#90 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

90

2011 Album Rank

66

Total Points

721.5

Year Released

1970

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

6

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

500,000 (Gold)

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John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Album Details

Released in December 1970, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was John Lennon's first proper solo album following the breakup of The Beatles. Stripped down and emotionally raw, the album was deeply influenced by primal scream therapy, which Lennon and Yoko Ono had undergone with Dr. Arthur Janov. The result is one of the most brutally honest and cathartic records in rock history, an unflinching exploration of personal trauma, identity, and existential despair.

Backed primarily by Ringo Starr on drums and Klaus Voormann on bass, Lennon dispensed with elaborate production in favor of stark minimalism. Songs like Mother, Working Class Hero, and God tear down myths, institutions, and even Lennon's own past. The album closes with the quiet devastation of My Mummy's Dead. Plastic Ono Band may not have been a commercial juggernaut, but its uncompromising honesty and emotional power have made it one of the most acclaimed solo works by any former Beatle.

Interesting Facts About John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

• The iconic opening track Mother begins with the tolling of a funeral bell and addresses Lennon's abandonment by both parents, his mother Julia and father Alfred.
• Lennon recorded much of the album just weeks after completing therapy, making the lyrics feel raw and unfiltered. He later said it was the most honest music he'd ever made.
• God caused controversy for its lyrics rejecting religious faith, cultural icons, and even The Beatles, culminating in the declaration: "I don't believe in Beatles... I just believe in me."
• Working Class Hero was banned by several U.S. radio stations for its use of the word "fucking," making it one of the earliest high-profile instances of censorship in rock radio.
• The stark production aesthetic, minimal reverb, no orchestration, was a deliberate contrast to Phil Spector's previous work on Let It Be. Ironically, Spector co-produced Plastic Ono Band alongside Lennon and Ono.
• Isolation and Love showcase Lennon's ability to balance brutal realism with tender vulnerability, making them standouts among fans and critics alike.
• My Mummy's Dead, which closes the album, was recorded on a cheap portable cassette recorder, adding to its ghostly, unresolved feel.
• Though Lennon's name headlines the album, it was released simultaneously with a companion album by Yoko Ono, also titled Plastic Ono Band, featuring avant-garde experimental pieces.
• Ringo Starr's restrained drumming on the album received praise for its emotional intuition, particularly on tracks like Mother and Isolation.
• In 2010, a deluxe reissue brought renewed attention to the album's influence, and it is now widely regarded as one of the most important singer-songwriter albums of all time.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Tracklist

1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look at Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead

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