Number 22
Song & Artist: Instant Karma! - John Lennon
Album & Date: (Released as a single) - 6th February 1970
Nationality of band: Lets go with English, shall we??
Members at release: Mal Evans (Chimes/Handclaps/Backing Vocals - English), George Harrison (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals - English), John Lennon (Lead Vocal/Acoustic Guitar/Electric Piano - English), Yoko Ono (Backing Vocal - Japanese), Billy Preston (Organ/Backing Vocal - American), Klaus Voormann (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocal/Electric Piano - German), Alan White (Drums - English)

YouTube:

My rant;

This is a rock song. This is a rock that highlights for me everything that is awesome about the genre I am in love with.

For all intents and purpose, it is supposed to be one guy, alone telling you somewhat angrily about his theory on Karma! But is in fact a myriad of people, from all over the globe getting together screaming a track that screams togetherness and patience and understanding.

It is a deceptively complicatied song and that for me, is its brilliance. If I were to try and describe it in any real detail I could damage the song itself so I won't bother.

What I will say is the "We all shine On" lyric he does during the track is (and bloody well should be) one of the most well known epitaphs in rock music and when you hear it, it should drag you from wherever you are right back to 1970 whether or not you were alive back then.

Without wanting to go on about this one for too long, this song will always remind me of a story my dad tells about the death of John Lennon in 1981. Apparently he was in the garden when our neighbour, Peter or Gwyneth (I can't remember which one), wandered past and told him that Lennon had been shot and killed. My old man is approximately as emotional as I am, so not realising the impact this would have on my mum, he just wandered through the house a little while later and mentioned it in passing. Of course, she cried. Beatlemania will never die, even though the band and half the members are long gone.

I have always thought that John Lennon was the most talented guy in the band and in addition to that, whenever I hear Civil War by Guns N Roses (a song that will not be on this list unless I die in a ball of flame and a complete dildo takes over) and this lyric comes up "Did you wear the black arm band when they shot the man who said: 'Peace could last forever?" I always think of Lennon. I know it was written about Martin Luther King, but my brain is plugged in a bit strangely....

Bands: (multiple band entrys ARE counted twice)

12 - America
10 - England

Band Members Country of Origin: (multiple band entrys ARE counted twice)

45 - America
43 - England
3 - Germany
1 - Tanzania
1 - Australia
1 - Japan

Decade Released

13 - 90's
5 - 70's
2 - 60's
1 - 00's
1 - 80's

Year Released

3 - 1991
3 - 1994
2 - 1997
2 - 1993
2 - 1995
2 - 1971
1 - 1975
1 - 1965
1 - 1979
1 - 1968
1 - 2006
1 - 1987
1 - 1992
1 - 1970


Genre:
7 - Alternative
5 - Rock
4 - Grunge
1 - Punk
1 - Glam Rock
1 - Post Grunge
1 - BritPop(Rock)
1 - Hard Rock
1 - Metal/Rap