John Lennon 7 Favorite Songs Revealed

In 1965, John Lennon bought a KB Discomatic jukebox made in Switzerland and turned it into his own personal music machine. It was Lennon’s go-to travel companion while on tour and held 40 of his favorite 45s. It was like his own analog playlist before playlists were cool.

From rock and folk to Motown and R&B, his choice showed how many types of music he liked. It had famous people on it like Smokey Robinson, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Bob Dylan. The only woman music artist in the group? This is Fontella Bass with her hit song “Rescue Me.”

Lennon’s jukebox showed up again at a Christie’s auction in 1989. Music producer John Midwinter paid £2,500 for it. He worked on it for years and studied Lennon’s scribbled notes. Midwinter made sure that the story of the jukebox was told in a show on “The South Bank Show” before he died in 2004.

Let’s listen to seven of Lennon’s best songs:

1. “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” by Buddy Holly (1956)
Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” started as the B-side to his 1956 hit “Too Much Monkey Business” and later appeared on his debut album After School Session. The song found new life through covers by several artists, including Buddy Holly—whose posthumous version reached No. 3 on the charts. Berry’s music had a big impact on The Beatles, too. They covered his classics like “Roll Over Beethoven” on With the Beatles (1963) and “Rock and Roll Music” on Beatles for Sale (1964). Not surprisingly, Lennon had Berry on repeat in his jukebox.

2. “Ooh! My Soul” by Little Richard (1958)
The Beatles first crossed paths with Little Richard in November 1962 during their second stint at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany. They quickly became friends and often shared the stage. It’s no surprise that Little Richard shows up three times in John Lennon’s jukebox picks—with “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” “Long Tall Sally,” and “Ooh My Soul.” The Fab Four even gave “Ooh My Soul” their own spin, recording it live at the Playhouse Theatre with McCartney on vocals—a version that later landed on their Live at the BBC release in 1994.

3. “New Orleans” by Gary U.S. Bonds (1961)
Written by Frank Guida and Joseph Royster, “New Orleans” was a 1960 hit performed by Gary U.S. Bonds, who actually headlined over The Beatles during a 1963 European tour. The song appeared on Bonds’ 1961 album Dance ‘Til Quarter to Three with U.S. Bonds, and it was one of two tracks from that record that made it into John Lennon’s personal jukebox. The other? Bonds’ chart-topping single “Quarter to Three,” co-written with Gene Barge. Clearly, Lennon had a soft spot for Bonds’ high-energy, feel-good rock and roll.

4. “What’s So Good About Goodbye” by The Miracles (1962)
“That’s me trying to be Smokey Robinson again,” John Lennon wrote in his Discomatic notes, describing The Beatles’ 1963 tune “All My Loving” as a nod to Robinson’s songwriting style. Lennon’s admiration ran deep—Smokey Robinson and the Miracles made it onto his jukebox not once, but five times. His playlist featured Motown gems like “I’ve Been Good to You,” “Who’s Lovin’ You,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Shop Around,” and “What’s So Good About Goodbye” from their 1962 album I’ll Try Something New.

5. “Positively 4th Street” by Bob Dylan (1965)
Bob Dylan recorded “Positively 4th Street” in New York on July 29, 1965, right between releasing Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. Though it followed his smash hit “Like a Rolling Stone,” the track didn’t make it onto either album. Still, it left a big enough impression that The Beatles gave it a shot during their Let It Be sessions. They never finished a full version, but the fact they even tried says a lot about how much Dylan’s music inspired them.

6. “Bring It On Home to Me” by The Animals (1965)
While they were part of the British Invasion like The Beatles, The Animals leaned more into rhythm and blues. Their soulful take on Sam Cooke’s 1962 classic “Bring It on Home to Me” appeared on their third album, Animal Tracks—a mix of singles and unreleased material that didn’t make the cut on their earlier records. With Eric Burdon’s gritty vocals leading the charge, their version brought a raw edge to the beloved R&B tune and showed just how much American soul influenced British rock.

7. “Some Other Guy” by The Big Three (1973)
Hailing from Liverpool just like The Beatles, The Big Three came together in 1963 and saw a few lineup shake-ups during their run. They dropped several singles in the ’60s but didn’t release a full album until Resurrection in 1973. One of their standout tracks, “Some Other Guy,” was originally written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Richie Barrett, who first recorded it. The Beatles even gave it their own spin in 1963, helping boost its profile in the early Merseybeat scene.