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Imagine (John Lennon song)
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"Imagine"
Single by John Lennon
from the album Imagine
B-side
"It's So Hard" (US)
"Working Class Hero" (UK)
Released
11 October 1971 (1971-10-11)
Format
7-inch single
Recorded
May–July 1971
Studio
Ascot Sound Studios, Ascot
Record Plant East, New York
Genre
Soft rock
pop
Length
3:03
Label
Apple
Songwriter(s)
John Lennon
Producer(s)
John Lennon
Yoko Ono
Phil Spector
John Lennon US singles chronology
"Power to the People"
(1971) "Imagine"
(1971) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
(1971)
"Power to the People"
(1971) "Imagine"
(1971) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
(1971)
John Lennon UK singles chronology
"Stand by Me"
(1975) Stand by Me1975 "Imagine"
(1975) Imagine1975 "(Just Like) Starting Over"
(1980) (Just Like) Starting Over1980
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by English musician John Lennon. The best-selling single of his solo career, its lyrics encourage the listener to imagine a world at peace without the barriers of borders or the divisions of religion and nationality and to consider the possibility that the whole of humanity would live unattached to material possessions.
Lennon and Yoko Ono co-produced the song and album of the same name with Phil Spector. Recording began at Lennon's home studio at Tittenhurst Park, England, in May 1971, with final overdubs taking place at the Record Plant, in New York City, during July. One month after the September release of the LP, Lennon released "Imagine" as a single in the United States; the song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and the LP reached number one on the UK chart in November, later becoming the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed album of Lennon's solo career. Although not originally released as a single in the United Kingdom, it was released in 1975 to promote a compilation LP and it reached number six on the chart that year. The song has since sold more than 1.6 million copies in the UK; it reached number one following Lennon's murder in December 1980. In 1985, the Central Park Conservancy memorialised a portion of the park in honour of Lennon, called Strawberry Fields, with a mosaic that reads "Imagine".[1] Shortly before his death, Lennon acknowledged Ono's role in inspiring the concept behind "Imagine"; as of June 2017, plans were underway to ensure that she receives a co-writing credit for the song.[2]
BMI named "Imagine" one of the 100 most-performed songs of the 20th century. The song ranked number 30 on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of the 365 Songs of the Century bearing the most historical significance. It earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. A UK survey conducted by the Guinness World Records British Hit Singles Book named it the second best single of all time, while Rolling Stone ranked it number three in their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Since 2005, event organisers have played it just before the New Year's Times Square Ball drops in New York City. Dozens of artists have performed or recorded versions of "Imagine", including Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Joan Baez, Elton John and Diana Ross. Emeli Sandé recorded a cover for the BBC to use during the end credits montage at the close of the 2012 Summer Olympics coverage in August 2012. "Imagine" subsequently re-entered the UK Top 40, reaching number 18.
Contents
[hide]
1 Composition and writing
2 Recording and commercial reception
3 Film and re-releases
4 Recognition and criticism
5 Notable performances and cover versions
6 Personnel
7 Charts and certifications
7.1 Weekly charts
7.1.1 Original release
7.1.2 1975 release
7.1.3 Posthumous releases
7.2 Year-end charts
7.3 Decade-end charts
7.4 All-time charts
7.5 Certification and sales
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
10.1 Bibliography
11 Further reading
11.1 Documentaries
12 External links
Composition and writing[edit]
Several poems from Yoko Ono's 1964 book Grapefruit inspired Lennon to write the lyrics for "Imagine"[3]—in particular, one which Capitol Records reproduced on the back cover of the original Imagine LP titled "Cloud Piece", reads: "Imagine the clouds dripping, dig a hole in your garden to put them in."[4] Lennon later said the composition "should be credited as a Lennon/Ono song. A lot of it—the lyric and the concept—came from Yoko, but in those days I was a bit more selfish, a bit more macho, and I sort of omitted her contribution, but it was right out of Grapefruit."[5] When asked about the song's meaning during a December 1980 interview with David Sheff for Playboy magazine, Lennon told Sheff that Dick Gregory had given Ono and him a Christian prayer book, which inspired him the concept behind "Imagine".
The concept of positive prayer ... If you can imagine a world at peace, with no denominations of religion—not without religion but without this my God-is-bigger-than-your-God thing—then it can be true ... the World Church called me once and asked, "Can we use the lyrics to 'Imagine' and just change it to 'Imagine one religion'?" That showed [me] they didn't understand it at all. It would defeat the whole purpose of the song, the whole idea.[3]
"Imagine"
An excerpt from the second chorus
Problems playing this file? See media help.
With the combined influence of "Cloud Piece" and the prayer book given to him by Gregory, Lennon wrote what author John Blaney described as "a humanistic paean for the people".[5] Blaney wrote, "Lennon contends that global harmony is within our reach, but only if we reject the mechanisms of social control that restrict human potential."[6] In the opinion of Blaney, with "Imagine", Lennon attempted to raise people's awareness of their interaction with the institutions that affect their lives.[5] Rolling Stone's David Fricke commented: "[Lennon] calls for a unity and equality built upon the complete elimination of modern social order: geopolitical borders, organised religion, [and] economic class."[7]
Lennon stated: "'Imagine', which says: 'Imagine that there was no more religion, no more country, no more politics,' is virtually the Communist Manifesto, even though I'm not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement."[6] He told NME: "There is no real Communist state in the world; you must realize that. The Socialism I speak about ... [is] not the way some daft Russian might do it, or the Chinese might do it. That might suit them. Us, we should have a nice ... British Socialism."[6] Ono described the lyrical statement of "Imagine" as "just what John believed: that we are all one country, one world, one people."[8] Rolling Stone described its lyrics as "22 lines of graceful, plain-spoken faith in the power of a world, united in purpose, to repair and change itself".[8][nb 1] Some observers have described the song has having a distinctly anti-religious viewpoint, to the point that some have embraced it as an "atheist anthem".[10]
Lennon composed "Imagine" one morning in early 1971, on a Steinway piano, in a bedroom at his Tittenhurst Park estate in Ascot, Berkshire, England. Ono watched as he composed the melody, chord structure and almost all the lyrics, nearly completing the song in one brief writing session.[8] Described as a piano ballad[11][12] performed in the soft rock genre,[13] the song is in the key of C major.[14] Its 4-bar piano introduction begins with a C chord then moves to Cmaj7 before changing to F; the 12-bar verses also follow this chord progression, with their last 4 bars moving from Am/E to Dm and Dm/C, finishing with G, G11 then G7, before resolving back to C.[14] The 8-bar choruses progress from F to G to C, then Cmaj7 and E before ending on E7, a C chord substituted for E7 in the final bar. The 4-bar outro begins with F, then G, before resolving on C. With a duration of 3 minutes and 3 seconds and a time signature of 4/4, the song's tempo falls around 75 beats per minute.[15]
Recording and commercial reception[edit]
A 1971 Billboard advertisement for "Imagine"
Lennon and Ono co-produced the song and album with Phil Spector, who commented on the track: "We knew what we were going to do ... It was going to be John making a political statement, but a very commercial one as well ... I always thought that 'Imagine' was like the national anthem."[16] Lennon described his working arrangement with Ono and Spector: "Phil doesn't arrange or anything like that—[Ono] and Phil will just sit in the other room and shout comments like, 'Why don't you try this sound' or 'You're not playing the piano too well'... I'll get the initial idea and ... we'll just find a sound from [there]."[17]
Recording began at Ascot Sound Studios, Lennon's newly built home studio at Tittenhurst Park, in May 1971, with final overdubs taking place at the Record Plant, in New York City, during July.[17] Relaxed and patient, the sessions began during the late morning, running to just before dinner in the early evening. Lennon taught the musicians the chord progression and a working arrangement for "Imagine", rehearsing the song until he deemed the musicians ready to record.[5] In his attempt to recreate Lennon's desired sound, Spector had some early tapings feature Lennon and Nicky Hopkins playing in different octaves on one piano. He also initially attempted to record the piano part with Lennon playing the white baby grand in the couple's all-white room. However, after having deemed the room's acoustics unsuitable, Spector abandoned the idea in favour of the superior environment of Lennon's home studio.[6] They completed the session in minutes, recording three takes and choosing the second one for release.[18] The finished recording featured Lennon on piano and vocal, Klaus Voormann on bass guitar, Alan White on drums and the Flux Fiddlers on strings.[19]
