From Its Creation to Global Impact: Celebrating a Song of Hope and Change

New York, N.Y. – John Lennon first sang ‘Imagine’ over forty years ago. Today, the song’s words and its message are just as important because they remind us to imagine peace at a time when our world doesn’t seem very peaceful.

“Imagine” is a song by John Lennon from his 1971 album of the same name. As his best-selling solo single, it encourages listeners to envision a world of peace, without materialism, borders, or religion. Before his death, Lennon revealed that much of the song’s content came from his wife, Yoko Ono, who received a co-writing credit in 2017.

Produced by John, Yoko, and Phil Spector, the song was recorded at Lennon’s home studio in England and completed in New York City. Released as a single in 1971, it reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and topped the U.K. charts after Lennon’s murder in 1980.

“Imagine” has received numerous accolades, including a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It is also one of the 100 most performed songs of the 20th century according to BMI. The song has been covered by over 200 artists and featured in various significant events, such as the Olympics and New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

Despite its popularity, “Imagine” has faced controversy for its lines about imagining no religion. However, it remains a powerful anthem for peace and unity worldwide. Rolling Stone described it as “an enduring hymn of solace and promise.”

UNICEF used the song to promote the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2014, with various celebrities recording covers to spread its message. Lady Gaga performed it at the 2015 European Games, and Yoko Ono released her rendition in 2018. The song was also featured in the 2020 and 2022 Olympics.

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Julian Lennon covered his father’s song, calling for global support for refugees. “Imagine” continues to inspire hope and call for peace around the world.

Lennon stated: “‘Imagine.’ which says: ‘Imagine that there was no more religion, no more country, no more politics,’ is virtually The Communist Manifesto, even though I’m not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement.”

Rolling Stone ranked “Imagine” number three on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, describing it as “an enduring hymn of solace and promise that has carried us through extreme grief, from the shock of Lennon’s own death in 1980 to the unspeakable horror of September 11. It is now impossible to imagine a world without ‘Imagine’, and we need it more than he ever dreamed.”

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.”

In 2014, to celebrate 25 years of UNICEF’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, the organization launched an initiative using the song. Performers including Yoko Ono, Hugh Jackman and ABBA announced the initiative at an event at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, with the intention of spreading the message that every voice matters.

To do this, various celebrities and singers recorded cover versions of the song, which can be played on a downloadable app for people around the world to virtually sing with the celebrities and then share the videos on social media with related hashtags.

A pre-recorded version of the song performed by John Legend, Keith Urban, Alejandro Sanz, and Angélique Kidjo, with musical arrangement by Hans Zimmer, was featured in the opening ceremony for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in July 2021.

Another pre-recorded cover version again as a theme song in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in February 2022. The song was also performed on the river Seine at the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Paris 2024.

More than 200 artists have performed or covered the song, including Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Joan Baez, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Diana Ross, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, Chet Atkins, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Queen, Sarah Vaughan, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Dolly Parton, Andy Williams, the Ten Tenors, Petula Clark, Herb Albert – even Susan Boyle.

Amnesty International has teamed up with John‘s wife Yoko and illustrator Jean Jullien to bring you a new children’s book to inspire future generations to imagine our world full of freedom, friendship, equality, kindness and understanding.

In the book’s foreword, Yoko writes: “This book is very special to me. The words were written by my husband John and it makes me so happy to see them illustrated in this beautiful book. He wrote Imagine as a song calling for peace around the world. Today, we need peace more than ever, so I think his words are still very important.

“Everybody wants to feel happy and to feel safe. And we can all help make the world a better place in our own way. We should always keep love in our hearts, and look after one another. We should always share what we have, and we should stand up for people who are not being treated fairly.

“And it’s important that we treat everyone like that, not just our family and our friends. We should treat everybody the same, no matter where they are from or if they speak a different language. After all, the pigeon in this book welcomes all the other birds, whatever colour of feathers or shape of beak they have.

“By doing this, we can all help to make a difference every day. Every small good thing that we do can help change the world for the better. You can do it, I can do it, we all can do it.

“Imagine. Together we can make peace happen.

“Then the world truly will live as one.”

John Lennon’s Imagine: Timeless Anthem of Peace and Unity (July 5, 2024)

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TAGS: John Lennon, Imagine, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector, 1971 music, peace anthem, Billboard Hot 100, Grammy Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, UNICEF, Olympic Games, Julian Lennon, music legacy, cultural impact