Do you think John Lennon was/is overrated?

Question

There's always been all this rhetoric that John Lennon was a revolutionary thinker, and even a prophet according to some people. But I beg to differ, his ideas on peace and love were nothing new or earth-shattering.

I'd rather reserve my respect and admiration for someone who actually actively DID something to change people's lives instead of just talking about it and writing songs. John Lennon shares absolutely no comparison to people who actually sacrificed of themselves to better the world (i.e. Ghandi, Jesus Christ, Mother Theresa).

What do you guys think?

laswap: I have one response to that: YAWN.. oh, and the last time I checked, Brits were racing up the obesity charts just as fast...

Answer 1

I agree with you.However, I think that he was viewed as important figure not for his views on peace but due to his out spoken views against the War & government. He claimed right before he died that the Secret Service had bugged his phone & were following him due to his anti-government rhetoric on National t.v. They also tried to have him deported. They felt that he had so much influence on young listeners that he could cause a lot of damage.

Answer 2

I'm one of the people who believe he was a prophet but my definition of prophet is not the same as the mainstream one.

I don't think "new" and "earth-shattering" were his aims. I think he was just trying to be true to himself, like Ghandi, Jesus, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Bono etc. People's discussion on him long after his death doesn't change the fact that he was just a guy trying to do his best. Being a neo-hippie in a capitalist world, I admire him for speaking out about peace and love, especially to a world-wide audience coz that would take a lot of balls.

Answer 3

Overrated? Hardley.

I grew up with his music, and he was one of the great songwriters of that era.

You can't go comparing Lennon to great figures in religion, for crying out loud. That's like "apples and oranges." I could say that Ghandi wasn't much of a guitar player, too, right?

Hey, like it or not, Lennon (and McCartney) wrote a ton of songs that were not just popular, but were musically innovative for the time. They're still popular. I doubt very much that hip-hop will stand the "test of time" like Lennon.

As far as the effect he had politically and philosophically, if you weren't between the ages of 17-21 during the late 60's, you have no place talking about Lennon as if you understand the times he wrote in.

Among other issues, Lennon had a HUGE effect on the anti-war movement.

You can believe that or not, I don't care. I was there, I lived through it, I played and performed his music.

I know.

Answer 4

I don't think he was overrated. What he said was not always new or original, but it represented people's feeling very often. And by listening to songs that he wrote, some people were able to think about problems that they may never thought about, and in some cases, that triggered off some of them to make an action to it.
John Lennon was not a religious leader or anything, and did not stay is the conditions that people you mentioned lived in. But he had a talent, and I think he used it efficiently to awake people. I think that is an achievement enough to be rated as he is now. Personally, when I was a teenager, songs he wrote impressed me and helped me to keep going through some tough times I had. And gave me some directions for my future plan. He was already dead but somehow helpful to me, and I don't think I am the only one that his work was helful to.

Answer 5

John Lennon used to be a little boy. Just for expressing himself people change him into a bad boy. That sucks he just wanted to play music and people like you who work for The man. Lots of people came!! Wow

Answer 6

John Lennon talked a good game, but did not do anything to change the world. So John is more overrated as an activist and underrated as a poet.

Answer 7

complicated to declare - that's a controversy of style. the aggregate of the two instruments of super expertise is what made The Beatles so marvelous and influential. you will see in of their first solo albums. with out the different to function an editor, John's albums grew to grow to be incredibly harsh and rancid-putting (not commercial) and Paul's grew to grow to be form of sappy and inconsequential (not significant). John's sometime in ny city and Paul's Wings Wild existence are between the worst albums ever released by using significant artists. Unlistenable!

Answer 8

I'm from the hippie generation but was never the groupie type. The Beatles had great songs, but Lennon wasn't very deep, I thought. If there hadn't been Beatles we never would have heard of him. He was just famous, not special.

Answer 9

Yes, I would have to agree for the most part. While he did come up with some catchy tunes how in the world he could be credited with all that wisdom of the ages is beyond me. But my Father likes him, so who's to say?

Answer 10

.John Lennon was an inspiration to us all...I believe if it wasn't for John Lennon voice against the Vietnam war we probably would of had more Americans dying from the war... our politicians wouldn't let us win..do some research and then decide...