# Imagine (John Lennon album)
**Imagine** is the second studio album by [John Lennon](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-lennon), recorded and released in 1971, and it is considered the most popular of his solo works.[1](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/imagine-lp) Credited to John Lennon Plastic Ono Band (with The Flux Fiddlers) and produced by John and [Yoko Ono](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoko-ono) with [Phil Spector](https://www.edgepedia.org/phil-spector), the album followed the raw, confessional *John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band* of December 1970 with fuller arrangements and richer melodies.[2](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine/) Its title track became the best-selling single of Lennon's solo career and, in his own words, "the best song I've ever written."[3](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/anti-religious-anti-nationalistic-anti-conventional-anti-capitalistic-but-because-it-is-sugarcoated-it-is-accepted-the-song-john-lennon-called-the-best-ive-ever-written-and-yoko-onos-uncredited-contribution)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist and number | John Lennon's second studio album[1](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/imagine-lp) |
| Released | 9 September 1971 (UK); October 1971 (US)[4](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-sang-it-to-yoko-phil-spector-and-a-few-people-and-they-always-winced-i-decided-to-change-it-the-words-were-silly-anyway-how-john-lennon-created-one-of-his-greatest-post-beatles-songs-with-a-little-help-from-yoko) |
| Producers | John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Phil Spector[2](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine/) |
| Recorded | Principally at Ascot Sound Studios, Lennon's home studio at Tittenhurst Park, with main sessions from late May into July 1971 and string overdubs at the Record Plant, New York, on 4 July 1971[5](https://www.beatlesbible.com/1971/05/27/recording-imagine-oh-yoko-john-lennon/) |
| Chart performance | Number one in the UK, US, Norway, Japan, Italy, Holland, and Australia[4](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-sang-it-to-yoko-phil-spector-and-a-few-people-and-they-always-winced-i-decided-to-change-it-the-words-were-silly-anyway-how-john-lennon-created-one-of-his-greatest-post-beatles-songs-with-a-little-help-from-yoko) |
| Title song | Number three on the US Billboard Hot 100; UK number one after Lennon's December 1980 death[6](https://memory.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/imagine.pdf) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/jan/07/features.review57) |
| Standing | Lennon's best-selling solo album; voted 80th on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2012[8](https://www.albumclassics.com/reviews/imagine) • [1](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/imagine-lp) |
## Background
A year after the Beatles broke up, Lennon's life had not settled: lawyers were dividing the remains of the band while he and Yoko Ono traveled to Japan and to the United States. His first post-Beatles album, *John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band*, had earned critical praise but only muted sales, and Lennon concluded that he was at heart a populist whose ideas needed to be framed in music listeners loved. The new record, he said, was an attempt at maximum communication.[2](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine/) Lennon himself described the result as "Plastic Ono with chocolate coating."
## Recording
**Ascot Sound Studios.** Lennon and Ono built a studio in the basement of their home at [Tittenhurst Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/tittenhurst-park), near Ascot in [Berkshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/berkshire), so they could record without the scheduling constraints of [Abbey Road](https://www.edgepedia.org/abbey-road); the engineer who helped build it called it the first professional home studio in the UK.[9](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/imagine-this-how-john-lennon-and-george-harrison-teamed-up-to-record-a-classic-album-in-1971) • [3](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/anti-religious-anti-nationalistic-anti-conventional-anti-capitalistic-but-because-it-is-sugarcoated-it-is-accepted-the-song-john-lennon-called-the-best-ive-ever-written-and-yoko-onos-uncredited-contribution) Sessions began as early as February 1971, and the main album sessions ran from late May into July.[10](https://www.solobeatlesstudios.com/history-design-of-ascot-sound-studios) • [4](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-sang-it-to-yoko-phil-spector-and-a-few-people-and-they-always-winced-i-decided-to-change-it-the-words-were-silly-anyway-how-john-lennon-created-one-of-his-greatest-post-beatles-songs-with-a-little-help-from-yoko)
The core band was [Klaus Voormann](https://www.edgepedia.org/klaus-voormann) on bass and [Alan White](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-white-yes-drummer), later the longtime drummer of Yes, on drums, with session pianist [Nicky Hopkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicky-hopkins) contributing on several tracks.[3](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/anti-religious-anti-nationalistic-anti-conventional-anti-capitalistic-but-because-it-is-sugarcoated-it-is-accepted-the-song-john-lennon-called-the-best-ive-ever-written-and-yoko-onos-uncredited-contribution) White recalled that Lennon made the musicians read and understand the lyrics of every song before they played it.[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOgFZfRVaww)
