“Imagine”
Single by John Lennon from the album Imagine
B-side	It's So Hard [US] Working Class Hero [UK]
Released	11 October 1971 24 October 1975
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	1971
Genre	Pop, Blues
Length	3:01
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	John Lennon
Producer	Phil Spector, John Lennon and Yoko Ono
John Lennon singles chronology
"Power to the People" (1971) "Imagine"/"It's So Hard" (USA, 1971) "Happy Xmas (War is Over)"/"Listen, the Snow is Falling" (1971)
"Stand by Me" (1975) "Imagine"/"Working Class Hero" (UK, 1975) "(Just Like) Starting Over" (1980)

"Imagine" is a song by John Lennon, which appears on his 1971 album, Imagine. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Imagine is John Lennon 's second solo Album and is considered the most popular of his solo works A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A gramophone A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Parlophone is a Record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Harvey Philip Spector (born December 26 1940) is an American Record producer and Songwriter. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born " Power to the People " is a song recorded by John Lennon at Ascot Sound Studios in London England and released on 12 March 1971 "It's So Hard" is a Song written and performed by John Lennon which first appeared on his 1971 Album Imagine " Stand by Me " is the title of a song performed by Ben E " Working Class Hero " is a song from John Lennon 's first post- Beatles solo album 1970's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Events February 5 - Eric Burdon & War disbanding They never performed togeather again until April 21 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall Imagine is John Lennon 's second solo Album and is considered the most popular of his solo works

The song was produced by Phil Spector. Harvey Philip Spector (born December 26 1940) is an American Record producer and Songwriter. It was released as a single in the same year, and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard charts, and number six in the United Kingdom. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine voted "Imagine" the third greatest song of all time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[1] Former U.S. president 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. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 "^[2]

In the book Lennon in America, written by Geoffrey Giuliano, Lennon commented that the song was "an anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic song, but because it's sugar-coated, it's accepted. Geoffrey Giuliano (born September 11, 1953) is an American author radio personality and film actor best known for his biographies of The Beatles members Criticism of religion involves Criticism of the concept of Religion, the validity of religion the practice of religion and the consequences of religion Anti-nationalism is the idea that Nationalism is undesirable or even dangerous in one form or another and sometimes though less often the idea that all nationalism is dangerous A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted Standards norms social norms or criteria, often taking the form of Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements ideas and attitudes which oppose Capitalism. "^[3] Lennon also described it as "virtually the Communist Manifesto". Manifesto of the Communist Party ( often referred to as The Communist Manifesto, was first published on February 21, 1848, and is ^[4]

The lyrics were thought to be inspired by Lennon's hopes for a more peaceful world, though their origins are not known for certain. In 1963 Lennon penned the lyrics to "I'll Get You" with an opening verse of, "Imagine I'm in love with you, it's easy cause I know. " I'll Get You " is a song by The Beatles. The song is primarily a John Lennon composition although there is some possibility that the middle eight was co-written " The first verse of "Imagine" would seem to be a reworking of this. But the song's refrain may have been partly inspired by Yoko Ono's poetry, in reaction to her childhood in Japan during World War II. born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including According to The Guardian, primordial versions of the song's refrain can be found in her 1965 book Grapefruit, where she penned lines such as, "imagine a raindrop" and "imagine the clouds dripping. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. The year 1965 in literature involved some significant events and new books "^[5]

Composition and lyrical intent

The following is a quote by John Lennon on the message of "Imagine", interviewed by David Sheff for Playboy magazine in 1980:

Sheff: On a new album, you close with "Hard Times Are Over (For a While)". Why?
Lennon: It's not a new message: "Give Peace a Chance" — we're not being unreasonable, just saying, "Give it a chance. " With "Imagine," we're saying, "Can you imagine a world without countries or religions?" It's the same message over and over. And it's positive. ^[6]

Yoko Ono said that the lyrical content of "Takinsi" was "just what John believed — that we are all one country, one world, one people. He wanted to get that idea out. "^[7]

Nutopia The Country of Peace

Nutopia is a conceptual country created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on April Fool's Day 1973. The term "concept" is traced back to 1554–60 ( l conceptum - something conceived but what is today termed "the classical theory of concepts" is the theory of Aristotle This article is about the informal holiday For other uses see April Fool. This nation was supposed to live up to the standards set by the song "Imagine".