Issued by Apple Records in the United States in October 1971, "Imagine" became the best-selling single of Lennon's solo career.[20] It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100[21] and reached number one in Canada on the RPM national singles chart, remaining there for two weeks.[22][23] Upon its release the song's lyrics upset some religious groups, particularly the line: "Imagine there's no heaven".[24] When asked about the song during one of his final interviews, Lennon said he considered it to be as strong a composition as any he had written with the Beatles.[8] He described the song's meaning and explicated its commercial appeal: "Anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic, but because it is sugarcoated it is accepted ... Now I understand what you have to do. Put your political message across with a little honey."[25] In an open letter to Paul McCartney published in Melody Maker, Lennon said that "Imagine" was "'Working Class Hero' with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself".[26] On 30 November 1971, the Imagine LP reached number one on the UK chart.[27] It became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed album of Lennon's solo career.[28]
Film and re-releases[edit]
Lennon's Steinway piano, on which he composed "Imagine"[29]
In 1972, Lennon and Ono released an 81-minute film to accompany the Imagine album which featured footage of the couple in their home, garden and the recording studio of their Berkshire property at Tittenhurst Park as well as in New York City.[30] A full-length documentary rock video, the film's first scene features a shot of Lennon and Ono walking through a thick fog, arriving at their house as the song "Imagine" begins. Above the front door to their house is a sign that reads: "This Is Not Here", the title of Ono's then New York art show. The next scene shows Lennon sitting at a white grand piano in a dimly lit, all-white room. Ono gradually walks around opening curtains that allow in light, making the room brighter with the song's progression.[31] At the song's conclusion, Ono sits beside Lennon at the piano, and they share a quaint gaze, then a brief kiss.[32]
Several celebrities appeared in the film, including Andy Warhol, Fred Astaire, Jack Palance, Dick Cavett and George Harrison. Derided by critics as "the most expensive home movie of all time", it premiered to an American audience in 1972.[30] In 1986, Zbigniew Rybczyński made a music video for the song, and in 1987, it won both the "Silver Lion" award for Best Clip at Cannes and the Festival Award at the Rio International Film Festival.[33]
Released as a single in the United Kingdom in 1975 in conjunction with the album Shaved Fish, "Imagine" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart. Following Lennon's murder in 1980, the single re-entered the UK chart, reaching number one, where it remained for four weeks in January 1981. "Imagine" was re-released as a single in the UK in 1988, peaking at number 45, and again in 1999, reaching number three.[34] It has sold 1,640,000 copies in the UK as of June 2013, making it Lennon's best-selling single.[35] In 1999, on National Poetry Day in the United Kingdom, the BBC announced that listeners had voted "Imagine" Britain's favourite song lyric.[24] In 2003, it reached number 33 as the B-side to a re-release of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)".[36]
Recognition and criticism[edit]
Rolling Stone described "Imagine" as Lennon's "greatest musical gift to the world", praising "the serene melody; the pillowy chord progression; [and] that beckoning, four-note [piano] figure".[8] Included in several song polls, in 1999, BMI named it one of the top 100 most-performed songs of the 20th century.[37] Also that year, it received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award[38] and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[39] "Imagine" ranked number 23 in the list of best-selling singles of all time in the UK, in 2000.[40] In 2002, a UK survey conducted by the Guinness World Records British Hit Singles Book ranked it the second best single of all time behind Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".[41] Gold Radio ranked the song number three on its "Gold's greatest 1000 hits" list.[42]
Rolling Stone ranked "Imagine" number three on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", describing it as "an enduring hymn of solace and promise that has carried us through extreme grief, from the shock of Lennon's own death in 1980 to the unspeakable horror of September 11th. It is now impossible to imagine a world without 'Imagine', and we need it more than he ever dreamed."[8] Despite that sentiment, Clear Channel Communications included the song on its post-9/11 "do not play" list.[43][nb 2]
On 1 January 2005, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation named "Imagine" the greatest song in the past 100 years as voted by listeners on the show 50 Tracks.[45] The song ranked number 30 on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of the 365 Songs of the Century bearing the most historical significance.[45] Virgin Radio conducted a UK favourite song survey in December 2005, and listeners voted "Imagine" number one.[46] Australians selected it the greatest song of all time on the Nine Network's 20 to 1 countdown show on 12 September 2006. They voted it eleventh in the youth radio network Triple J's Hottest 100 Of All Time on 11 July 2009.[47]
Peace & Harmony, John Lennon Peace Monument in Liverpool, England
Jimmy Carter said, "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."[48][nb 3] On 9 October 2010, which would have been Lennon's 70th birthday, the Liverpool Singing Choir performed "Imagine" along with other Lennon songs at the unveiling of the John Lennon Peace Monument in Chavasse Park, Liverpool, England.[50][51] Beatles producer George Martin praised Lennon's solo work, singling out the composition: "My favourite song of all was 'Imagine'".[52] Music critic Paul Du Noyer described "Imagine" as Lennon's "most revered" post-Beatles song.[53] Authors Ben Urish and Ken Bielen called it "the most subversive pop song recorded to achieve classic status".[54] Fricke commented: "'Imagine' is a subtly contentious song, Lennon's greatest combined achievement as a balladeer and agitator."[7]
Urish and Bielen criticised the song's instrumental music as overly sentimental and melodramatic, comparing it to the music of the pre-rock era and describing the vocal melody as understated.[54] According to Blaney, Lennon's lyrics describe hypothetical possibilities that offer no practical solutions; lyrics that are at times nebulous and contradictory, asking the listener to abandon political systems while encouraging one similar to communism.[6] Author Chris Ingham indicated the hypocrisy in Lennon, the millionaire rock star living in a mansion, encouraging listeners to imagine living their lives without possessions.[55] Others argue that Lennon intended the song's lyrics to inspire listeners to imagine if the world could live without possessions, not as an explicit call to give them up.[55] Blaney commented: "Lennon knew he had nothing concrete to offer, so instead he offers a dream, a concept to be built upon."[6]
Blaney considered the song to be "riddled with contradictions. Its hymn-like setting sits uncomfortably alongside its author's plea for us to envision a world without religion."[6] Urish and Bielen described Lennon's "dream world" without a heaven or hell as a call to "make the best world we can here and now, since this is all this is or will be".[54] In their opinion, "because we are asked merely to imagine—to play a 'what if' game, Lennon can escape the harshest criticisms".[54] Former Beatle Ringo Starr defended the song's lyrics during a 1981 interview with Barbara Walters, stating: "[Lennon] said 'imagine', that's all. Just imagine it."[54]
The morning after the November 2015 Paris attacks, German pianist Davide Martello brought a grand piano to the street out in front of the Bataclan, where 89 concertgoers[56] had been shot dead the night before, and performed an instrumental version to honour the victims of the attacks; video of his performance went viral.[57][58] This led Katy Waldman of Slate to ponder why "Imagine" had become so frequently performed as a response to tragedy. In addition to its general popularity, she noted its musical simplicity, its key of C major, "the plainest and least complicated key, with no sharps or flats" aside from one passage with "a plaintive major seventh chord that allows a tiny bit of E minor into the tonic". That piano part, "gentle as a rocking chair", underpins lyrics that, Waldman says, "belongs to the tradition of hymns or spirituals that visualize a glorious afterlife without prophesizing any immediate end to suffering on earth". This understanding is also compounded by the historical context of Lennon's own violent death, "remind[ing] us that the universe can run ramshod over idealistic people". Ultimately, the song "captures the fragility of our hope after a violent or destructive event ... [bu]t also reveals its tenacity".[57]
In June 2017, the National Music Publishers Association awarded "Imagine" a Centennial Song Award and recognized Yoko Ono as a co-author of the song.[59]
Notable performances and cover versions[edit]
In December 1971, Lennon and Ono appeared at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Lennon performed "Imagine" with an acoustic guitar, yielding the earliest known live recording of the song, later included on the John Lennon Anthology (1998).[60] In 1975, he sang "Imagine" during his final public performance, a birthday celebration for Lew Grade.[54]
Elton John performed the song regularly on his world tour in 1980, including at his free concert in Central Park, a few blocks away from Lennon's apartment in the Dakota building.[61] On 9 December 1980, the day after Lennon's murder, Queen performed "Imagine" as a tribute to him during their Wembley Arena show in London.[62] On 9 October 1990, more than one billion people listened to a broadcast of the song on what would have been Lennon's 50th birthday.[63] Ratau Mike Makhalemele covered the song on an EP of Lennon covers in 1990.[64] In 1991–92, Liza Minnelli performed the song in her show at Radio City Music Hall.[65] Stevie Wonder gave his rendition of the song, with the Morehouse College Glee Club, during the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics as a tribute to the victims of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.[66] In 2001, Neil Young performed it during the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes.[67] Madonna performed "Imagine" during the benefit Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope.[68][nb 4] Peter Gabriel performed the song during the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.[70]
Since 2005, "Imagine" has been played prior to the New Year's Eve ball drop at New York City's Times Square.[71] Beginning in 2010, the song has been performed live; first by Taio Cruz, then in 2011 by CeeLo Green and in 2012 by Train. However, Green received criticism for changing the lyric "and no religion too" to "and all religions true", resulting in an immediate backlash from fans who believed that he had disrespected Lennon's legacy by changing the lyrics of his most iconic song.[72] Green defended the change by saying it meant to represent "a world [where you] could believe what [you] wanted".[72] The event got media attention outside of the US, with Britain's The Guardian stating "Lennon's original lyrics don't praise pluralism or interchangeable religious truths – they damn them".[73]
More than 200 artists have recorded cover versions of "Imagine".[74][75] Joan Baez included it on 1972's Come from the Shadows and Diana Ross recorded a version for her 1973 album, Touch Me in the Morning.[76] In 1995, Blues Traveler recorded the song for the Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon album[77] and Dave Matthews has performed the song live with them.[76] A Perfect Circle covered the song for the album eMOTIVe, released in 2004. Dolly Parton recorded the song for her 2005 covers album Those Were the Days.[78] A cover version of the song, performed by Italian singer Marco Carta, entered the top 20 in Italy in 2009, peaking at number 13.[79] Seal, Pink, India.Arie, Jeff Beck, Konono Nº1, Oumou Sangaré and others recorded a version for Herbie Hancock's 2010 album The Imagine Project.[80]
Hancock performed it with Arie, Kristina Train and Greg Phillinganes at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert on 11 December. On 13 February 2011, the recording—with Pink, Seal, Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, India.Arie and Jeff Beck won a Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration.[81]
The song was performed as part of the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Performed by the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir and the Liverpool Signing Choir, the choirs sang the first verse and accompanied Lennon's original vocals during the rest of the song.[82][nb 5] A cover performed by Emeli Sandé was also used by the BBC for a closing montage that ended its coverage.[83] "Imagine" subsequently re-entered the UK Top 40, reaching number 18.[84]
In 2015, American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga performed the song at the 2015 European Games opening ceremony. The song was played for 70,000 people in Baku, Azerbaijan that served as host of the event.[85]
Personnel[edit]
John Lennon – vocals, piano
Klaus Voormann – bass
Alan White – drums
The Flux Fiddlers – strings
Charts and certifications[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Original release[edit]
Chart (1971–1972)
Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)[86] 1
Australia (Kent Music Report)[87] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[88] 12
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[22] 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[89] 4
Germany (Official German Charts)[90] 18
Japan (Oricon)[91] 14
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[92] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[93] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[94] 6
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[95] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[96] 5
US Billboard Easy Listening[97] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[97] 3
US Cash Box[98] 2
US Record World[99] 1
1975 release[edit]
Chart (1975)
Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[100] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[92] 5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[101] 19
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[102] 6
Posthumous releases[edit]
Chart (1981)
Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[87] 43
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[103] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[88] 6
Germany (Official German Charts)[90] 7
Ireland (IRMA)[100] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[93] 5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[104] 23
Norway (VG-lista)[94] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[96] 2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[105] 1
Year
Chart (1986–2013)
Peak
position
1986 US Billboard Top Rock Tracks[97][nb 6] 20
1988 Ireland (IRMA)[100] 29
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[106] 45
1989 Australia (ARIA)[107] 21
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[93] 83
1990 France (SNEP)[108] 88
1994 France (SNEP)[109] 9
1999–2000 Canada (Canadian Singles Chart)[97] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[100] 3
Italy (FIMI)[110] 12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[93] 56
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[111] 5
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[112] 3
2007 Canada (Hot Canadian Digital Singles)[97] 47
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[93] 37
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[96] 59
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[113] 75
US Billboard Hot Digital Songs[97] 47
2008 Australia (ARIA)[114] 94
2010 Australia (ARIA)[114] 85
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[103] 66
Germany (Official German Charts)[90] 94
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[111] 49
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[101] 46
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[96] 50
2012 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[111] 42
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[115] 18
2013 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[111] 44
2015 France (SNEP)[109] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[93] 67
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[111] 40
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[96] 61
2016 France (SNEP)[109] 169
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1971)
Rank
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[116] 15
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[117] 67
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[118] 82
Chart (1972)
Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[119] 19
Japan (Oricon)[91] 98
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[120] 5
Chart (1981)
Rank
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[121] 86
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[122] 70
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[123] 73
Decade-end charts[edit]
Chart (1980–1989)
Rank
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[124] 25
All-time charts[edit]
Chart (1952–2013)
Rank
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[125] 19
Certification and sales[edit]
Region
Certification
Certified units/Sales
Italy (FIMI)[126]
Gold 15,000*
Japan (Oricon Charts)
118,000[91]
United Kingdom (BPI)[127]
Platinum 1,640,000[125]
^shipments figures based on certification alone
See also[edit]
List of anti-war songs
List of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom
List of best-selling singles of the 1980s in the United Kingdom
List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 1971
List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1970s
List of number-one singles of 1971 (Canada)
List of number-one singles of 1975 (Ireland)
List of number-one singles of 1981 (Ireland)
List of number-one hits (Italy)
List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1980s
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ The lyrical content of "Imagine" relates to Lennon's concept of Nutopia: The Country of Peace, which he invented in 1973. Lennon included a symbolically mute anthem to this country on his album Mind Games released later that year.[9]
Jump up ^ In 1991, the BBC restricted "Imagine" from airplay during the Gulf War.[44]
Jump up ^ Yoko Ono dedicated the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland in 2007.[49]
Jump up ^ Madonna included the song in her set list during the 2004 Re-Invention World Tour and released it on the live album and DVD documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret in 2006.[69]
Jump up ^ The first adaptation of the original 8-track recording of "Imagine", Lennon also appeared in video.[82]
Jump up ^ Album track from Live in New York City.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Strawberry Fields". Central Park Conservancy. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
Jump up ^ Shea, Christopher D. (15 June 2017). "Yoko Ono Will Share Credit for John Lennon's 'Imagine'". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b Sheff 1981, pp. 212–13.
