John Lennon

For a man who tirelessly wrote, sang and
campaigned for peace and harmony among his
fellow humans, something fitting grew out of the
cruel tragedy of John Lennon ’s death. On the final
sales charts of 1980, some three weeks after his
murder, John’s music united the world, in both grief
and celebration of his work. On both of Billboard’s
main surveys for December 27, 1980, Lennon
climbed to No. 1.

‘(Just Like) Starting Over,’ his first new chart
record in five years, had made its debut on the
November 1 chart, wasting no time with an
unusually high debut straight into the top 40, at
No. 38. The magazine’s review of the single
described it as “a tune that is reminiscent of rock
‘n’ roll from the late 1950s. [Lennon’s] voice has
never sounded better as he glides along steadily
and gracefully with a solid melody line and pop-
sounding material.” Yoko Ono’s b-side ‘Kiss Kiss
Kiss’ was described as a “peppery and cute
selection.”

The single was comfortably inside the top ten
before the end of November, climbing to No. 32 and
then racing to No. 10. But there’s no doubt that
the sense of horror and outrage at Lennon’s
senseless death propelled both the single and its
parent album to greater heights. In the final chart
of the year, ‘Starting Over’ replaced Kenny Rogers’
‘Lady’ at No. 1, to start a five-week run at the top.
‘Double Fantasy,’ credited to both John and Yoko
and featuring seven new songs by each, was
similarly welcomed by most reviewers. The media
picked up on and enjoyed the sense of renewal and
survival in the pair’s long relationship. By late
November, Billboard was listing the album as a
“top national add-on” at album radio, alongside
Steely Dan’s ‘Gaucho,’ Rod Stewart ’s ‘Foolish
Behaviour’ and Heart’s ‘Greatest Hits Live.’
The album duly made its chart debut at No. 25,
climbing to No. 12 and then 11. The sickening
events outside the Dakota Building of December 8
made their full impact on the final charts of the
year, and ‘Double Fantasy’ raced to No. 1. Kenny
Rogers was again the artist to give way, as John &
Yoko’s final new work together started an eight-
week reign, and the album became a triple platinum
memorial.

Listen to ‘(Just Like) Starting Over’ on the album
‘Power To The People – The Hits’ on Spotify
Download ‘Power To The People – The Hits’
from Google Play or iTunes, or buy it on Amazon
Explore the dedicated John Lennon Artist Page

more on- http://www.udiscovermusic.com