John Lennon Anthology cover

John Lennon Anthology

John Lennon · 1998

267 min · 94 tracks · hard rock · pop rock · psychedelic rock

A sprawling collection of raw demos and live performances showcasing Lennon's unfiltered introspection and socio-political commentary.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • raw introspection in every track
  • dynamic exploration with interludes
  • wave-like pacing throughout sessions
  • live performances capturing spontaneity
  • thought-provoking socio-political commentary

Maybe skip if you want

  • prefer concise, standalone tracks
  • seek polished studio productions

Where this album fits

Themes
anti-war activism· raw emotional vulnerability· working-class critique
Career context
Released in 1998, 'John Lennon Anthology' arrived nearly two decades after Lennon's tragic death in 1980. This comprehensive retrospective spans his solo career, presenting unreleased materials, home recordings, and live tracks that illuminate his artistic evolution from Beatles icon to outspoken solo artist. It marked a significant moment in celebrating his legacy, coinciding with renewed interest in his music due to changing cultural landscapes.
Stylistic neighbors
David Bowie· Paul McCartney· George Harrison
Sounds like this from elsewhere
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall by Bob Dylan — Shares raw emotional vulnerability and socio-political commentary in a live context.
Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen — Both feature introspective lyrics and a focus on the human experience through a poetic lens.
The Buddha of Suburbia by David Bowie — Explores themes of identity and societal critique with an experimental approach in production.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Working Class Hero 4:21
  • 2 God 3:33
  • 3 I Found Out 3:48
  • 4 Hold On 0:44
  • 5 Isolation 3:47
  • 6 Love 2:45
  • 7 Mother 3:49
  • 8 Remember 2:46
  • 9 Imagine (take 1) 3:23
  • 10 “Fortunately” 0:19
  • 11 Baby Please Don’t Go 4:05
  • 12 Oh My Love 2:56
  • 13 Jealous Guy 4:11
  • 14 Maggie Mae 0:53
  • 15 How Do You Sleep? 5:22
  • 16 God Save Oz 3:28
  • 17 Do the Oz 3:11
  • 18 I Don’t Want to Be a Soldier 5:20
  • 19 Give Peace a Chance 1:53
  • 20 Look at Me 2:52
  • 21 Long Lost John 2:15

Disc 2

  • 1 New York City 0:56
  • 2 Attica State (live) 4:28
  • 3 Imagine (live) 3:09
  • 4 Bring On the Lucie 4:08
  • 5 Woman Is the Nigger of the World 0:39
  • 6 Geraldo Rivera – One to One Concert 0:40
  • 7 Woman Is the Nigger of the World (live) 5:15
  • 8 It’s So Hard (live) 3:09
  • 9 Come Together (live) 4:20
  • 10 Happy Xmas 3:32
  • 11 Luck of the Irish (live) 3:41
  • 12 John Sinclair (live) 3:43
  • 13 The David Frost Show 0:54
  • 14 Mind Games (I Promise) 1:02
  • 15 Mind Games (Make Love, Not War) 1:15
  • 16 One Day at a Time 3:14
  • 17 I Know 3:13
  • 18 I’m the Greatest 3:37
  • 19 Goodnight Vienna 2:45
  • 20 Jerry Lewis Telethon 2:00
  • 21 “A Kiss Is Just a Kiss” 0:12
  • 22 Real Love 4:14
  • 23 You Are Here 4:56

Disc 3

  • 1 What You Got 1:16
  • 2 Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out 5:39
  • 3 Whatever Gets You Through the Night (home) 0:38
  • 4 Whatever Gets You Through the Night (studio) 3:34
  • 5 Yesterday (parody) 0:34
  • 6 Be Bop a Lula 2:53
  • 7 Rip It Up / Ready Teddy 2:32
  • 8 Scared 5:04
  • 9 Steel and Glass 4:47
  • 10 Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox) 2:59
  • 11 Bless You 4:15
  • 12 Going Down on Love 0:54
  • 13 Move Over Ms. L 3:10
  • 14 Ain’t She Sweet 0:28
  • 15 Slippin’ and Slidin’ 2:27
  • 16 Peggy Sue 1:19
  • 17 Bring It On Home to Me / Send Me Some Lovin’ 3:51
  • 18 Phil and John 1 2:14
  • 19 Phil and John 2 2:01
  • 20 Phil and John 3 0:55
  • 21 “When in Doubt, Fuck It” 0:10
  • 22 Be My Baby 4:33
  • 23 Stranger’s Room 3:18
  • 24 Old Dirt Road 3:54

Disc 4

  • 1 I’m Losing You 4:06
  • 2 Sean’s “Little Help” 0:58
  • 3 Serve Yourself 3:49
  • 4 My Life 2:35
  • 5 Nobody Told Me 3:32
  • 6 Life Begins at 40 2:24
  • 7 I Don’t Wanna Face It 3:31
  • 8 Woman 4:02
  • 9 Dear Yoko 2:35
  • 10 Watching the Wheels 3:05
  • 11 I’m Stepping Out 4:19
  • 12 Borrowed Time 3:58
  • 13 The Rishi Kesh Song 2:27
  • 14 Sean’s “Loud” 0:34
  • 15 Beautiful Boy 4:12
  • 16 Mr. Hyde’s Gone (Don’t Be Afraid) 2:41
  • 17 Only You 3:25
  • 18 Grow Old With Me 3:19
  • 19 Dear John 2:14
  • 20 The Great Wok 3:14
  • 21 Mucho Mungo 1:25
  • 22 Satire 1 2:21
  • 23 Satire 2 4:35
  • 24 Satire 3 0:47
  • 25 Sean’s “In the Sky” 1:22
  • 26 It’s Real 1:05

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata