You couldn’t ask for a more striking difference in solo careers than the work John Lennon and Paul McCartney released.
The Beatles bandmates have written some of the all-time great songs together, but their work as solo artists couldn’t be more different. While McCartney’s pop longevity speaks for itself with Wings and Tug of War, Lennon found himself as a popular rebel figure whose discography is littered with out-there, personal projects. From the art rock Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, the chart-topping Imagine, and a send-up of classic rock and roll music on the aptly titled Rock ‘n’ Roll, Lennon offered a variety that makes his discography feel like whiplash.
But fans of The Beatless, and by extension Lennon, have decided on what his best album is. While Apple would release the likes of Mind Games and Walls and Bridges in the mid-1970s, it would be one of Lennon’s earliest releases that received the most praise from those on the r/JohnLennon subreddit.
One fan wrote of Plastic Ono Band: “Who else thinks this record is John’s magnum opus?” Other listeners have agreed that, objectively speaking, it’s likely the best of Lennon’s work and will remain as such when it comes to analysing his solo career. A fan replied: “John’s therapy put to music… a complete masterpiece. You knew who John was after the listening experience.”
Another added: “The energy, anger and personality is unmatched – not only compared to most of his discography but everyone else in 1970. This was basically Pinkerton of its time. He peaked artistically during the Lost Weekend, in my opinion, but this album holds up better than either Mind Games or Walls and Bridges.”
A third shared: “Yeah. My favourite John album is Walls and Bridges, but this is his masterpiece. In my mind, all four came out of the gate with their masterpiece – after all the weirdness had subsided – John and George’s experimental adventures, Paul and George’s soundtracks and Ringo’s stylistic excursions; they all came out with their definitive statements.: Plastic Ono Band, Ringo, All Things Must Pass, and Ram.”
Some fans took it a step further, and perhaps a little too far, calling Plastic Ono Band the “greatest album of all time.” While one fan agreed that it is “an incredible achievement,” not everyone is convinced by Plastic Ono Band being Lennon’s magnum opus.
One fan wrote: “Great album, but I like Imagine better.” Another added: “Walls and Bridges, for me.” A third wrote: “Honestly, not my favourite. I love the writing and the songs themselves quite a lot. But I think the album’s composition as a whole is still better in other Beatles solo discographies.”
One detractor even suggested it’s far from his best, writing: “I’m not a huge John Lennon fan, but I think it’s literally one of the worst he’s done. Not my cup of tea.”
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