A collection of John Lennon’s favourite rock and roll songs
“There is nothing conceptually better than rock and roll.” — John Lennon
He was, without a doubt, one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, and what Lennon did with his songwriting partner, Paul McCartney, in The Beatles is so unimaginably massive that it feels only right that generations upon generations of music lovers try to bring down their legacy.
It is a rite of passage that we have all endured. Hating the generations that came before you is as part of growing up as those first hairs under your arm. The opinions sprout out of unceremoniously as we see the way our ancestors looked, listened and loved and find ourselves disgusted by their putridity. But, over time, more often than not, those opinions mellow.
The realisation that a band like The Beatles didn’t have to be exactly your cup of tea to have influenced almost every sonic beverage ever conceived since is one that we all have. With time, things go deeper and the foundational songs that shaped the Fab Four become an integral part of your musical understanding. The latter is something Lennon would have certainly appreciated.
Over the years in the public eye, Lennon may have offered a few kind words for his contemporaries on occasion, but his real love for music lay in the past. For him, it was rock and roll, in its organic and purest form, that seemed to appeal to him most of all. Famously noting: “What we’re trying to do is rock and roll, with less of your philoso-rock is what we’re saying to ourselves and get on with rocking because rockers is what we really are,” he told the press ahead of The White Album.
The truth is, underneath it all, Lennon was of a generation where rock and roll wasn’t just music, it was a taste of freedom. For him, once he realised that all his rebellion could land in one place behind a mic, he was convinced. “You can give me a guitar, stand me up in front of a few people. Even in the studio if I’m getting into it I’m just doing my old bit, you know, not quite doing Elvis legs, but doing my equivalent – it’s just natural. Everybody says we must do this and that, but our thing is just rocking – you know, the usual gig.”
This was reflected in the music he cherished, too. Lennon wouldn’t often share his favourite songs, but one clear indicator came in the form of a travel jukebox he would take everywhere with him. Purchasing the metal chest of beloved records in 1965, there’s a good suggestion that Lennon’s list of preferred rock and roll music is a little more extensive than the confines of the 40 record jukebox. After all, ‘Whole Lotta Shaking’ is perhaps the track Lennon thought defined the genre, and that isn’t included.
But what the jukebox does provide is a sincere look at the music that was influencing him during perhaps his most creative songwriting period with The Beatles. Within a few years, McCartney would begin to more stringently enact his vision for the band of their releases, but at this time Lennon was still the man in charge. Included in the 40-song jukebox are 19 tracks that perhaps typify Lennon’s love of the genre.
Songs from Larry Williams, Little Richard and Gene Vincent litter the playlist we have created below. The latter two men can be considered worldwide influences, and they certainly shaped the frenetic intensity with which Lennon approached his music. But if there was one man who crafted Lennon more than any othe,r it was Chuck Berry.
“If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry,” John Lennon once said, and it’s hard to disagree with him. Without a doubt, the forefather of modern rock ‘n’ roll, Berry’s ability to not only perform but write some of the most vibrant music the Liverpudlian had ever witnessed, and dutifully he added ‘No Particular Place To Go’ to his jukebox.
The rest of the line-up features Buddy Holly, a huge influence on Lennon and The Beatles, as well as Paul Revere, The Lovin Spoonful and Gary US Bonds, all of which represent some of Lennon’s most beloved songs.
This may certainly not be the complete collection of Lennon’s favourite rock songs, but they do represent a culmination of Lennon’s collected cultural influences of the time, all contained within one perfect playlist that will be a great help for you whenever your little sibling, child or relative decides they finally like The Beatles again.
John Lennon’s favourite rock and roll songs in 1965:
- Larry Williams – ‘Short Fat Fannie’
- Larry Williams – ‘She Said, Yeah’
- Larry Williams – ‘Bad Boy’
- Little Richard – ‘Long Tall Sally’
- Little Richard – ‘Slippin’ and Slidin”
- Little Richard – ‘Ooh! My Soul’
- Gene Vincent – ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’
- Gene Vincent – ‘Woman Love’
- Buddy Holly – ‘Slippin’ and Slidin’’
- Buddy Holly – ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’
- Chuck Berry – ‘No Particular Place to Go’
- Gary U.S. Bonds – ‘New Orleans’
- Gary U.S. Bonds – ‘Quarter to Three’
- The Big Three – ‘Some Other Guy’
- Paul Revere & the Raiders – ‘Steppin’ Out’
- The Lovin’ Spoonful – ‘Do You Believe in Magic’
- The Lovin’ Spoonful – ‘Wild About My Lovin”
- Bob Dylan – ‘Positively 4th Street’
- The Animals – ‘Bring It on Home to Me’
