The closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in remembrance of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. A Coldplay concert soon after the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015. What was common across these events was a rendition of John Lennon’s eye-opening anthem for peace, ‘Imagine’. Ever since the song released in 1971, it has been a fixture in shows that were hosted to commemorate a tragedy or in performances where the central idea was to promote peace. Its simple lyrics, ‘You may say I’m a dreamer/ But I’m not the only one/I hope someday you’ll join us/ And the world will live as one’, make for a moving call for peace. This was also one of the biggest hits of Lennon’s post-Beatles career. 

Lennon and the song have a huge fan following throughout the world. Even today, the composition tops many music charts and music streaming services. The winner of a Grammy Hall of Fame award was also included in the list of ‘500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll’ in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As this important song completes 50 years in 2021, here are some interesting facts about what went into making it.