Imagine
“Imagine” was written and performed by John Lennon and released in 1971 as a part of his album of the same name. It quickly became a worldwide hit. The album also was a commercial and critical success, reaching number one on the US and UK charts.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Lennon described the song’s inspiration: “I was just sitting at the piano and I had this idea for a song that would speak to people about peace, love, and unity. I wanted to write something that would help bring people together and that’s how ‘Imagine’ was born.”
Over the years, “Imagine” has been covered by a wide range of artists, from Elton John and Madonna’s to Lady Gaga and Shakira. We’ve included a variety of the best of these cover versions below.
Here's John Lennon's original song with 280 million views:
“Imagine” has been covered by artists around the world. We’ve included some of the best covers by various artists below. Listen to them all and see if there are any new bands you want to listen to.
Also, if there’s a good cover version that we should add, tell us! Leave us a comment in the comment section with the name of the artist and a link to their performance.
Sam Tsui and AHMIR
Elton John
Chris Kläfford
Simone Kopmajer
Joan Baez
Chris Cornell
Keb’ Mo
Blues Traveler
Susan Boyle
Cindy Blackman Santana ft. Carlos Santana
Eva Cassidy
Etta James
David Garrett
REO Brothers
Dominique
Janet Devlin
Felix Irwan
King Krule
Which is your favorite? Is there another cover song that we should add? Let us know in the comments.