In the official declaration of Nutopia, it is stated that it

"has no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people. A passport is a document issued by a national government which certifies for the purpose of international travel the identity and nationality of its holder Nutopia has no laws other than cosmic. All people of Nutopia are ambassadors of the country. An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country Citizenship of the country can be obtained by declaration of your awareness of Nutopia. "

The flag of Nutopia has only one colour: white. A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Some criticized this association with surrender, but Lennon & Ono defended that association, saying that only through surrender and compromise can peace be achieved. U2 later adopted the Nutopian flag as a part of their live performance of the political songs from their third album, War, an example of this can be seen on the video version of U2's live album Under a Blood Red Sky, during the famous performance of their song "Sunday Bloody Sunday", which, interestingly, shares the same title as a song from Lennon's album Some Time in New York City. War is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2, released on. Under a Blood Red Sky is the name of both a Live album and Concert Video recorded by the rock band U2, released in " Sunday Bloody Sunday " is the opening track and third single from U2 's 1983 album War. Some Time in New York City was released in 1972 and is John Lennon 's third post- Beatles album fifth with Yoko Ono and third with producer

The seal of Nutopia is a picture of the marine animal of the same name. A seal can mean a wax seal bearing an impressed figure or an embossed figure in paper with the purpose of authenticating a document but the term can also mean any device for Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising The "Nutopian International Anthem" was included on John Lennon's album Mind Games, and consisted of a few seconds of silence. The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of Mind Games is John Lennon 's fourth post- Beatles solo album and was recorded and released in 1973

A plaque engraved with the words "NUTOPIAN EMBASSY" was duly installed at their home at the Dakota. The Dakota, constructed from October 25, 1880 to October 27, 1884, is an Apartment building located on the northwest corner of It is believed that the whole affair was a jibe at Lennon's ongoing immigration troubles, as he and Ono tried to move to the United States. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term (Ono already had a Resident Alien "green card" through her previous husband, Tony Cox. A United States Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, is an Identification card attesting to the Permanent resident status of an Alien Lennon had been denied permanent residence status. )

In 2006 a Nutopia website^[8] was created by Lions Gate Entertainment,^[9] the producers of the documentary "The U.S. Versus John Lennon. Lionsgate redirects here For other meanings see Lions' Gate (disambiguation‎. The US vs John Lennon is a 2006 Documentary film about British Musician John Lennon 's transformation from a member of The "

Criticism

Despite its popularity, "Imagine" has received critiques over the years, some of which have perceived the lyrics in a negative light, typically in response to how ironic or even hypocritical that such a rich man as Lennon would write "Imagine. "

Journalist and broadcaster Robert Elms said "Imagine" was written by a "multi-millionaire with one temperature-controlled room in his Manhattan mansion just to store his fur coats. Robert Elms (born June 12 1959 is an English writer broadcaster and D "^[10] Elvis Costello also commented satirically on the song in "The Other Side of Summer", wherein he asks the question, "Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine no possessions'?"

Lennon, during an interview with Playboy magazine, was criticized on a similar note for his wealth, and defended himself by pointing out how difficult it is to leave a materialist world behind once you are caught up in it, comparing this to leaving the Beatles:

PLAYBOY: "Why does anyone need $150,000,000? Couldn't you be perfectly content with $100,000,000? Or $1,000,000?"

LENNON: "What would you suggest I do? Give everything away and walk the streets? The Buddhist says, 'Get rid of the possessions of the mind. Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus 25 August 1954 is an English Musician and Singer-songwriter, with Irish ancestry " The Other Side of Summer " is a song by English musician Elvis Costello. ' Walking away from all the money would not accomplish that. It's like the Beatles. I couldn't walk away from the Beatles. That's one possession that's still tagging along, right? If I walk away from one house or 400 houses, I'm not gonna escape it. "^[11]

Some have been critical of the song's anti-religion stance, and some artists have even changed the line "and no religion too" into "and one religion too" in their cover versions (The change itself has faced criticism from people who agree the anti-religious message. )