**The title track.** Lennon recorded a solo demo of "Imagine" on 23 May 1971, and the album version was taped on 27 May in ten takes, with the final attempt becoming the master.[12](https://www.beatlesbible.com/1971/05/23/recording-imagine-john-lennon/) • [5](https://www.beatlesbible.com/1971/05/27/recording-imagine-oh-yoko-john-lennon/) The string arrangement, scored by Torrie Zito, was overdubbed at the Record Plant in New York on 4 July 1971 by members of the [New York Philharmonic](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-philharmonic) whom Lennon called the Flux Fiddlers.[5](https://www.beatlesbible.com/1971/05/27/recording-imagine-oh-yoko-john-lennon/) Spector's role was deliberately limited: John and Yoko had all tracks recorded dry, without built-in reverb, which later made the album easier to remix with clarity.[13](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine-the-ultimate-collection/)
## Songs and themes
The ten-track album runs from the piano-led plea for a world without borders, religion, or possessions in "Imagine" through the confessional "[Jealous Guy](https://www.edgepedia.org/jealous-guy)," the attack on [Paul McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-mccartney) in "How Do You Sleep?" (whose lyrics include "The only thing you done was yesterday/And since you've gone, you're just another day"), and the affectionate closer "Oh Yoko!", described on Lennon's official site as possibly the happiest thing he ever committed to record.[2](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine/) • [14](https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/1971/09/john-lennons-imagine-album-released-with-references-to-ram/) All songs were written by Lennon except "Imagine" and "Oh My Love," credited to John Lennon and Yoko Ono.[2](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine/)
The title song drew its concept from Ono's 1964 book *Grapefruit*, whose instructional poems include "Cloud Piece": "Imagine the clouds dripping, dig a hole in your garden to put them in." Lennon said in one of his last interviews that the song "should be credited as a Lennon/Ono song" because much of the lyric and concept came from Yoko, though at the time he had not acknowledged her contribution; the original 1971 album credited only Lennon.[6](https://memory.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/imagine.pdf) • [15](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/singles/imagine/) He also cited a [Christian prayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-prayer) book given to him in 1969 by the comedian and activist [Dick Gregory](https://www.edgepedia.org/dick-gregory) as a source of the song's idea of "positive prayer."
## Release and reception
The album was released in the UK on 9 September 1971 and in the US the following month, topping the charts in the UK, US, Norway, Japan, Italy, Holland, and Australia.[4](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-sang-it-to-yoko-phil-spector-and-a-few-people-and-they-always-winced-i-decided-to-change-it-the-words-were-silly-anyway-how-john-lennon-created-one-of-his-greatest-post-beatles-songs-with-a-little-help-from-yoko) Released as a single on 11 October 1971, "Imagine" reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the bestselling single of Lennon's solo career.[3](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/anti-religious-anti-nationalistic-anti-conventional-anti-capitalistic-but-because-it-is-sugarcoated-it-is-accepted-the-song-john-lennon-called-the-best-ive-ever-written-and-yoko-onos-uncredited-contribution) • [6](https://memory.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/imagine.pdf) It was not issued as a British single until 1975, and it only reached number one in the UK after Lennon's murder in December 1980.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/jan/07/features.review57)
