John Lennon was (along with Paul McCartney) the principal songwriter of The Beatles. He was also an incredible talent on his own. And while many of his biggest songs have leaned toward pop and folk, Lennon penned more than a few very hard rock songs. Some, I’d say, that are considered particularly hard for their era, way before hard rock, metal, or punk came to be the standard. Let’s look at just a few, shall we?
“Cold Turkey” by Plastic Ono Band (1969)
This is one of John Lennon’s hardest solo rock songs, complete with screaming vocals, a punishing riff, and not very much in the way of perfection or polish. It sounds proto-grunge, in a way. And it’s a fantastic piece of work, one that features none other than Eric Clapton on the guitar and Ringo Starr on the drums.
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“Cold Turkey” was Lennon’s second solo single and peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is also the first song that Lennon wrote in which he took sole credit.
“Revolution” by The Beatles (1968)
“Revolution” might just be John Lennon’s hardest rock song that he penned during his time with The Beatles. This song and “Helter Skelter” by Paul McCartney are considered proto-metal tracks that are important in the history of the genre. Those fuzzy guitars were unheard of at the time. Yet again, The Beatles decided to change the standards of the music world.
It’s also worth noting that I struggled between choosing “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and “Revolution” for this entry, because both songs go pretty hard.
“I Found Out” by John Lennon (1970)
Another heavy solo piece by John Lennon, “I Found Out” is a very aggressive piece of work for a 1970s song. It has a confrontational edge that leans at least kind of close to punk rock. This song can be found on the experimental record John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band from 1970. And it’s a blues-rock delight that just keeps giving. It’s a relatable piece, too. “I Found Out” explores Lennon’s disillusionment with the world around him, and it stirred some controversy among listeners for being anti-religion. It’s definitely on the darker side of Lennon’s music.
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