Legacy

The Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, New York

Accolades

• In 1999, BMI named "Imagine" as one of the top 100 most performed songs of the 20th century. Strawberry Fields is a 25-acre landscaped section in New York City 's Central Park that is dedicated to the memory of musician John Lennon. See also 1999 in music (UK Musical groups established in 1999 Record Broadcast Music Incorporated ( BMI) is a US Performing rights organization.
• Lennon's original recording of "Imagine" appears 23rd in the list of best-selling singles in the UK issued in 2002.
• In November 2004, ranked 3rd on Rolling Stone's list of the RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
• 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. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 50 Tracks is a Canadian radio program which aired on CBC Radio One in 2004.
• The song ranked #30 on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of the 365 Songs of the Century bearing the most historical significance. The " Songs of the Century " list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA the National Endowment for the Arts
• Virgin Radio conducted a UK favourite song survey in December 2005, and Imagine was voted into top spot, beating Beatles songs "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be". Virgin Radio is a brand owned by the Virgin Group used by a number of different radio stations worldwide under licence from Virgin The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 " Hey Jude " is a song by the English rock band The Beatles that was recorded in 1968 "Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single and as the Title track of their album Let It Be.
• The song was voted the greatest song of all time by the Nine Network's 20 to 1 countdown show in Australia on September 12, 2006. The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney 20 to 1 is an Australian television series hosted by Bert Newton that counts down Australian Pop culture 's most defining moments For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• The song was voted #30 in the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA). The " Songs of the Century " list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA the National Endowment for the Arts

