Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon

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2005 greatest hits album by John Lennon

Working Class Hero:
The Definitive Lennon

Greatest hits album by

John Lennon

Released| 3 October 2005
Recorded| 1969–1980, 1984
Genre| Rock
Length| 151:34
Label|

* Parlophone
* Capitol
* EMI

Producer|

* John Lennon
* Yoko Ono
* Phil Spector
* Jack Douglas

John Lennon chronology
| Peace, Love & Truth
(2005)  | Working Class Hero:
The Definitive Lennon
(2005)  | The US vs. John Lennon
(2006)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
PopMatters| 8/10[2]

Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon is a two-disc compilation of music by John Lennon, released in October 2005 on Capitol Records, catalogue CDP 0946 3 40391 2 3, in commemoration of what would have been his 65th birthday. The set contains remixed[citation needed] and remastered versions of his songs, overseen by widow Yoko Ono from 2000 to 2005.

## Overview

[edit]

The 38 assembled tracks span his entire solo career, and contain every Lennon song released as a single with the exception of the posthumous "Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him", although not always the version or edit originally released as such. Representative tracks appear from all of his eight studio albums issued from 1970 to 1984, and the set contains all the songs featured on the previously released compilations Shaved Fish and Lennon Legend and all but one from The John Lennon Collection (Dear Yoko; "Move Over Ms. L," which was issued as a bonus track on the 1989 CD edition was also omitted), albeit at times in slightly different form. The bonus DVD included in Working Class Hero Deluxe Pack issued by EMI on 23 October 2008, is actually the Lennon Legend DVD.

## Reception

[edit]

Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon was critically well-received upon its release and reached number 11 in the United Kingdom. It fared relatively poorly in the United States, debuting on the Billboard 200 album chart on 22 October at number 135, spending only three weeks on the chart.

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by John Lennon, except where noted

Disc 1No.| Title| Original album| Length

|
|
|

1.| "(Just Like) Starting Over"| Double Fantasy (1980)| 3:56
2.| "Imagine"| Imagine (1971)| 3:02
3.| "Watching the Wheels"| Double Fantasy (1980)| 3:30
4.| "Jealous Guy"| Imagine (1971)| 4:14
5.| "Instant Karma!"| Non-album single (1970)| 3:20
6.| "Stand by Me" (King/Leiber/Stoller)| Rock 'n' Roll (1975)| 3:26
7.| "Working Class Hero"| John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)| 3:48
8.| "Power to the People"| Non-album single (1971)| 3:22
9.| "Oh My Love" (Lennon/Ono)| Imagine (1971)| 2:44
10.| "Oh Yoko!"| Imagine (1971)| 4:18
11.| "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)"| Walls and Bridges (1974)| 5:07
12.| "Nobody Told Me"| Milk and Honey (1984)| 3:34
13.| "Bless You"| Walls and Bridges (1974)| 4:37
14.| "Come Together (Live)" (Lennon/McCartney)| Live in New York City (1986)| 4:22
15.| "New York City"| Some Time in New York City (1972)| 4:31
16.| "I'm Stepping Out"| Milk and Honey (1984)| 4:06
17.| "You Are Here"| Mind Games (1973)| 4:07
18.| "Borrowed Time"| Milk and Honey (1984)| 4:29
19.| "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (Ono/Lennon)| Non-album single (1971)| 3:37
Total length:| 74:10

Disc 2No.| Title| Original album| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Woman"| Double Fantasy (1980)| 3:33
2.| "Mind Games"| Mind Games (1973)| 4:12
3.| "Out the Blue"| Mind Games (1973)| 3:22
4.| "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night"| Walls and Bridges (1974)| 3:27
5.| "Love"| John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)| 3:23
6.| "Mother"| John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)| 5:34
7.| "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)"| Double Fantasy (1980)| 4:01
8.| "Woman Is the Nigger of the World (Live)" (Lennon/Ono)| Live in New York City| 5:16
9.| "God"| John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)| 4:09
10.| "Scared"| Walls and Bridges (1974)| 4:36
11.| "#9 Dream"| Walls and Bridges (1974)| 4:46
12.| "I'm Losing You"| John Lennon Anthology (1998)| 3:55
13.| "Isolation"| John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)| 2:51
14.| "Cold Turkey"| Non-album single (1969)| 5:01
15.| "Intuition"| Mind Games (1973)| 3:08
16.| "Gimme Some Truth"| Imagine (1971)| 3:15
17.| "Give Peace a Chance"| Non-album single (1969)| 4:50
18.| "Real Love"| John Lennon Anthology (1998)| 4:12
19.| "Grow Old with Me"| John Lennon Anthology (1998)| 3:20
Total length:| 76:51

