24-04-2025
John Lennon Charts A New Top 10 Single, 45 Years After His Death
John Lennon's Power to the People live EP debuts in the top 10 on three U.K. charts, earning the ... More rock, Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band new smashes. 16th August 1966: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the Beatles, after making a formal apology for his controversial statement that the group were 'more popular than Jesus'. (Photo by Harry Benson/Express/Getty Images)
Decades after his death, John Lennon is still collecting hit singles in the United Kingdom. If he's still doing so to this day, after so many decades have passed, he may never stop scoring new wins.
The musician created an enormous amount of material during his lifetime, both on his own and as part of The Beatles… not to mention his many collaborations with his wife, Yoko Ono. That wealth of recordings – studio, live, demo, and otherwise — has turned into a near-bottomless well of releases that continue to attract interest from devoted fans and collectors. And with the help of repackagings, remasterings, and a steady flow of special releases, Lennon seems to reach the U.K. rankings with something 'new' with real regularity.
Lennon, alongside Ono and the Plastic Ono Band, returns to the U.K. rankings this frame with a short but powerful collection that was released specifically for Record Store Day. Titled Power to the People – Live at the One-to-One Concert, New York City, 1972, the effort is officially shortened to Power to the People according to the Official Charts Company. It features four live performances recorded at Lennon's now-legendary One-to-One benefit shows, held on August 30, 1972, at Madison Square Garden.
The event saw the rocker play to tens of thousands and raised more than $1 million for charity, and now, over half a century later, a small slice of that experience is available to own—pressed on eye-catching yellow vinyl. The EP is credited as a single due to its brief runtime, which helped it qualify for various singles-based tallies in the U.K., where it has quickly become a commercial hit.
This week, Power to the People earns an impressive start on three U.K. charts, crashing inside the top 10 on all of them at the same time. The live EP launches at No. 5 on both the Official Physical Singles and Official Vinyl Singles charts. It also starts at No. 7 on the Official Singles Sales tally.
Those strong debuts mean that Lennon, Ono, and the Plastic Ono Band — each of whom is officially credited — can all claim brand new top 10 hits in 2025. That's not something many artists can say more than 40 years after their passing.
Side A of the limited-edition single includes 'Well Well Well' and 'Instant Karma! (We All Shine On),' while Side B features 'Cold Turkey' and the sprawling 'Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow).' The project was produced by Sean Ono Lennon, the former Beatles' son.
Perhaps the biggest draw when it comes to this set, though, is the historical significance of the recording itself. These performances come from the only full-length solo concerts Lennon ever performed after leaving The Beatles. Sadly, he didn't get to perform again, though he did spend many years creating new music after departing the band that made him a superstar.
