John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.
Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved as a teenager in the skiffle craze; his first band, The Quarrymen, evolved into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, but re-emerged in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy. He was murdered by Mark Chapman three weeks after its release.
Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, his drawings, on film, and in interviews, and he became controversial through his political and peace activism. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement.
As of 2010, Lennon's solo album sales in the United States exceed 14 million units, and as writer, co-writer or performer, he is responsible for 27 number-one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all-time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Academy Awards
Best Original Score
Known For
Let It Be
(1970)
Self (The Beatles) (uncredited)
A Hard Day's Night
(1964)
John
Help!
(1965)
John
Yellow Submarine
(1968)
John (uncredited)
Naqoyqatsi
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
Take Your Pills
(2018)
Self (archive footage)
How the Beatles Changed the World
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
(2018)
Self
Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Self / Ticket Salesman / Magician with Coffee / Narrator
Salinger
(2013)
Self - Musician (archive footage)
Zappa
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
(2022)
Self (archive footage)
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
(1978)
Self (archive footage)
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
(2006)
Self (archive footage)
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
Full Filmography
Acting
The Beatles Come to Town
(1963)
Self
The Beatles - Live at The Empire Theatre Liverpool
(1963)
The Mersey Sound
(1963)
Self
The Beatles: Live in The Netherlands
(1964)
Self
The Beatles Sing for Shell
(1964)
Self
A Hard Day's Night
(1964)
John
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Beatles in New York
(1964)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Live in Washington DC
(1964)
Self
The Beatles in Australia
(1964)
Self
The Beatles - Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964
(1964)
Self
What's Happening! The Beatles in the USA
(1964)
Self - The Beatles Member
Around the Beatles
(1964)
Self
The Beatles: Live in Paris
(1965)
Self
Help!
(1965)
John
Doctor Who: The Chase
(1965)
Self (archive footage)
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
(1965)
Self (archive footage)
Pop Gear
(1965)
Self
The Beatles Unauthorized
(1965)
Self (archive footage)
El Rey en Londres
(1966)
Self (archive footage)
Beatles - Tokyo, Japan 66
(1966)
Himself
Die Beatles
(1966)
Self (as The Beatles)
Reflections on Love
(1966)
Self (archive footage)
Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Self / Ticket Salesman / Magician with Coffee / Narrator
Monument
(1967)
Self (archive footage)
How I Won the War
(1967)
Gripweed
All You Need Is Love
(1967)
Self
Our World
(1967)
Self
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
(1968)
Self
The Beatles Mod Odyssey
(1968)
Self
The Beatles: REVOLUTION
(1968)
Self
The Beatles: HEY JUDE
(1968)
Self
Film No. 5
(1968)
Himself
Two Virgins
(1968)
The Movie Orgy
(1968)
Self (archive footage)
Yellow Submarine
(1968)
John (uncredited)
The Beatles: SOMETHING
(1969)
Self
Self-Portrait
(1969)
Himself
The Beatles - Abbey Road
(1969)
Self - vocals, guitar
24 Hours: The World of John and Yoko
(1969)
Bed Peace
(1969)
Himself
The Beatles - The Get Back Chronicles 1969 Volume Two
(1969)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
(1969)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles - The Get Back Chronicles 1969 Volume Three
(1969)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles - The Get Back Chronicles 1969 Volume One
(1969)
Self (archive footage)
Will the Real Mr. Sellers...
