Imagine

The lyrics ask listeners to imagine a world of peace, beginning with a world without religion, without economic materialism and without borders between nations. Poems from Yoko Ono's 1964 book Grapefruit inspired it, in particular "Cloud Piece", which is quoted on the back of the album. Lennon said the song should be credited as a Lennon/Ono song, and in 2017 Ono received credit as co-writer. He finished writing it on a Steinway piano in a bedroom at Tittenhurst Park while Ono watched. It is in the key of C major.

Recording took place at Ascot Sound Studios, his home studio, with string overdubs added at the Record Plant in New York in July 1971. The band recorded three takes and chose the second for release. Lennon played piano and sang, Klaus Voormann played bass, Alan White drums, and the Flux Fiddlers played strings arranged by Torrie Zito. Lennon, Ono and Phil Spector co-produced. Lennon later said the song was "anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic, but because it is sugarcoated it is accepted".

Apple released it as a US single in October 1971, and it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It was not issued as a single in Britain until 1975, when it reached number six, and it went to number one there in January 1981. Rolling Stone ranked it number 3 in its 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs and number 19 in 2021. It received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999 and was selected for the National Recording Registry in 2023. More than 200 artists have performed or covered it. Lennon performed it on the ATV special A Salute to Lew Grade, recorded on 18 April 1975.