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (2005)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[3] | 53
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[4] | 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[5] | 31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[6] | 75
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[7] | 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] | 52
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] | 34
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] | 44
Irish Albums (IRMA)[11] | 21
Italian Albums (FIMI)[12] | 33
Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[13] | 86
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[14] | 13
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[15] | 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 61
UK Albums (OCC)[17] | 11
US Billboard 200[18] | 135

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Canada (Music Canada)[19] | Gold  | 50,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[20] | Platinum  | 40,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[21] | Gold  | 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] | Gold  | 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon at AllMusic
2. ^ PopMatters review
3. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 164.
4. ^ "Austriancharts.at – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
5. ^ "Ultratop.be – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
6. ^ "Ultratop.be – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
7. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
9. ^ "John Lennon: Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
10. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
11. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography John Lennon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
12. ^ "Italiancharts.com – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
13. ^ "Mexicancharts.com – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
14. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
15. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
16. ^ "Swisscharts.com – John Lennon – Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
17. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
18. ^ "John Lennon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
19. ^ "Canadian album certifications – John Lennon – Working Class Hero". Music Canada.
20. ^ "Danish album certifications – John Lennon – Working Class Hero". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
21. ^ "The Irish Charts - 2005 Certification Awards - Gold". Irish Recorded Music Association.
22. ^ "British album certifications – John Lennon – Working Class Hero". British Phonographic Industry.

* v
* t
* e

John Lennon

* Discography
* Instruments
* Jukebox
* Song list
* Death

Studio albums|

* John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
* Imagine
* Mind Games
* Walls and Bridges
* Rock 'n' Roll

with Yoko Ono|

* Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins
* Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions
* Wedding Album
* Some Time in New York City
* Double Fantasy
* Milk and Honey

Live albums|

* Live Peace in Toronto 1969
* Live Jam
* Live in New York City

Compilations|

| Hits|

* Shaved Fish
* The John Lennon Collection
* Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon
* Instant Karma: All-Time Greatest Hits
* Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon
* Power to the People: The Hits
* Icon

|

Themed|

* Menlove Ave.
* Wonsaponatime
* Acoustic
* Peace, Love & Truth

Box sets|

* Lennon
* John Lennon Anthology
* John Lennon Signature Box
* Gimme Some Truth
* Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes

Video|

* The John Lennon Video Collection
* Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon

Books|

* In His Own Write
* A Spaniard in the Works
* Skywriting by Word of Mouth

Films|

* Self-Portrait (1969)
* Apotheosis (1970)
* Fly (1970)
* Erection (1971)
* Up Your Legs Forever (1971)
* Live in New York City (1972)
* Imagine (1972)

Bootlegs|

* A Toot and a Snore in '74
* S.I.R. John Winston Ono Lennon

Associates|

* The Quarrymen
* The Beatles
* Plastic Ono Band
* David Peel
* The Lower East Side Band
* The Dirty Mac
* May Pang
* Harry Nilsson
* John Sinclair
* Rosaura Lopez

Fictionalised|

* Chapter 27
* In His Life: The John Lennon Story
* John and Yoko: A Love Story
* The Killing of John Lennon
* Lennon Naked
* Birth of the Beatles
* Nowhere Boy
* Backbeat
* Two of Us
* The Lennon Report
* Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed
* Yesterday

Tributes and
memorials|

* The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute: Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC
* "All Those Years Ago"
* Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
* "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)"
* "Here Today"
* Imagine Peace Tower
* "The Immigrant"
* Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
* John Lennon Art and Design Building
* John Lennon Museum
* John Lennon Park
* John Lennon Peace Monument
* John Lennon Educational Tour Bus
* "The Late Great Johnny Ace"
* Lennon (musical)
* Lennon Bermuda
* Lennon Wall
* "Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)"
* Liverpool John Lennon Airport
* Non-Violence
* Strawberry Fields
* "Roll On John"
* Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon

Related media|

* Imagine: John Lennon
* soundtrack
* I Met the Walrus
* John (book)
* John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky
* Lennon Remembers
* LennoNYC
* The Lives of John Lennon
* The Lost Lennon Tapes
* Marx & Lennon: The Parallel Sayings
* Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon
* The Pope Smokes Dope
* Pussy Cats
* The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
* Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits
* "That's My Life (My Love and My Home)"
* The U.S. vs. John Lennon
* soundtrack

Other topics|

* 251 Menlove Avenue
* Kenwood
* Tittenhurst Park
* The Dakota
* Bagism
* Bed-in
* Imagine Piano Peace Project
* John Lennon Artificial Intelligence Project
* John Lennon UFO incident
* Lennon–McCartney
* LennonOno Grant for Peace
* Mark David Chapman
* "More popular than Jesus"
* Nutopia
* Toronto Rock and Roll Revival
* Sweet Toronto
* Psychedelic Rolls-Royce
* 4147 Lennon

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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