John Lennon Essentials

Editors’ Notes The pop world has never seen a figure as truly revolutionary as John Lennon. With The Beatles, he transformed rock 'n' roll in the ‘60s, providing a quietly subversive songwriting counterpoint to the band's lighthearted, pop-defining melodies. After the group's 1970 breakup, Lennon changed music again—his growing renown as a political provocateur and peace activist imbuing a string of uncompromising solo releases and experimental albums with his wife, Yoko Ono. Dig into the legacy of this musical visionary here.