Top 200 Albums of All Time: "L" Artists

Plastic Ono Band: John Lennon (1970)
Plastic Ono Band is John Lennon’s solo debut. It followed three experimental albums and a live album and was released concurrently with Yoko Ono: Plastic Ono Band. Lennon underwent primal therapy to deal with childhood traumas including his mother’s death. His therapy led to a very raw and personal album that touches on a number of subjects including religion, class relations, and his parents.

Key Tracks:

Mother

Working Class Hero

Love

God

Isolation

Imagine: John Lennon (1971)
John Lennon’s follow up to Plastic Ono Band was less raw and more commercial. It was a softer album which included his signature song. “Imagine” ponders a world without hate and petty strife. Lennon seems less conflicted on Imagine and a tad happier.

Key Tracks:

Imagine

Jealous Guy

Gimme Some Truth

It’s So Hard

John Lennon: Double Fantasy (1980)
John Lennon released Double Fantasy three weeks before his death. He retired in 1975 to care for his infant son. After five years in the wilderness, Lennon returned. People were ready for him. They longed for something in the wake of the Carter years. The album was extremely personal and mature. John and Yoko alternated tracks on the album hence the title.

Key Tracks:

(Just Like) Starting Over

Watching the Wheels

Woman

Cleanup Time

Kiss Kiss Kiss

Little Richard: Here’s Little Richard (1957)
Little Richard’s debut album is rock n roll.

Key Tracks:

Tutti Frutti

Ready Teddy

Long Tall Sally

Rip It Up

#14 Little Richard

Little Richard is a key figure in the transition from R&B to Rock n Roll. Like Jerry Lee Lewis, he combined R&B with Boogey Woogey for a distinctive sound. His over-the-top delivery and inflections foreshadowed 1970s funk. It could be argued that Richard was the first funk artist. In 1955, he hit the big time. In 1957, he became born again and went into the clergy. Eventually, he returned to rock and opened for the Beatles in 1962. Little Richard would not be able to reconcile religion and rock until the 1980s. The conflict cut deep and led to substance abuse. It probably hampered Richard’s career. Despite the conflict, Richard managed to score some hits into the 1970s. He still occasionally records and makes appearances.

Rock n Roll Moment: Richard quit Rock n Roll to become a preacher. He tossed all his gold into the river. What river? Only Richard knows.

Essential Little Richard:

Here’s Little Richard (1957)

Little Richard’s Top 10:
Tutti Frutti
Lucille
Long Tall Sally
Rip It Up
Slippin’ and Slidin’
Ready Teddy
The Girl Can’t Help It
Good Golly Miss Molly
Jenny Jenny
Keep A-Knockin’