Cultural legacy

• The song is referenced in George Harrison's song "All Those Years Ago". George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 was an English rock Guitarist Singer - Songwriter, Author " All Those Years Ago " is a song written by George Harrison, released as a single from the album Somewhere in England. One of the lines is "You were the one who imagined it all, all those years ago. "
• The song was used in the last sequence of the 1984 film The Killing Fields. The Killing Fields is a 1984 British film drama about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
• The song was performed during a show commemorating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek. Star Trek is a Science fiction Television series created by Gene Roddenberry that aired from September 8, 1966 through
• In 1990, the song was featured in the Quantum Leap episode "The Leap Home" and is also on the soundtrack of the series. Quantum Leap is an American science fiction television series that ran for 96 episodes from March 1989 to May 1993 on the NBC network This version, however is performed by the show's star, Scott Bakula. Scott Stewart Bakula (born October 9, 1954) is an American Actor.
• The lyrics to the song were featured in an episode of WKRP dealing with censorship. WKRP in Cincinnati ( 1978 &ndash 1982) is an American Situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling
• When the Liverpool airport was named after Lennon, a phrase from the song, "above us only sky", was painted on the ceiling of the terminal. When commenting on this, the panel of Have I Got News for You joked that the baggage handlers' motto was taken from the same song: "Imagine no possessions". Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC.
• A mosaic was constructed as a part of the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, New York City, near Lennon's final home, in memory of the singer. Strawberry Fields is a 25-acre landscaped section in New York City 's Central Park that is dedicated to the memory of musician John Lennon. Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually In the centre of the mosaic is the word "Imagine".
• "Imagine" is the official song of the human rights organization Amnesty International. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled An organization (or organisation &mdash see spelling differences) is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals which controls its own performance and Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to
• A humorous telling of this song's origin appears in Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump is a 1994 Comedy film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and the name of the title character The main character, Forrest, is a guest on The Dick Cavett Show alongside John Lennon. The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several Talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various Television networks including Forrest recounts his experiences playing ping pong in China; he claims that the Chinese do not have much stuff ("no possessions") and, unlike him, do not go to church every Sunday (which Lennon interprets as "no religion too"), to which Dick Cavett responds, "It's hard to imagine", and Lennon says, "Well it's easy if you try". China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National
• "Imagine" and other songs by John Lennon were used in the movie Mr. Holland's Opus. Mr Holland's Opus is a 1995 Drama film in which Richard Dreyfuss plays Glenn Holland a musician and composer who takes a teaching job (1995)
• On January 30, 2003, the song was played to wake up the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Columbia during its ill-fated mission. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Space Shuttle Columbia ( NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy Space shuttle in NASA 's The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disintegrated over Texas
• In 2005, post-hardcore band Thrice released a b-side from their album Vheissu called "Lullaby". Thrice is an American band from Irvine California. The group was founded in 1998 by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi while A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s Vheissu is the fourth studio album by Thrice. It was released on October 18 2005 by Island Records and peaked at #15 on The Billboard The song is a response to "Imagine". Though Thrice lyricist Dustin Kensrue is an admitted fan of Lennon, he has stated that he disagrees with the message of the song because it doesn't offer any realistic solutions to world problems.
• The song was WABC-AM 's final song before switching to its current NewsTalkRadio format. WABC (770 kHz known as "NewsTalkRadio 77" is a radio station in New York City.
• The song was included in the list of songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• In 2003, Bill Clinton joined Liel and 40 Jewish and 40 Arab children at the 80th birthday of Shimon Peres in Tel Aviv to sing "Imagine". William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Liel Kolet (ליאל קולט in Hebrew) born on July 11, 1989 in Kibbutz Kineret is an Israeli singer (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel ^[12]
• In the Iranian left movement, the song usually relates to Mansoor Hekmat and his party, the Worker-Communist Party of Iran. Mansoor Hekmat (منصور حکمت original name Zhoobin Razani; June 4 1951 - July 4 2002) was an Iranian Marxist The Worker-Communist Party of Iran (حزب کمونیست کارگری ایران is a political party that seeks the revolutionary overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran The WPI plays the song in all of its meetings and demonstrations, and in its TV channel. Within Iran, the song is sometimes sung in protests and symbolizes the left movement, especially the WPI. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.
• George Galloway quoted the line I'm Not the Only One for the title of his autobiography. George Galloway (born 16 August 1954 in Dundee) is a Scottish Politician, author and talkshow host noted for his Left-wing views confrontational style
• On November 18, 2006, UFC fighter and known anarchist Jeff Monson used "Imagine" as his walk in/entrance song for his heavyweight title fight against Tim Sylvia at UFC 65: Bad Intentions in Sacramento, California. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC is a US -based Mixed martial arts (MMA organization currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world Jeffrey 'Jeff' "The Snowman" Monson (born January 18, 1971) is a Mixed martial arts fighter from Olympia Washington. Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5 1976) is an American professional Mixed martial arts (MMA fighter
• On New Years Eve at the start of 2006, 2007 and 2008, "Imagine" was played in Times Square, New York City in the minutes before the clock struck midnight. New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year and the day before New Year's Day. Times Square is a major intersection in Manhattan, New York City at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West The City of New York
• The song is a popular choice for students learning the piano.
• Some artists, disagreeing with the song's anti-religion stance, have changed the line "and no religion too" into "and one religion too" in their cover versions.
• Ozzy Osbourne's song "Dreamer" may reference this and other songs by Lennon, most notably the title, which seems to echo the line, "You may say I'm a dreamer". John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born December 3 1948) is a British singer "Dreamer" is the third track from Ozzy Osbourne 's album Down to Earth, which was released on 16 October 2001.
• Aviv Geffen's song "Shir Tikva" ("Hope Song"), also known as "Bo'u Nitz'ad LaHalom" ("Let's Walk Towards the Dream") is considered "The Israeli Imagine". Aviv Geffen (אביב גפן born May 10 1973) is an Israeli rock musician Singer, Songwriter, producer, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.
• Sometimes Bill Hicks used to say at the end of certain skits, "I'm a dreamer, man, a fookin' dreamer, but I'm not the only one," obviously interpreting a British dialect. William Melvin Hicks ( December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian.
• Ben & Jerry's offers a brand of ice cream called "Imagine Whirled Peace," which contains chocolate peace symbols. B&J redirects here For the beverage company see Bartles and Jaymes. Ice cream or ice-cream (originally iced cream) is a frozen dessert made from Dairy products such as Milk and Cream, combined ^[13]