Jump up ^ Spizer, Bruce (2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. 498 Productions, LLC. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-9662649-5-1.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Blaney 2007, p. 51.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Blaney 2007, p. 52.
^ Jump up to: a b Fricke 2012, p. 59.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Wenner 2010, p. 13.
Jump up ^ Blaney 2007, p. 82.
Jump up ^ Eyre, Hermione (1 November 2006). "Atheists should be louder and prouder". The Independent. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
Jump up ^ Floman, Scott. "John Lennon – Overview". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Trust, Gary (10 April 2013). "A History Of Hit Piano Ballads On The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Otte, Jef (11 January 2012). "Imagine that: John Lennon fans turn into zealots over Cee Lo's change in lyrics". Westword. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b Lennon 1983, pp. 5–9.
Jump up ^ For the musical notation to "Imagine" see: Lennon 1983, pp. 5–9; for the piano on which Lennon composed "Imagine" see: "George Michael buys Lennon's piano". BBC News Online. 18 October 2000. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
Jump up ^ For Spector co-producing with Lennon and Ono see: Du Noyer 1971, pp. 1–14; for "I always thought that song was like the national anthem" see: Levy 2005, p. 87.
^ Jump up to: a b Blaney 2007, pp. 50–51.
Jump up ^ Fricke 2012, p. 58.
Jump up ^ Blaney 2007, p. 53.
Jump up ^ Roberts 2005, p. 292.
Jump up ^ Blaney 2007, p. 57.
^ Jump up to: a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7536." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. 4 December 1971. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b Harry 2000, p. 382.
Jump up ^ Levy 2005, p. 87.
Jump up ^ Doggett, Peter (2009). You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup (1st US hardcover ed.). Harper. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-06-177446-1.
Jump up ^ Badman, Keith (1999). The Beatles After the Breakup 1970–2000: A Day-by-Day Diary (2001 ed.). Omnibus. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-7119-8307-6.
Jump up ^ Goldman, Albert (1988). The Lives of John Lennon. William Morrow and Company. p. 397. ISBN 1-55652-399-8.
Jump up ^ "George Michael buys Lennon's piano". BBC News Online. 18 October 2000. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Harry 2000, p. 378.
Jump up ^ For a description of the room and Ono opening shutters see: Edmondson, Jacqueline (2010). John Lennon: A Biography. Greenwood. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-313-37938-3. ; for the title of Ono's then New York art show see: Harry 2000, pp. 907–8.
Jump up ^ Norman, Philip (2008). John Lennon: The Life. ECCO (Harper Collins). p. 763. ISBN 978-0-06-075401-3.
Jump up ^ "Artist/VIP gallery: Zbigniew Rybczynski". Polish American Film Society. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
Jump up ^ "John Lennon". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Roberts 2005, p. 292: Lennon's best-selling single; for 1.64 million copies sold in the UK see: Lane, Daniel (27 June 2013). "Daft Punk's Get Lucky becomes one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all-time!". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Roberts 2005, p. 292: The 2003 re-release and peak UK chart position of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"; Blaney 2007, p. 282: "Imagine" as the B-side of the 2003 re-release of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)".
Jump up ^ "BMI Announces Top 100 Songs of the Century". BMI. 13 December 1999. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
Jump up ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame – i". Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
Jump up ^ "Songs that shaped Rock and Roll: "Imagine"". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1999. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
Jump up ^ Morgan-Gan, Theo. "The UK's Best Selling Singles". Ukcharts.20m.com. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
Jump up ^ "Queen rock on in poll". BBC News Online. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
Jump up ^ "Gold's Top 1000: Day 4". Gold. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
Jump up ^ Morello, Tom (1 November 2001). "The New Blacklist: The nation's largest radio network's list of 'questionable' songs". FAIR. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
Jump up ^ Peddie, Ian (2006). The Resisting Muse: Popular Music And Social Protest. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 13. ISBN 0-7546-5114-2.
^ Jump up to: a b Jackson, Andrew Grant (2012). Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles' Solo Careers. Scarecrow Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-8108-8222-5.
Jump up ^ "Virgin Radio All Time Top 500 Songs". Last.fm. 31 December 2005. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Hottest 100 Of All Time 2009". ABC Online. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ Elliott, Debbie (5 November 2006). "Carter helps monitor Nicaragua presidential election". NPR. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
Jump up ^ Marter, Joan (2011). The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art, Volume 1. Oxford University Press. p. 596. ISBN 978-0-19-533579-8.
Jump up ^ "Peace monument unveiled in Liverpool for John Lennon's 70th (VIDEO & PICS)". Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010. . Liverpool Daily Post. 9 October 2010.
Jump up ^ "Imagine... if he was still alive: Sculpture of Peace unveiled to mark John Lennon's life on his 70th birthday". Daily Mail. London. 10 October 2010.
Jump up ^ Coleman, Ray (1992). Lennon: The Definitive Biography (Updated ed.). Harper Perennial. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-06-098608-7.
Jump up ^ Du Noyer 1971, p. 1.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Urish & Bielen 2007, p. 27.
^ Jump up to: a b Ingham 2009, p. 99.
Jump up ^ "Paris attacks: What we know so far". France 24. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b Waldman, Katy (18 November 2015). "Why Do We Always Turn to John Lennon's 'Imagine' After a Violent Tragedy". Slate. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
Jump up ^ ""Imagine" après les attentats : entretien avec le pianiste qui a ému Paris" (in French). Metronews. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
Jump up ^ Aswad, Jem (14 June 2017). "Yoko Ono to Receive Songwriting Credit on John Lennon's 'Imagine'". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
Jump up ^ Blaney 2007, p. 56.
Jump up ^ Bernardin, Claude; Stanton, Tom (1995). Rocket Man: The Encyclopedia of Elton John. Greenwood. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-313-29700-7.
Jump up ^ Sutcliffe, Phil (2009). Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock. Voyageur Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-7603-3719-6.
