The 40 Best John Lennon Covers Ever

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30. Brian Kennedy — Intuition

The original version of “Intuition” is goofy, laid back and percolates with a low flame of optimism. It is literally a confection. Positive attributes aside, its production and execution mark it as one of the less serious lights in the JL deep-cut catalog. Enter angelically-voiced Irish singer Brian Kennedy. His 1995 cover, from the EP of the same name, injects a newfound, gloriously life-affirming spark into “Intuition.” In the hands of Kennedy, violinist Bobby Valentino and producer-guitarist Mark Nevin, the previously unassuming ditty is transformed into a full-blown, jauntily joyous singalong. This thing was so widescreen and fun that when I first heard it back in ’95, I didn’t even recognize it as the Lennon track right away. Kennedy languorously extends each word in the verses, decorates the coda with some fabulous ad-libbed yelps, and makes a sweet and unassuming seed bloom and burst into a giant freakin’ flower. — Hope Silverman

29. John Hiatt — Instant Karma

You probably didn’t have John Hiatt on your Lennon covers Bingo card. Especially not on the anthemic and starry-eyed “Instant Karma.” Hiatt is more of a “Jealous Guy” kinda guy, whereas “Instant Karma” seems like U2 fare–a song with a message, and a rousing chorus meant for a massive audience to sing along to. (And yes, U2 performed Lennon’s first solo single during several dates on their Vertigo tour.)

But why in the world are we here? Surely not to spin safe predictable selections. Hiatt bravely brings his raw and rootsy sound to “Instant Karma” as if to insist that the song is not just an uplifting anthem: it’s a swampy rocker too, downright gritty and mean on the verses. (Remember how Lennon grunts and moans through one of those verses? You gotta get down to lift up.) It’s no surprise that the chorus doesn’t exactly soar in Hiatt’s version–he’s no belter–but he and his band rock the verses so well it hardly matters. That gruff voice, that greasy guitar, they knock you right in the head. — Tom McDonald

28. Patti Smith — Beautiful Boy

Lennon wrote “Beautiful Boy” for his son Sean, but Patti Smith sings it for her grandson Fred. She played it on her 2014 tour after his birth. Smith’s version is just as gentle as Lennon’s original, but lacks the elaborate arrangement. Instead it’s just Smith, two guitars and drums. Long-time guitarist Lenny Kaye takes the bridge and backs Smith up later in the song. She really connects with the song, as is evident in the various intros she gave it during that 2014 tour. Smith makes it her own, as she so often does. — Riley Haas

27. Bill Frisell — Mother

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell’s full-album tribute to the music of John Lennon (All We Are Saying, from 2011) was classed as “New Age” by his own label. Fair enough, especially on contemplative gems like “Julia” and “Love.” But Lennon had other modes of expression, and so does Frisell. On “Mother” the guitarist unleashes the aggressive, jagged, and abstract dimensions of his style. Starting off slowly and spaciously, the ensemble builds up intensity through the verses, until the guitar is screaming and writhing through the final chorus repetitions and long outro. No musical tribute to Lennon could be complete without a harrowing passage or two, and a willingness to break rules. — Tom McDonald

26. Robert Wyatt — Love

Robert Wyatt’s famously brittle voice is extremely appropriate for Lennon’s honest and direct lyrics on much of Plastic Ono Band, but especially on a song like “Love.” Wyatt almost always sounds untrained or even naive, and the pairing here just makes perfect sense, with the simple lyrics given such a plaintive, earnest delivery. Wyatt accompanies himself in a lower register, almost speaking the lyrics. His voices are only accompanied by a pulsating electronic instrument with other electronic sounds percolating up here and there. Though the arrangement is a far cry from the original acoustic guitar and piano, the feeling is very similar; it feels like Wyatt has captured the essence of the song. — Riley Haas

25. Willoughby — I’m Losing You

The in-your-face swagger of the original turns a little less overt, even spy-like, with moodier vocals. There is still a steady drum pace, a little more laid back here than in the original, that is coupled with the expected, spunky guitar response. However, the guitar maintains a supporting role rather than stepping out for a solo later on in the song. Where the original feels like an accusation, this version feels like a resignation, in both the reserved vocals and restrained instrumentation. — Sara Stoudt

24. Glen Campbell — Grow Old With Me

John hoped that “Grow Old With Me,” inspired by a Robert Browning poem (via a TV movie about Lou Gehrig), would turn into a wedding standard, but he never saw the song make it past the demo stage before he died. After the demo was released on 1984’s Milk and Honey, critics agreed that it was one of his most moving solo works, but that it would have been better had it reached the finish line.

Glen Campbell took care of that, bringing his lush countrypolitan sound to the song on 2008’s Meet Glen Campbell. He said that Yoko herself had brought him the song, and the first time he heard it, “you know how you get those chill bumps over you sometimes?” He certainly brought those chill bumps across when he played and sang it. Campbell was in his 70s when he recorded “Grow Old With Me,” giving the song an irony different from Lennon’s – already old vs. never got to grow old. A few years later, Campbell announced he was suffering from the Alzheimer’s disease that would eventually take him down. Like Lennon, he left us far too soon. — Patrick Robbins

23. Angelique Kidjo ft. Namia — Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Beninese/French powerhouse singer and activist Angélique Kidjo covered “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” for 2007’s Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur—although it was originally only included on the version of the CD available at Borders. It is an intense, emotional performance, with her daughter (I believe) Naima on background vocals. Musically, the cover features West African guitar sounds, which sets it apart from the original, which used the Harlem Community Choir (and both Yoko Ono and May Pang) to give it a gospel feel. Kidjo’s cover is also much less dense than the Phil Spector-produced original. It’s a much-covered song, probably because its message of peace at the holidays continues to resonate, despite the fact that the titular war at issue is long over (but many other wars continue). And probably because Christmas covers have become very popular. — Jordan Becker

22. The Raveonettes — One Day at a Time

Yet another track from the Amnesty compilation, and yet another case where they managed to leave one of the best covers off the actual album! Angelique Kidjo got relegated to Borders, and The Raveonettes got relegated to iTunes (alongside Duran Duran, Deftones, and more). Sure, they’re fairly obscured compared to most of the household name superstars on the actual set, but they eclipsed most of them with this wonderful shoegaze-meets-girl-group take on a deep cut no one covers, from his 1973 album Mind Games. — Ray Padgett

21. The Magnificent Bastards — How Do You Sleep?

“How Do You Sleep” is the most infamous song Lennon ever wrote about McCartney. Late Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland’s side project The Magnificent Bastards up the anger, the muscle, and, surprisingly, the funkiness of the original. Everything is dialed up. Weiland is doing a bit of a Lennon impression on the vocals but the sound is much grimier than the original. Where the cover really takes off is when it turns into a jam, with a slide solo and Weiland giving his all on a shout. The band then vamps through the rest of the song before a new outro, not in the original, that leaves space for the electric piano that is mostly hidden in the mix earlier. Adding nearly two minutes to the original’s length, this version really embodies Lennon’s resentment and his knack for writing great guitar hooks. — Riley Haas

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