Cover interpretations

• Pitbull, Nas & John Legend add vocals to the song. Armando Christian Pérez, better known by his stage name Pitbull, or his other nicknames Lil' Chico or Mr Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper John Stephens (born December 28, 1978) better known by his Stage name John Legend, is a Grammy Award winning American soul
• Khaled and Noa released an Arabic and Hebrew duo cover of "Imagine" and released it in Khaled's album Kenza. Khaled Hadj Brahim (born 29 February 1960) better known as Khaled (خالد حاج ابراهيم is a Raï singer-songwriter and Achinoam Nini ( Hebrew: Aẖinóʻam Nini also known by her professional name Noa, is Israel's leading international concert Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Kenza is a 1999 studio Album by Khaled. The album was named after Khaled 's second daughter Kenza
• Bassist Jeff Berlin covered the song on his 1997 album "Taking Notes". Jeff Berlin (born January 17, 1953) is an American electric bass player
• Joan Baez has recorded and performed the song numerous times throughout her career. Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941 in Staten Island, New York) an American Folk singer and Songwriter known She first included it on her 1972 album Come from the Shadows, and often includes it in her concert set lists. Come From the Shadows was a 1972 album by Joan Baez. After recording for the independent label Vanguard for more than a decade Baez signed with
• Dana covered Imagine on her 1980 album Everything is Beautiful. Dana Rosemary Scallon (born Rosemary Brown on 30 August 1951 is better known simply as Dana, an Irish singer and former politician
• Diana Ross covered the song on her 1973 album Touch Me in the Morning. Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Touch Me in the Morning is a 1973 album released by American singer Diana Ross on the Motown label
• Tommy Emmanuel did an instrumental cover version of Imagine on his album Determination. Tommy Emmanuel (born 31 May 1955) is an Australian Guitarist, best known for his incredibly complex Fingerpicking style energetic
• American R&B/soul singer, Tracie Spencer, remade the song for her 1988 self-titled debut album. Tracie Spencer (born July 12 1976 is an American pop / R&B Singer-songwriter, Actress, and model. " Imagine " is a song by John Lennon, which appears on his 1971 album Imagine. Tracie Spencer is the self titled debut album of the American R&B singer Tracie Spencer released in 1988 The song did moderately well in the USA, hitting #31 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts. She was only 11 years old when the album was released.
• Tutu-Tutu covered the song in the Teleton 2004
• In 1995, the band Oasis used a piano section from "Imagine" at the start of "Don't Look Back in Anger", from their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
• Late singer Eva Cassidy has a version of the song on her 2002 album Imagine. See also 1995 in music (UK Musical groups established in 1995 Record Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Music video The video for the song features Patrick Macnee, the actor who played John Steed in the 1960s Television series The Avengers Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2 1963 – November 2 1996 was an American Vocalist known for her interpretations of Jazz, Blues, folk, gospel Imagine is an Album by American Singer Eva Cassidy. Released in 2002, six years after her death it was her second UK no Although not released as a single, it appeared on Now That's What I Call Music! 53 the same year. This article describes an album in the UK Now! series It should not be confused with similarly or identically-titled albums belonging to different "Now!" series The album was released in November, the month Cassidy died six years earlier.
• In 2004, alternative rock band A Perfect Circle covered the song on their third album, eMOTIVe. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of A Perfect Circle ( APC) is an Alternative rock supergroup formed by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan Emotive (typeset as eMOTIVe on the album is the third album by American Alternative rock band A Perfect Circle. This song is significantly darker and gloomier than the original version.
• Scottish harpist and singer Katie Targett Adams recorded "Imagine" on her 2004 album K:T:A. ^[14]
• Canadian rock musician Allison Crowe, who performs the song in concert, recorded "Imagine" for release on her 2005 double-album, Live at Wood Hall. Allison Louise Crowe (born November 16, 1981) is a Canadian Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist and Pianist from Live at Wood Hall is the fourth Album release from Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Crowe.
• Dolly Parton recently released a cover of the song (2006), in a duet with David Foster. Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American Country music Singer / Songwriter, Author, actress This is a list of notable events in Music that took place in the year 2006. David Walter Foster, OC, OBC, LLD (born November 1, 1949 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada The video for Parton's cover of the song featured vintage footage of Lennon and Yoko Ono.
• Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil covered the song on his 2004 live album, "Eletracústico"
• The Venezuelan band Cachicamo con Caspa has a Latin-feel cover on their A Pulir la Hebilla album. Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (born June 26 1942 better known as Gilberto Gil (ʒiu̯berto ʒiu̯ is a Brazilian singer Guitarist, and songwriter Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the
• A 2005 song by artist RX featured George W. Bush "singing" a mixture of Lennon's "Imagine" and Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side". George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Lewis Allan Reed (born March 2 1942 is an American rock Singer-songwriter and Guitarist. "Walk on the Wild Side" is a Lou Reed song from his 1972 second solo album Transformer.
• Avril Lavigne, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson & Me'Shell NdegéOcello each recorded versions of the song for the 2007 John Lennon tribute album, "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. Avril Lavigne Whibley (born September 27 1984 better known by her birth name of Avril Lavigne (ˈævrɨl ləˈviːn is a Canadian Grammy Award Jack Johnson may refer to Jack Johnson (boxer (1878–1946 African-American boxer Jack Johnson (musician (born 1975 Hawaii-born singer-songwriter-director-surfer Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country Singer-songwriter and Actor. Michelle Lynn Johnson (born August 29, 1968, in Berlin, Germany) better known as Meshell Ndegeocello, is an American Instant Karma The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is a compilation album of various artists covering songs of John Lennon to benefit "
• Vagrants on Parade, a Port Coquitlam ska band, did a cover entitled; Imagine: John Lennonism. Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born
• Blues Traveler did a version for the 1995 Lennon tribute album Working Class Hero. Blues Traveler is an American rock band formed in Princeton New Jersey in 1987 Working Class Hero is a 1995 tribute album to Beatles singer/songwriter John Lennon.
• Mari Nallos covered the song on her 2006 album "The Crystal Voice of Asia. Marri Nallos is a Ballad, Jazz, pop singer from the Philippines