Jump up ^ "Today in Music History: A look at events from past Oct. 9ths". The Province. 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
Jump up ^ Currin, Brian. "Mike Makhalemele – Mind Games". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
Jump up ^ Holden, Stephen (25 April 1991). "Review/Pop; Liza Minnelli Pays A Musical Tribute". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
Jump up ^ Frey, Jennifer (5 August 1996). "A Curtain Call in Atlanta". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
Jump up ^ Melnick, Jeffrey (2009). 9/11 Culture. Wiley-Blackwel. pp. 39, 61. ISBN 978-1-4051-7372-8.
Jump up ^ Mitchell, Claudia A.; Reid-Walsh, Jacqueline, eds. (2007). Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1. Greenwood. p. 413. ISBN 978-0-313-33909-7.
Jump up ^ For the inclusion of "Imagine" in the set-list for the Re-Invention World Tour, see: Timmerman, Dirk (2007). Madonna Live! Secret Re-inventions and Confessions on Tour. Maklu. p. 27. ISBN 978-90-8595-002-8. and: Mervis, Scott (4 November 2012). "Madonna to perform Tuesday at Consol Energy Center". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 19 November 2012. . For the inclusion of "Imagine" in the DVD documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, see: "Madonna Spilling 'Secrets' In June". Billboard. 27 April 2006. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
Jump up ^ "Gabriel, Pavarotti Participate In Surreal Olympic Opening". Billboard. 10 February 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
Jump up ^ For "Imagine" being played in 2005's New Year's Eve celebration in New York see: Gilmore, Hugh (17 May 2012). "John Lennon's "Imagine" meets the DSM". Chestnut Hill Local. Retrieved 19 October 2012. ; for "Imagine" being played "in its customary spot leading up to midnight" during 2010's New Year's Eve celebration in New York see: "Hello 2010: Huge, Wet Crowd Rings In New Year In Times Square". NY1. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 22 November 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012. . For "Imagine" being played in 2011's New Year's Eve celebration in New York see: Golgowski, Nina (2 January 2012). "Cee Lo Green changes lyrics to Lennon's Imagine to include pro-religion message enraging fans". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (1 January 2012). "Fans angry that Cee Lo changed 'Imagine' lyrics". NBC News. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
Jump up ^ "Cee Lo Green criticised for changing lyrics to John Lennon's Imagine". The Guardian. Baku 2015. 3 January 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
Jump up ^ "Cover versions of Imagine written by John Lennon". Second Hand Songs. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ "Imagine a World With Only Good Covers". UpVenue. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Fricke 2012, p. 63.
Jump up ^ Gnatt, Brian (1 November 1995). "Records". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Dolly Parton – Those Were the Days". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
Jump up ^ "Italiancharts.com – Marco Carta – Imagine". Italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
Jump up ^ Kelman, John (21 June 2010). "Herbie Hancock: The Imagine Project (2010)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
Jump up ^ "Past Winners Search". Grammy.com. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b Makarechi, Kia (12 August 2012). "John Lennon & Closing Ceremony: Video Of Late Beatle Singing 'Imagine' Wows At London Olympics". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
Jump up ^ Holden, Steve (15 August 2012). "Olympics closing ceremony sales boost for music artists". Newsbeat. BBC Online. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
Jump up ^ Szalai, Georg (20 August 2012). "Summer Olympics Opening, Closing Ceremony Performers Rise on U.K. Charts". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
Jump up ^ "Lady Gaga stars in Baku 2015 Opening Ceremony". Baku 2015. 12 June 2015.
Jump up ^ "Go-Set Australian charts – 1 January 1972". Go-Set. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 175. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ Jump up to: a b "Ultratop.be – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7554." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Offiziellecharts.de – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b c Okamoto, Satoshi (2011). Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 4-87131-088-4.
^ Jump up to: a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – John Lennon - Imagine" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Dutchcharts.nl – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b "Norwegiancharts.com – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine". VG-lista. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (L)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Swisscharts.com – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Imagine – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending NOVEMBER 20, 1971". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 20 November 1971. p. 33. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Imagine". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b "Swedishcharts.com – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b "Austriancharts.at – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Charts.org.nz – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "John Lennon: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Australian-charts.com – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Le Détail par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "John Lennon" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Lescharts.com – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ "Italiancharts.com – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Spanishcharts.com – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Imagine" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "RPM 100 Top Singles of '71". RPM. 8 January 1972. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1971" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1971" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 424. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
Jump up ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1972". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1981" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Rice, Tim; Rice, Jonathan; Gambaccini, Paul (1990). Guinness Hits of the 80s. Guinness Publishing. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-85112-398-1.
^ Jump up to: a b Lane, Daniel (27 June 2013). "Daft Punk's Get Lucky becomes one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all-time!". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Italian single certifications – John Lennon – Imagine" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
Jump up ^ "British single certifications – John Lennon – Imagine". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 May 2016. Enter Imagine in the search field and then press Enter.
Bibliography[edit]
Blaney, John (2007). Lennon and McCartney: Together Alone (1st ed.). Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-906002-02-2.
Comfort, Ray (2014). Famous Atheists. ReadHowYouWant. ISBN 978-1-61036-134-7.
Du Noyer, Paul (1971). Imagine (Media notes). John Lennon. Capitol Records.
Ingham, Chris (2009). The Rough Guide to the Beatles (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84836-525-4.
Fricke, David (2012) [2002]. "The Making of 'Imagine'". In Wenner, Jann. John Lennon: The Ultimate Guide to His Life, Music, and Legend. Rolling Stone. ISBN 7-09-893419-4.
Harry, Bill (2000). The John Lennon Encyclopedia. Virgin. ISBN 978-0-7535-0404-8.
Levy, Joe, ed. (2005). Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (First Paperback ed.). Wenner Books. ISBN 978-1-932958-61-4.
Lennon, John (1983). The John Lennon Collection. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-7935-0265-3.
Roberts, David, ed. (2005). British Hit Singles & Albums (18 ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 978-1-904994-00-8.
Sheff, David (1981). Golson, G. Barry, ed. All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono (2000 ed.). St Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-25464-3.
Urish, Ben; Bielen, Ken (2007). The Words and Music of John Lennon. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-99180-7.
Wenner, Jann (2010) [2004]. 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. OCLC 641731526.
Further reading[edit]
Borack, John (2010). John Lennon: Life Is What Happens. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-1-4402-1391-5.
George-Warren, Holly, ed. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (2005 revised and updated ed.). Fireside. ISBN 978-0-7432-9201-6.
Riley, Tim (2011). Lennon: The Man, the Myth, the Music – The Definitive Life. Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-4013-2452-0.
Tillery, Gary (2009). The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon. Quest Books. ISBN 978-0-8356-0875-6.
Wenner, Jann (2000). George-Warren, Holly, ed. Lennon Remembers. Verso. ISBN 1-85984-600-9.
Documentaries[edit]
Yoko Ono, Phil Spector (Producers) (2000). Gimme Some Truth – The Making of John Lennon's "Imagine" (DVD). Capitol. ASIN B000AYELY2.
Andrew Solt (Director) (2005). Imagine: John Lennon (DVD). Warner Home Video. ASIN 6305847118. CS1 maint: ASIN uses ISBN (link)
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Imagine (John Lennon song).
