John Lennon’s Holiday Classic Became the Most Powerful Rock Christmas Song Ever

John Lennon, the mastermind behind Happy Xmas (War Is Over), created a Christmas classic with a powerful anti-war message.
American Songwriter

“Now I Understand”: How John Lennon’s “Imagine” Helped Inform Another Classic That Initially Flopped Upon Its 1971 Release

John Lennon's 1971 hit, "Imagine", helped him find the right approach for his iconic seasonal protest anthem, "Happy Xmas ...
The Root

The Young Black Voices Behind John Lennon’s Famous ‘Happy Xmas’ Song

How the Harlem Community Choir helped John Lennon and Yoko Ono turn “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” into a global message of peace ...
American Songwriter

4 Classic Rock Songs From 1971 That I Still Obsessively Listen To

These classic rock songs from 1971 still make it to my everyday rotation, and you might just feel the same way about them.

‘Attica State’: The prison riot that inspired a John Lennon protest song

Still in the early years of his solo career, John Lennon was at his most politically active, turning away from flower power ...
The Cheat Sheet

John Lennon Accused Paul McCartney of Plagiarizing 1 of His Biggest Hits in Vicious, Unreleased Lyrics

In 1971, John Lennon released “How Do You Sleep?,” a scathing song about former bandmate Paul McCartney. McCartney wrote a dig about Lennon in the song “Too ...