Notable live cover interpretations

Over the years a lot of artists performed the song at their live shows, although much of these were not released on albums. Below are listed some of the more notable.

• The band Queen performed this song a few times in 1980 right after Lennon's death. Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist On July 15, 2005, Queen + Paul Rodgers performed the song live in Hyde Park as a tribute to the victims of the London terrorist attacks. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Queen + Paul Rodgers collaboration began in late 2004 when Queen were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame Hyde Park is one of the largest Parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner The 7 July 2005 London bombings (also called the 7/7 bombings) were a series of coordinated bomb blasts that hit London's public transport system during
• In 1983, David Bowie covered the song live during a concert in Hong Kong on the Anniversary of Lennon's Death as a tribute to him. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger.
• Elton John covered this song during his 1980 tour (including his legendary performance at the Central Park), shortly before Lennon's death. Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually
• Randy Crawford covered this song in a live version, available on some of her samplers like "The ultimate collection" or "best of album"
• Stevie Wonder performed "Imagine" on August 4, 1996 at the 1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. Randy Crawford (born Veronica Crawford February 18 1952, in Macon Georgia) is an American Jazz and R&B Singer. Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13 1950 name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) is an Events 70 - The Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International Almost ten years later on February 10, 2006 Peter Gabriel performed the song at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950 in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English Musician and Songwriter. The Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics ( Torino 2006) was held on February 10, 2006 beginning at 2000 CET (1900
• Alternative rock band Live covered the song many times during their 1999 tour for their album The Distance to Here. Live (ˈlaɪv rhymes with "five" (also typeset as LIVE) is an American Alternative rock / Post-grunge band from York, The Distance to Here is an album by Live, released in 1999 " The Dolphin's Cry " was its most popular single followed closely by " Their version was notably heavier at parts in typical Live. style.
• Neil Young covered the song at the America: A Tribute to Heroes concert^[15] on September 21, 2001. Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician America A Tribute to Heroes was a Benefit concert organized by actor George Clooney and broadcast ^[16] The words he sang were "Imagine no possessions / I wonder if I can".
• On 15 January 2005, Madonna performed a live cover-version of John Lennon's "Imagine" (which was also part of her "The Re-Invention Tour" in 2004) at the NBC Benefit Telethon "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope". Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American The Re-invention World Tour was the sixth world Concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, visiting North America and Europe The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Tsunami Aid A Concert of Hope was a worldwide benefit held for the Tsunami victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake.
• American hard rock band Guns N' Roses performed an instrumental cover live in concert, with guitarist Slash performing the piano arrangement on guitar. Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965 more widely known by his stage name Slash, is an English - African American Guitarist best known as the former
• Eva Cassidy recorded the song before her death at age 33; the album was entitled, "Imagine". Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2 1963 – November 2 1996 was an American Vocalist known for her interpretations of Jazz, Blues, folk, gospel
• Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol, performed the song during the show's special Idol Gives Back episode on April 24, 2007. Blake Colin Lewis (born July 21, 1981) is an American Singer-songwriter, beatboxer and philanthropist who was the runner-up The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on January 16, 2007 and ran until May 23, American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Its studio version was later released on the American Idol official website and in the American Idol Season 6: The Collector's Edition, the compilation of the studio versions of song performed by the finalists of Idol. Not to be confused with Fox Interactive Fox Interactive Media (FIM oversees the Internet business operations of media giant News Corporation The Studio albums in the American Idol compilation series are annual television soundtracks for the television show American Idol. A compilation album is an Album ( Music or Spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or multiple Recording artists, often culled from a variety of
• David Archuleta performed Eva Cassidy's cover of this song for the top 20 of American Idol Season 7 on February 26, 2008, though it was not credited on the show. David James Archuleta (born December 28 1990 is an American singer Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2 1963 – November 2 1996 was an American Vocalist known for her interpretations of Jazz, Blues, folk, gospel The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition began on January 15, 2008 and concluded Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common He again performed the song on the season 7 finale on May 20, 2008. In both performances, he notably sings only the third verse of the song beginning with 'imagine no possessions. . ' and repeats the chorus several times.