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
[show]
v
t
e
John Lennon
Discography
Song list
Studio albums
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Imagine
Mind Games
Walls and Bridges
Rock 'n' Roll
with Yoko Ono
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins
Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions
Wedding Album
Some Time in New York City
Double Fantasy
Milk and Honey
Live albums
Live Peace in Toronto 1969
Live Jam
Live in New York City
Compilations
Shaved Fish
The John Lennon Collection
Menlove Ave.
Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon
Wonsaponatime
Instant Karma: All-Time Greatest Hits
Acoustic
Peace, Love & Truth
Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon
Power to the People: The Hits
Icon
Box sets
Lennon
John Lennon Anthology
John Lennon Signature Box
Gimme Some Truth
Books
In His Own Write
A Spaniard in the Works
Skywriting by Word of Mouth
Films
Beatles films
Erection (1971)
Sweet Toronto (1971)
Imagine (1972)
John and Yoko: A Love Story (1985)
Imagine: John Lennon (1988)
Two of Us (2000)
In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000)
The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)
The Killing of John Lennon (2006)
Chapter 27 (2007)
I Met the Walrus (2007)
Nowhere Boy (2009)
Lennon Naked (2010)
LennoNYC (2010)
Family
Cynthia Lennon (first wife)
Julian Lennon (son)
Yoko Ono (second wife)
Sean Lennon (son)
Alfred Lennon (father)
Julia Lennon (mother)
Julia Baird (half-sister)
Mimi Smith (aunt)
George Smith (marital uncle)
Related
People/artists
The Quarrymen
The Beatles
Plastic Ono Band
The Dirty Mac
May Pang
Harry Nilsson
John Sinclair
Rosaura Lopez
Albums
Pussy Cats
Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits
A Toot and a Snore in '74
Imagine: John Lennon
Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon
S.I.R. John Winston Ono Lennon
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute: Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC
Lennon Bermuda
Songs
"That's My Life (My Love And My Home)"
"The Immigrant"
"All Those Years Ago"
"Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)"
"Here Today"
"Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)"
"Roll On John"
"The Late Great Johnny Ace"
"Working Class Hero"
Other media
Marx & Lennon: The Parallel Sayings
The Lost Lennon Tapes
Toronto Rock and Roll Revival
Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music (concert)
Lennon (musical)
Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon (DVD)
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
Articles
Death
251 Menlove Avenue
Bagism
Bed-In
The Beatles discography
Nutopia
Lennon–McCartney
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
More popular than Jesus
John Lennon Museum
John Lennon's musical instruments
Songwriting Contest
The Dakota
Strawberry Fields
John Lennon Park
John Lennon Peace Monument
Imagine Peace Tower
LennonOno Grant for Peace
Lennon Wall
Book
Category
[show]
v
t
e
John Lennon singles discography
Lifetime
1969
"Give Peace a Chance" / "Remember Love" (Ono)
"Cold Turkey" / "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)" (Ono)
1970
"Instant Karma!" / "Who Has Seen the Wind?" (Ono)
"Mother" / "Why" (Ono)
1971
"Power to the People" / "Open Your Box" (Ono) (UK)
"Power to the People" / "Touch Me" (Ono) (US)
"Imagine" / "It's So Hard" (US)
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" / "Listen, the Snow Is Falling" (Ono)
1972
"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" / "Sisters O Sisters" (Ono)
1973
"Mind Games" / "Meat City"
1974
"Whatever Gets You thru the Night" / "Beef Jerky"
"#9 Dream" / "What You Got"
"Ya Ya" / "Be-Bop-A-Lula" (Germany only)
1975
"Stand by Me" / "Move Over Ms. L"
"Imagine" / "Working Class Hero" (UK)
1977
"Stand by Me" / "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" (reissue) (US)
1980
"(Just Like) Starting Over" / "Kiss Kiss Kiss" (Ono)
Posthumous
1981
"Woman" / "Beautiful Boys" (Ono)
"Watching the Wheels" / "Yes, I'm Your Angel" (Ono) (UK)
"Watching the Wheels" / "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" (US)
1982
"Love" / "Give Me Some Truth"
1984
"Nobody Told Me" / "O' Sanity" (Ono)
"Borrowed Time" / "Your Hands" (Ono)
"I'm Stepping Out" / "Sleepless Night" (Ono)
"Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" / "It's Alright" (Ono)
1985
"Jealous Guy" / "Going Down on Love"
1986
"Rock and Roll People" (promo)
1998
"I'm Losing You" (promo)
Unreleased
1972
"The Luck of the Irish" / "Attica State" (release pulled after receiving an Apple catalogue number)
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British pop songs
Compositions in C major
Pop ballads
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Anti-war songs
Songs critical of religion
Inspirational songs
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
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The Polar Express (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Polar Express
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Robert Zemeckis
Produced by
Steve Starkey
Robert Zemeckis
Gary Goetzman
William Teitler
Screenplay by
Robert Zemeckis
William Broyles, Jr.
Based on
The Polar Express
by Chris Van Allsburg
Starring
Tom Hanks
Daryl Sabara
Nona Gaye
Jimmy Bennett
Eddie Deezen
Michael Jeter
Music by
Alan Silvestri
Cinematography
Don Burgess
Robert Presley
Edited by
R. Orlando Duenas
Jeremiah O'Driscoll
Production
company
Castle Rock Entertainment[1]
Shangri-La Entertainment[1]
ImageMovers[1]
Playtone[1]
Golden Mean Productions[1]
Distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures[1]
Release date
October 21, 2004 (2004-10-21) (Chicago International
Film Festival)
November 10, 2004 (2004-11-10) (United States)
Running time
100 minutes[2]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$165 million[2][3]
Box office
$309.8 million[2]
The Polar Express is a 2004 American 3D computer-animated Christmas musical fantasy film based on the 1985 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, who also served as one of the executive producers on the film. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film features human characters animated using live action motion capture animation.
The film stars Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen, with Tom Hanks in six distinct roles. The film also included a performance by Tinashe at age 9, who later gained exposure as a pop singer in the 2010s, as the CGI-model for the female protagonist.
Castle Rock Entertainment produced the film in association with Shangri-La Entertainment, ImageMovers, Playtone, and Golden Mean for Warner Bros. Pictures, as Castle Rock's first animated production. The visual effects and performance capture were done at Sony Pictures Imageworks. The film was made with a budget of $165 million, a record-breaking sum for an animated feature at the time.
The film was released in both conventional and IMAX 3D theaters on November 10, 2004. It grossed $309 million worldwide, and was later listed in the 2006 Guinness World Book of Records as the first all-digital capture film. The film also marks Michael Jeter's last acting role before his death, and the film was thus dedicated to his memory.[4]
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Architecture
3.2 Polar Express Locomotive
4 IMAX 3D version
5 Home media release
6 Soundtrack
7 Reception
7.1 Critical response
7.2 Box office
7.3 Awards and honors
8 The "Polar Express Experience"
9 Video game
10 See also
11 References
12 External links
Plot[edit]
On the night of Christmas Eve, a Grand Rapids, Michigan boy is growing bitterly skeptical of the existence of Santa Claus. As he struggles to sleep, he is roused by the arrival of a steam locomotive on the street outside his home, and dons his robe to investigate, tearing the robe's pocket as he retrieves it. Outside, the train's conductor (Tom Hanks) introduces the train as the Polar Express, bound for the North Pole. The boy initially declines to board, but jumps aboard the train as it pulls away.
