John Lennon was an English singer and songwriter. He was the founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the world-famous band the Beatles. Paul McCartney and his songwriting partnership remain the most successful in musical history.
He formed his first band, the Quarrymen, which later evolved into the Beatles. The band’s first single, “Love Me Do”, came out in October 1962. It reached No. 17 on the British charts. The band achieved mainstream success in the UK early in 1963.
He published two books in the mid-1960s, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works. Between 1968 and 1972, Lennon together with Ono produced more than a dozen records including the international top 10 singles “Give Peace a Chance”, “Instant Karma!”, and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”.
In a 2002 BBC poll, Lennon was voted eighth of 100 Greatest Britons. Rolling Stone ranked Lennon the fifth-greatest singer of all time in 2008.