Madonna version

“Imagine”
Single by Madonna
Released	January 15, 2005
Format	Digital download
Recorded	London, England
Genre	Live
Length	3:28
Label	Connect. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music com, Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	John Lennon
Madonna singles chronology
"Love Profusion" (2004) Imagine (2005) "Hung Up" (2005)

"Imagine" is a digital single release by pop singer Madonna. Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American " Love Profusion " is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 9th studio album American Life. " Hung Up " is a pop song written by American singer-songwriter Madonna, Stuart Price, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American It was released on digital download only by Sony Music's connect. Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies com on January 15, 2005. It was recorded live during the TV benefit special Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope shown on a number of channels in the United States. Tsunami Aid A Concert of Hope was a worldwide benefit held for the Tsunami victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake. ^[17]

Song information

Madonna had originally performed the song during the 2004 Re-Invention Tour as part of her set list. The Re-invention World Tour was the sixth world Concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, visiting North America and Europe This live performance was released via Sony's connect. com to raise money for the American Red Cross to help in their effort with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake disaster which struck on December 26, 2004. The American Red Cross (also known as the American National Red Cross) is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance disaster relief and education inside The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. ^[18]Another live version of the song appears on the 2006 live album I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, recorded during the 2004 tour. I'm Going to Tell You a Secret is the first live album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on June 20 2006 by Warner Bros

Tsunami Aid benefit

Eighteen musical acts have performed in NBC Universal's "Tsunami Aid" benefit special, which raised money for the American Red Cross's relief efforts. NBC Universal is a media and Entertainment company formed in May 2004 by the combination of General Electric 's NBC with Vivendi Universal The American Red Cross (also known as the American National Red Cross) is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance disaster relief and education inside The show began with Morgan Freeman relating tales of survival and hope from the tsunami, followed by Madonna's performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" live from London. Morgan Porterfield Freeman Jr (born June 1 1937 is an Academy Award -winning American actor Film director and Narrator. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Playing with Madonna were Monte Pittman, Stuart Price and Steve Sidelnyk, the musicians who played guitars, keyboards and drums of her Drowned World and Re-Invention tours. Stuart David Price (born in Paris, 9 September 1977) is a British Electronic musician songwriter and producer whose Remixing

Track listing

"Imagine" (live) 3:28

Lawsuit for unauthorised use

The controversial satirical documentary film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, which promotes intelligent design creationism and depicts science as atheistic, uses part of the song with a claim that Lennon was promoting atheism while showing film clips of Joseph Stalin and Chinese communist party troops as the lyrics "and no religion too" are superimposed against the images. Expelled No Intelligence Allowed is a controversial 2008 independent Documentary film promoting Intelligent design. Intelligent "Creationism" can also refer to Creation myths in general or to a concept about the origin of the soul. Atheism Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the The producers of the film, Premise Media, failed to seek a license for use of the music or the permission of the copyright holder, John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono,^[19][20] who filed a lawsuit. born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. ^[21] The producers of the film responded by saying that they had only used 25 seconds of Imagine and this constituted fair use under American copyright law. Fair use is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders such as use for ^[19][22]

References

External links

• John Lennon and Neil Young: Jammin' with Neil - covered on "Tribute to Heroes" (9/11/2001) by Neil Young