In a passenger car, he befriends a spirited and amicable girl, and a condescending know-it-all. The train stops to pick up an impoverished child, Billy, who also declines to board; Billy changes his mind, and the boy applies the emergency brake to allow him to catch up to the train, much to the conductor's chagrin. As Billy sits alone in the train's rear dining car, hot chocolate is served in the passenger car, and the girl saves her hot chocolate for Billy. As she and the conductor cross to the dining car, the boy notices she left her ticket behind unpunched, but loses hold of the ticket between the cars when he attempts to return it. The ticket reeenters the passenger car, but not before the conductor notices its absence and escorts the girl back to the rear car.
The know-it-all claims that the conductor will jettison the girl from the back of the train; the boy recovers the ticket and dashes to the dining car in search of the conductor, climbing onto the roof from the rear platform. He meets a hobo camping on the roof, who offers him coffee and discusses the existence of Santa Claus and belief in ghosts. The hobo skis with the boy along the tops of the cars towards the train's coal tender, where the hobo disappears. Here, the boy discovers that the girl has been made to supervise the locomotive while engineers Steamer and Smokey replace the train's headlight. The train is forced to stop while the conductor disperses a herd of caribou, whereupon the engineers return to the cabin and the boy, girl and conductor remain on the catwalk on the front of the locomotive. The throttle's split pin sheers off, causing the train to accelerate uncontrollably down a 179-degree grade and onto a frozen lake, where the engineers repair the throttle with a hairpin and drift the train to realign it with the tracks. The boy returns the girl's ticket, and as the three return to the passenger car, the boy is accosted by an Ebenezer Scrooge marionette (controlled by the hobo), taunting him and calling him a doubter.
The train finally arrives at the North Pole, where the conductor announces that one of the passengers will be chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas, from Santa himself. The girl discovers Billy still alone in the rear car, and she and the boy persuade him to come along; however, the boy accidentally unhitches the car, sending it back along the line to a railway turntable in Santa's workshop. The children sneak through an elf command center and a gift sorting office before accidentally being dumped into Santa's sack, where they discover that the know-it-all stowed away along with them, hoping to open his Christmas presents early. The elves rescue them as Santa arrives, and the boy grows frustrated, unable to see Santa through the crowd. A jingle bell flies loose from the galloping reindeers' reins; the boy initially cannot hear it ring, until he finds it within himself to believe. He returns the bell to Santa as he passes, and Santa selects the boy to receive the first gift of Christmas. The boy asks to keep the jingle bell, and places it in his robe pocket.
The children all board the Polar Express to return home, but the boy discovers that the pocket was torn and that the bell had fallen out. He returns home and awakens Christmas morning to find a present containing the bell. He holds it to his ear and shakes it; his parents, not believing in Santa, lament how the bell is "broken".
Cast[edit]
This film marks the final performance of actor Michael Jeter; Jeter died the year before the film's release.
Tom Hanks as the Hero Boy (motion-capture only), the Hero Boy's father, the Conductor, the Hobo, Santa Claus, and the Narrator
Daryl Sabara as the Hero Boy (voice)
Josh Hutcherson as the Hero Boy (additional motion-capture)
Leslie Zemeckis as Sister Sarah (motion-capture only) and the Hero Boy's mother
Isabella Peregrina as Sister Sarah (voice)
Ashly Holloway as Sister Sarah (additional motion-capture)
Eddie Deezen as Know-It-All
Jimmy 'Jax' Pinchak as Know-It-All (additional motion-capture)
Nona Gaye as the Hero Girl
Chantel Valdivieso as the Hero Girl (additional motion-capture)
Meagan Moore as the Hero Girl (singing voice)
Tinashe as the Hero Girl (motion-capture modeling)
Peter Scolari as Billy the Lonely Boy (motion-capture only)
Hayden McFarland as Billy the Lonely Boy (additional motion-capture)
Jimmy Bennett as Billy the Lonely Boy (voice)
Matthew Hall as Billy the Lonely Boy (singing voice)
Dylan Cash as Boy on Train (voice)
Brendan King and Andy Pellick as the Pastry Chefs
Josh Eli, Rolandas Hendricks, Jon Scott, Sean Scott, Mark Mendonca, Mark Goodman, Gregory Gast, and Gordon Hart as the Waiters
Andre Sogliuzzo as Smokey and Steamer (voice)
Michael Jeter as Smokey and Steamer (motion-capture only)
Chris Coppola as Gus the Toothless Boy and an Elf
Connor Matheus as the Toothless Boy (additional motion-capture)
Julene Renee as the Red Head Girl and an Elf
Phil Fondacaro, Debbie Lee Carrington, Mark Povinelli, and Ed Gale as Elves
Charles Fleischer as the Elf General
Steven Tyler as the Elf Lieutenant and the Elf Singer
Dante Pastula as the Little Boy
Eric Newton, Aidan O'Shea, Aaron Hendry, Kevin C. Carr, Bee Jay Joyer, Jena Carpenter, Karine Mauffrey, Beth Carpenter, Bill Forchion, Devin Henderson, and Sagiv Ben-Binyamin as Acrobatic Elves
Evan Sabara as a Young Boy (additional motion-capture)
Production[edit]
Architecture[edit]
Administration building of the Pullman Palace Car Company
The buildings at the North Pole refer to a number of buildings related to American railroading history. The buildings in the square at the city's center are loosely based on the Pullman Factory in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood.[5]
Polar Express Locomotive[edit]
Pere Marquette locomotive 1225, the basis for the Polar Express.
The locomotive featured in the film is an American 2-8-4 Berkshire type steam locomotive, with a cowcatcher, modeled after the Pere Marquette 1225, which had spent many years on static display near Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University, where Chris Van Allsburg recalled playing on the engine when attending football games as a child.[6]
In July 2002, Warner Bros. approached the engine's owner, the Steam Railroading Institute, to study the engine.[7] The engine in the film is modeled from the PM #1225's drawings and the sounds from recordings made of the 1225 operating under steam.[8] The whistle, however, was taken from Sierra Railway #3.
IMAX 3D version[edit]
In addition to standard theatrical 35mm format, a 3-D version for IMAX was also released, generated from the same 3-D digital models used for the standard version.[9]
Home media release[edit]
The film was released on DVD as separated widescreen and full-screen versions in single and two-disc special editions (with bonus features) and on VHS on November 22, 2005, one year after the film came out.[10] It was released on Blu-ray with bonus features and presented in the original widescreen aspect ratio on October 30, 2007.
