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 ridda... Read more

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.

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 understand... Read more

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.

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) ... Read more

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 int... Read more