**Critical reception.** Rolling Stone's original 1971 review by Ben Gerson was the harshest of the major notices, judging the record in its "technical sloppiness and self-absorption" inferior to *Plastic Ono Band*; other publications found the album uneven but praised "Jealous Guy" as a standout.[8](https://www.albumclassics.com/reviews/imagine) • [4](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-sang-it-to-yoko-phil-spector-and-a-few-people-and-they-always-winced-i-decided-to-change-it-the-words-were-silly-anyway-how-john-lennon-created-one-of-his-greatest-post-beatles-songs-with-a-little-help-from-yoko) Over time the album's commercial and critical standing moved in opposite directions: it remains Lennon's best-selling solo album, and its reputation has grown rather than faded.[8](https://www.albumclassics.com/reviews/imagine) In 2012 Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" ranked it 80th.[1](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/imagine-lp) The title song was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2023, where the registry essay calls it the genre's most influential anti-war song.[6](https://memory.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/imagine.pdf)
## Later releases
The album has been remastered and remixed repeatedly. A 2010 remaster was prepared by a team led by Allan Rouse at [Abbey Road Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/abbey-road-studios) and George Marino at Avatar Studios in New York.[1](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/imagine-lp) For 2018's *Imagine – The Ultimate Collection*, triple Grammy-winning engineer Paul Hicks remixed the album from high-definition transfers of the original multitracks under the supervision of Yoko Ono Lennon, and the box set added the 1971 quadraphonic mix, outtakes, raw studio recordings, and an evolution documentary.[13](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine-the-ultimate-collection/) A 50th-anniversary limited-edition white 2LP followed, pairing the 2018 stereo mix with album outtakes.[16](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/john-lennon-imagine-limited-edition-white-vinyl-d2c-exclusive) Lennon and Ono also filmed the 1971 sessions, producing a conceptual film titled *Imagine* and, from the remaining footage, the Grammy-winning documentary *Gimme Some Truth: The Making of the Imagine Album*.[13](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine-the-ultimate-collection/)
## References
1. [Imagine LP, John Lennon Official Store](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/imagine-lp)
2. [Imagine – John Lennon Plastic Ono Band (with The Flux Fiddlers), johnlennon.com](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine/)
3. ["The song John Lennon called 'the best I've ever written'", MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/anti-religious-anti-nationalistic-anti-conventional-anti-capitalistic-but-because-it-is-sugarcoated-it-is-accepted-the-song-john-lennon-called-the-best-ive-ever-written-and-yoko-onos-uncredited-contribution)
4. ["How John Lennon created one of his greatest post-Beatles songs", MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-sang-it-to-yoko-phil-spector-and-a-few-people-and-they-always-winced-i-decided-to-change-it-the-words-were-silly-anyway-how-john-lennon-created-one-of-his-greatest-post-beatles-songs-with-a-little-help-from-yoko)
5. [Recording: Imagine, Oh Yoko! by John Lennon, The Beatles Bible](https://www.beatlesbible.com/1971/05/27/recording-imagine-oh-yoko-john-lennon/)
6. ["Imagine" – John Lennon (1971), National Recording Registry essay, Library of Congress](https://memory.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/imagine.pdf)
7. ["Imagine is your No 1", The Observer](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/jan/07/features.review57)
8. [Imagine at 55: John Lennon Album Review, Album Classics](https://www.albumclassics.com/reviews/imagine)
9. ["How John Lennon and George Harrison Teamed Up to Record a Classic Album in 1971", Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/imagine-this-how-john-lennon-and-george-harrison-teamed-up-to-record-a-classic-album-in-1971)
10. [History & Design of Ascot Sound Studios](https://www.solobeatlesstudios.com/history-design-of-ascot-sound-studios)
11. [Imagine (Ultimate Mix) official video, John Lennon YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOgFZfRVaww)
12. [Recording: Imagine by John Lennon, 23 May 1971, The Beatles Bible](https://www.beatlesbible.com/1971/05/23/recording-imagine-john-lennon/)
13. [Imagine – The Ultimate Collection, johnlennon.com](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/imagine-the-ultimate-collection/)
14. [John Lennon's "Imagine" album released, with references to "Ram", The Paul McCartney Project](https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/1971/09/john-lennons-imagine-album-released-with-references-to-ram/)
15. ['Imagine' single page, johnlennon.com](https://www.johnlennon.com/music/singles/imagine/)
16. [Imagine (Limited Edition White Vinyl), John Lennon Official Store](https://store.johnlennon.com/products/john-lennon-imagine-limited-edition-white-vinyl-d2c-exclusive)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Indie and alternative albums › Studio albums of the 1970s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license