Soundtrack[edit]
Main article: The Polar Express (soundtrack)
Performer(s)
Title
Length
Tom Hanks "The Polar Express" 3:25
Matthew Hall & Meagan Moore "When Christmas Comes to Town" 4:07
Steven Tyler "Rockin' on the Top of the World" 2:35
Josh Groban "Believe" 4:18
Tom Hanks "Hot Chocolate" 2:33
Alan Silvestri "Spirit of the Season" 2:34
Frank Sinatra "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" 2:35
Alan Silvestri "Seeing Is Believing" 3:47
Bing Crosby "White Christmas" 3:05
The Andrews Sisters "Winter Wonderland" 2:43
Perry Como &The Fontane Sisters "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" 2:40
Kate Smith "Silver Bells" 2:39
Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" 3:04
Alan Silvestri "Suite from the Polar Express" 6:02
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11] On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 55% based on 202 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Though the movie is visually stunning overall, the animation for the human characters isn't lifelike enough, and the story is padded."[12] Despite the polarized reception from critics, The Polar Express has been popular among audiences. The Independent reported in 2011 that the film "is now seen by many as a classic".[13] CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade.[14]
Roger Ebert gave the film his highest rating of four stars, saying, "There's a deeper, shivery tone, instead of the mindless jolliness of the usual Christmas movie." And "It has a haunting, magical quality ..." Acknowledging comments by other reviewers, Ebert said, "It's a little creepy. Not creepy in an unpleasant way, but in that sneaky, teasing way that lets you know eerie things could happen."[15] Richard Roeper gave a glowing review to the film as well, saying that it "remains true to the book, right down to the bittersweet final image."[this quote needs a citation] James Berardinelli gave it a 3.5/4, stating that it is "a delightful tale guaranteed to enthrall viewers of all ages", and ranked it as the 10th best film of 2004.[16]
The character design and animation were criticized for dipping into the uncanny valley.[17] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film a 1 out of 4 stars, and called it "a failed and lifeless experiment in which everything goes wrong".[18] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon gave the film 1.5 stars out of 5 and said, "I could probably have tolerated the incessant jitteriness of The Polar Express if the look of it didn't give me the creeps."[19] Geoff Pevere of the Toronto Star stated, "If I were a child, I'd have nightmares. Come to think of it, I did anyway."[20] Paul Clinton from CNN called it "at best disconcerting, and at worst, a wee bit horrifying".[21]
Box office[edit]
The film opened at #2 and earned $23,323,463 from approximately 7,000 screens at 3,650 theaters, for a per-theater average of $6,390 and a per-screen average of $3,332 in its opening weekend. It also brought in a total of $30,629,146 since its Wednesday launch. The weekend total also included $2,100,000 from 59 IMAX theaters, for an IMAX theater average of $35,593, and had a $3,000,000 take since Wednesday. In its second weekend, it grossed another $15,668,101, averaging $4,293 from 3,650 venues and boosting the 12-day cumulative to $51,463,282 and over Thanksgiving weekend made another $19,389,927, averaging $5,312 from 3,650 venues and raising the 19-day cumulative to $81,479,861.[citation needed] The film has made $185,618,322 domestically (including IMAX re-releases), and $124,140,582 overseas for a total worldwide gross of $309,758,904.[2]
The film had its network TV premiere on ABC, December 1, 2006. The airing brought in 13.2 million viewers, winning its timeslot and ranking 20th in the Nielsen ratings that week, according to TVTango.com.
Awards and honors[edit]
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards:
Best Sound Editing (Randy Thom and Dennis Leonard)
Best Sound Mixing (Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis S. Sands and William B. Kaplan)
Best Original Song for "Believe."[22]
The film was nominated at the 3rd Visual Effects Society Awards in the category of "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture."[23]
In 2008, the American Film Institute nominated The Polar Express for its Top 10 Animated Films list.[24]
The "Polar Express Experience"[edit]
In November 2007, SeaWorld Orlando debuted the Polar Express Experience, a Motion Simulator ride based on the film. The attraction is a temporary replacement for the Wild Arctic attraction. The building housing the attraction was also temporarily re-themed to a railroad station and ride vehicles painted to resemble Polar Express passenger cars. The plot for the ride revolves around a trip to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Guests feel the motion of the locomotive as well as the swinging of the train on ice and feeling of ice crumbling beneath them. The attraction was available until January 1, 2008,[25] and is now open annually during the Christmas season.
The 4D film, distributed by SimEx-Iwerks, has been shown at other amusement parks around the world including Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Dollywood (during the annual Smoky Mountain Christmas event), Vancouver Aquarium (2009 — 2010),[26] and Warner Bros. Movie World (during the White Christmas events in 2010 and 2011).
Video game[edit]
Main article: The Polar Express (video game)
A video game based on the film was released on November 26, 2004 for GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2 and Windows, developed by Blue Tongue Entertainment and published by THQ.[27][28] The plot of the game is more different than the film version. Within this time, the Ebenezer Scrooge puppet who is set as the main antagonist of the game, attempts to prevent the children from believing in Santa Claus by stealing their tickets and trying to stop the children for reaching the North Pole.[29][30]
See also[edit]
List of 3D films
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "The Polar Express". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "The Polar Express". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2017-01-03.
Jump up ^ Grover, Ronald (19 October 2001). "Can Polar Express Make the Grade?". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
Jump up ^ Rooney, David (October 24, 2004). "Review: 'The Polar Express'". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Ridin' the reels". The Chicago Tribune. October 7, 2007. p. 2. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
Jump up ^ Detroit Free Press,November 4, 2004 "Meet Chris Van Allsburg"
Jump up ^ "Steam Railroading Institute History". Steam Railroading Institute. Retrieved August 23, 2015. July 2002: Warner Brothers arranges to use 1225’s image in “The Polar Express,”...
Jump up ^ Mills, Rcik (May 22, 2015). "Iconic steam engine offering rides from Mt. Pleasant". The Morning Sun. Retrieved August 23, 2015. The 1225’s blueprints were used as the prototype for the locomotive image, and its sounds were used to bring the Polar Express to life.
Jump up ^ B., Brian (November 23, 2011). "The Polar Express In IMAX 3D Returns to Theaters This Holiday Season". MovieWeb. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
Jump up ^ amazon.com, "The Polar Express (VHS)". Accessed December 20, 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Polar Express". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
Jump up ^ "The Polar Express (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
Jump up ^ "The 175m flop so bad it could end the 3D boom". The Independent. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
Jump up ^ Pamela McClintock (August 19, 2011). "Why CinemaScore Matters for Box Office". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (November 9, 2004). "The Polar Express". Roger Ebert Reviews. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
Jump up ^ Berardinelli, James. "Polar Express, The (United States, 2004)". ReelViews.net. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
Jump up ^ Page-Kirby, Kristen (2015-05-07). "'The D Train' isn't actually about trains. But these 5 movies are". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
Jump up ^ Travers, Peter (2004-11-18). "The Polar Express". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
Jump up ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (2004-11-10). "The Polar Express". Salon. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
Jump up ^ Herman, Barbara (2013-10-30). "The 10 Scariest Movies and Why They Creep Us Out". Newsweek. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
Jump up ^ Clinton, Paul (2004-11-10). "Review: 'Polar Express' a creepy ride". CNN. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
Jump up ^ "Academy Awards Database: 2004 (77th)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
Jump up ^ "3rd Annual VES Awards". Visual Effects Society. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
Jump up ^ "AFI'S 10 Top 10 - Official Ballot" (PDF). AFI. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
Jump up ^ "The Polar Express Experience at SeaWorld Orlando Begins This Friday, November 12th.." Visit Tampa Bay. November 10, 2010. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
Jump up ^ "Polar Express 4-D Experience". November 30, 2009.
Jump up ^ Adams, David (May 4, 2004). "Pre-E3 2004: THQ Announces Lineup". IGN. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
Jump up ^ "PlayStation Games & Media - Polar Express". PlayStation. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
Jump up ^ Casamassina, Matt (November 8, 2004). "The Polar Express (GCN, PS2)". IGN. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
Jump up ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (May 12, 2004). "The Polar Express E3 2004 Preshow First Look". GameSpot. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
External links[edit]
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