John Lennon

After The Beatles split in 1970, Lennon decamped to New York, involving himself in peace campaigns and "art" experiments with his second wife Yoko Ono. Despite some bizarre results, he still produced classic songs such as Imagine, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Instant Karma and Give Peace A Chance (recorded on a rented four-track tape recorder in a Montreal hotel room). Lennon maintained his savage edge with Cold Turkey (featuring Eric Clapton on guitar) which detailed his escape from heroin addiction, while How Do You Sleep? lambasted former partner Paul McCartney. He also recorded several experimental albums with Yoko Ono followed, including Unfinished Music No 1: Two Virgins, with the notorious sleeve picture of him and Yoko naked. Towards the end of the 1970s Lennon withdrew from recording to raise his son Sean, eventually returning to the studio in 1980 with the sentimental hit (Just Like) Starting Over. His comeback album Double Fantasy followed in November 1980, but three weeks after its release, Lennon was shot dead outside his home by a deranged fan. The album went on to become a Christmas Number 1.