Did Death Resurrect John Lennon’s Career?

Last year at this time I, reflected on John Lennon and the career he might have had if Yoko Ono had not interfered in his life. After a year to reflect, I am offering this opinion of Lennon’s career at the time Mark Chapman, the lunatic fan, had not ended Lennon’s life. Buddy Holly, Jimmy Croce, Harry Chapin were all tragic losses to thew world of music. Strangely, we know what happened to Waylon Jennings’ musical career because he gave up his seat on Buddy Holly’s ill-fated plane. John Lennon is an interesting”what if” case because of his place at the top of rock’s pantheon. A look back at the times, will put his death in perspective.

Few remember that he was trying to make a musical comeback. Lennon was a great lyric writer and Paul McCarthy wrote memorable melodies and combined, they are among the best pop song writers of all time. Once that collaboration ended, they both remained very good craftsman, but not anywhere near as outstanding. After the Beatles broke up and with the ever-present Yoko Ono at Lennon’s side, the result was glimpses of his dingy childhood in the form of some musical primal scream therapy. The melodies were so so, with the exception of “Imagine.”

Many people tie his signature song “Imagine” to his death but he had released that song previously and three weeks before he was murdered, released the “Double Fantasy” album (November 19, 1980). That album contained a few good “tunes” but nothing worthy of his former Beatle greatness. Yoko’s seven songs probably had a lot to do with dragging the 14-song compilation down in the eyes of the critics, one of whom called the album “a self-obsessed disaster.”  In a rush to buy the last album of John Lennon, sales immediately after his death, pushed “Double Fantasy” to the top of the charts, despite the presence of several “clunkers” on the album.

On October 17, Bruce Springsteen released the “River,” far superior in so many ways to Lennon’s effort. It debuted at number one and held that spot until Lennon was murdered. One proof of the popularity of “The River” was that the album stayed number two to Lennon’s number one for a solid year. After Lennon’s album finally faded, Bruce’s album stayed number one for several more months, when the sentimental shine finally wore off of “Double Fantasy.” Quite a feat for Springsteen.  I remember feeling at the time, Bruce’s album would have been number one for those 18 months,  with Double Fantasy”somewhere  in the top 20 or 30 during that same time.