Imagine Introduction
In a Nutshell
If there's any song that doesn't need an introduction, it's got to be this one."Imagine" is famous the world over as an anthem for peace, embodying the spirit of harmony that both John Lennon and Yoko Ono promoted through their music and art. It's written in the simplest piano key there is (C Major), and uses simple lyrics to construct a world in which people don't fight over anything: They just get along.
Lennon may have been a dreamer, but once you've heard this song, you'll probably count yourself as a dreamer, too.
About the Song
| Artist | John Lennon | Musician(s) | John Lennon |
| Album | Imagine | ||
| Year | 1971 | ||
| Label | Apple Records | ||
| Writer(s) | John Lennon | ||
| Producer(s) | John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector | ||
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Learn to play: Piano Buy this song: Amazon iTunes |
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Shmoop Connections
"Imagine" is still as relevant as ever, but it's also distinctly a product of its time.Released in 1971, this track is fresh from the cultural upheaval of the 1960s, and was released smack dab in the middle of the Vietnam War. Lennon, like many young people at the time, found the staggering loss of life in the war tragic and unnecessary. The United States government was so anxious about Lennon's protests and agitations that it even tried to deport him from the country.
Lucky for us, Lennon wasn't discouraged. We've still got "Imagine" to remind us to think about alternatives to conflict and violence, instead of blindly accepting things the way they are.
On the Charts
The song peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 (the first release), and was named by Rolling Stone as the third greatest song of all time. The song hit #6 in the UK upon its first re-release in 1975, then spent four weeks at #1 when released yet again in 1980 following Lennon's murder.The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation named "Imagine" the Greatest Song in the Past 100 years.
The album Imagine peaked at #1 worldwide upon its release in 1971, and ranks #80 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
"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" – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter