relaxed and generally content, and then he was taken away from his family, from his friends, from his fans. I cry over that. I love him immensely. An artist like him only comes once in a century, if you ask me. There are not enough words to describe him, and not enough reaosns to give why he is so special and still incomparable to all.