(1969)
Self
Apotheosis
(1970)
Let It Be
(1970)
Self (The Beatles) (uncredited)
Up Your Legs Forever
(1971)
Brazil in Cannes
(1971)
Sweet Toronto
(1971)
Self
Breathing Together: Revolution of the Electric Family
(1971)
Self
Eat the Document
(1972)
Self
Imagine
(1972)
Self
John Lennon - Imagine
(1972)
The One to One Concert
(1972)
as himself
Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here
(1972)
Self
Braverman's Condensed Cream of the Beatles
(1974)
Self (archive footage)
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
(1974)
Self
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
(1975)
Self
Chelsea Girls with Andy Warhol
(1976)
The Beatles at Shea Stadium
(1977)
Self
Mighty Good: The Beatles
(1977)
Self
The Day the Music Died
(1977)
Self
Urgent ou à quoi bon exécuter des projets puisque le projet est en lui-même une jouissance suffisante
(1977)
Self
Fire in the Water
(1977)
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
(1978)
Self (archive footage)
Echoes of the Sixties: A Musical Trip
(1979)
Self (archive footage)
The Killing of America
(1981)
Self (archive footage)
This Is Elvis
(1981)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Compleat Beatles
(1982)
Self (archive footage)
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
(1982)
Self (archive footage)
When the Music's Over
(1983)
Self (archive footage)
Yoko Ono: Then and Now
(1984)
Self
British Rock: The First Wave
(1985)
Self (archive footage)
Buddy Holly
(1985)
Self (archive footage)
Vain Glory
(1986)
John Lennon
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
(1986)
Self
John Lennon: Live In New York City
(1986)
Self (archive footage)
Fun with the Fab Four
(1986)
Self (archive footage)
The John Lennon Sketchbook
(1986)
himself
Jimi Plays Monterey
(1987)
Self (archive footage)
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music
(1988)
Self (archive)
Imagine: John Lennon
(1988)
Self (archive footage)
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections
(1990)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit
(1991)
Self (archive footage)
Holiday Greetings from 'The Ed Sullivan Show'
(1992)
Self (archive footage)
The John Lennon Video Collections - 1992
(1992)
Rolling Stone 25: The MTV Special
(1992)
Himself
Ready Steady Go! The Beatles Live
(1993)
Self
The Beatles In Australia: 30th Anniversary
(1994)
Self (archive footage)
You Can't Do That! The Making of 'A Hard Day's Night'
(1995)
Self
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
(1996)
Self - Lead Vocals
Alf Bicknell's Beatles Diary
(1996)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles Story
(1996)
Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday to John
(1997)
Himself
Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepytime Tales
(1999)
Self (archive footage / uncredited)
The Beatles: A Celebration
(1999)
Self (archive footage)
Television: The First Fifty Years
(1999)
Self – The Beatles (archive footage)
John & Yoko's Year of Peace
(2000)
himself
The Real John Lennon
(2000)
Himself (archive footage)
Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album
(2000)
Self
Beatles: Big Beat Box
(2001)
Self (archive footage)
Wingspan
(2001)
Himself (archive footage)
Things They Said Today
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
Paul McCartney: Back in the U.S.
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
Naqoyqatsi
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
Peter Cook: At a Slight Angle to the Universe
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
Beatles: The Journey
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Around the World
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
Imagine Imagine
(2003)
Self
Inside John Lennon - Unauthorized
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
Twenty to Life: The Life & Times of John Sinclair
(2004)
Himself (archive footage)
Brian Epstein: Inside the Fifth Beatle
(2004)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Watching Rainbows
(2004)
Self (archive footage)
Beatles Biggest Secrets
(2004)
Self (archive footage)
I Killed John Lennon
(2005)
Self (archive footage)
Pink Floyd London '66-'67
(2005)
Self (uncredited)
The Beatles: Chronology Vol. 1 y 2
(2005)
Self - guitarra rítmica, vocalista
The Beatles: Love Me Do - A Documentary
(2005)
Self (archive footage)
The World's Greatest Gigs
(2005)
Self (archive footage)
Doctor Who: Origins
(2006)
Self (archive footage)
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
(2006)
Self (archive footage)
John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Give Peace A Song
(2006)
as Himself
The Beatles: Love
(2006)
Self
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
(2007)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Destination Hamburg
(2007)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles Explosion
(2007)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Help!
(2007)
Self (archive footage)
I Met the Walrus
(2007)
Himself
Composing the Beatles Songbook: Lennon & McCartney 1966-1970
(2008)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour Memories
(2008)
Self (Archive Footage)
Classic Albums: John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
(2008)
Self
Rare and Unseen: The Beatles
(2008)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Here There and Everywhere
(2009)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: The Mini Documentaries
(2009)
Self
The Rise & Fall of WCW
(2009)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Parting Ways
(2009)
Himself
The Beatles: Budokan Tokyo 1966
(2009)
Self (lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar)
The Beatles on Record
(2009)
Self
The Beatles: Fifty Fabulous Years
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
Discovering Lennon
(2010)
John Lennon: Love Is All You Need
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
LennoNYC
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
Paul McCartney Really Is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)
(2010)
Himself (archive footage)
The Beatles: A Magical History Tour
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
Imagine Lennon
(2010)
archives footages
The Day John Lennon Died
(2010)
Himself (archive footage)
The Beatles: Recovered Archives Vol. 3
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Recovered Archives Vol. 1
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Recovered Archives Vol. 4
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Recovered Archives Vol. 2
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
I Was There: When the Beatles Played the Cavern
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles - Unsurpassed Promos
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
Beatles Stories
(2011)
Self (archive footage)
Magical Mystery Tour Revisited
(2012)
Self (archive footage)
Genius
(2012)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: In Chicago 1964-1966
(2012)
Self
The Winged Beetle
(2012)
Self
Population Boom
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
Good Ol' Freda
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train a Comin'
(2013)
Self - Musician (archive footage)
Salinger
(2013)
Self - Musician (archive footage)
Beatles på Sverigeturné
(2014)
Self (archive footage)
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
(2015)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles 1+
(2015)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles 1
(2015)
Self (archive footage)
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon
(2015)
Self (archive footage)
The Last Lennon Interview
(2015)
Himself (archive footage)
Stupor Mundi: Livre 2, Les Hommes qui mangèrent la montagne
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
Stupor Mundi: Livre 1, Rituel de décapitation du pape
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
Deconstructing the Beatles' White Album
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
Beatles chronology (1962-1970)
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
My Generation
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
John Lennon: Hard to Imagine
(2017)
Kyoko
(2017)
Himself (archive footage)
Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions
(2017)
Self - Musician (archive footage)
Free to Rock
(2017)
Self - The Beatles (archive footage)
How the Beatles Changed the World
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
It Was Fifty Years Ago Today! The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper & Beyond
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
Sgt Pepper's Musical Revolution
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance
(2017)
Self
The King
(2018)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles – Ready Steady Go!
(2018)
Self
Understanding Lennon/McCartney
(2018)
Self (archival footage)
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
(2018)
Self
George Harrison - All Things Pass
(2018)
Self (archive footage)
John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky
(2018)
Self (archive footage)
Arthur Janov's Primal Therapy
(2018)
Looking for Lennon
(2018)
Self
Take Your Pills
(2018)
Self (archive footage)
The Last 24 Hours: John Lennon
(2019)
Self
Paul McCartney: Wings of a Beatle
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
Deconstructing the Beatles' Abbey Road: Side 2
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
Deconstructing the Beatles' Abbey Road: Side 1
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
Manson: Music From an Unsound Mind
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
John Lennon: His Life, His Legacy, His Last Days
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Jealous Guy: The Assassination of John Lennon
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Lennon's Last Weekend
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Meeting the Beatles in India
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Zappa
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Life In Ten Pictures: John Lennon
(2021)
The Beatles and India
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
Best of the 60s: The Story of Ready, Steady, Go!
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
Under the Volcano
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Let It Be
(2021)
Parkinson at 50
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
Paul McCartney at Glastonbury 2022
(2022)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert
(2022)
Self (archive footage)
If These Walls Could Sing
(2022)
Self (archive footage)
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
(2022)
Self (archive footage)
Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL
(2022)
Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
(2022)
Self (Archive Footage)
HISTORY OF ROCK MUSIC. What is Rock Music?
(2022)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: 1964 US Tour Reconstruction
(2022)
Little Richard: I Am Everything
(2023)
Self (archive voice)
Paul McCartney: Got Back
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles and the BBC
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Music Genres. Voices of the World
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Sounds of Liverpool at the BBC
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Paul Newman: The Restless
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Louder Than Rock
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Revival69: The Concert That Rocked the World
(2024)
Self
Sound
The Beatles: Live in Washington DC
(1964)
Music
A Hard Day's Night
(1964)
Songs
Help!
(1965)
Songs
Revolution
(1967)
Songs
Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Songs
Yellow Submarine
(1968)
Songs
Film No. 5
(1968)
Sound and Music
Rape
(1969)
Sound and Music
Let It Be
(1970)
Songs
Freedom
(1970)
Sound
The Inner Revolution
(1971)
Music
Almarna i Kungsträdgården
(1971)
Music
All This and World War II
(1976)
Songs
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1978)
Songs
Beatlemania
(1981)
Songs
Imagine
(1987)
Music
Fiona Apple: Across the Universe
(1998)
Music
Across the Universe
(2007)
Songs
Imagine Peace
(2010)
Music
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
(2016)
Songs
Yesterday
(2019)
Songs
The Beatles: Let It Be
(2021)
Songs
The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert
(2022)
Songs
Production
Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Producer
Did Britain Murder Hanratty?
(1970)
Producer
Let It Be
(1970)
Executive Producer
Imagine
(1972)
Producer
John Lennon: Live In New York City
(1986)
Producer
Writing
Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Writer
Two Virgins
(1968)
Writer
Self-Portrait
(1969)
Writer
Rape
(1969)
Writer
Bed Peace
(1969)
Writer
Freedom
(1970)
Writer
Fly
(1970)
Writer
Apotheosis
(1970)
Writer
Imagine
(1972)
Writer
Oh! Calcutta!
(1972)
Writer
Fame
(1976)
Lyricist
Directing
Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Director
Two Virgins
(1968)
Director
Bed Peace
(1969)
Director
Rape
(1969)
Director
Self-Portrait
(1969)
Director
Fly
(1970)
Director
Apotheosis
(1970)
Director
Up Your Legs Forever
(1971)
Director
Erection
(1971)
Director
John Lennon - Imagine
(1972)
Director
Imagine
(1972)
Director
The John Lennon Video Collections - 1992
(1992)
Director
Editing
Crew