Yoko Ono hoped one of John Lennon‘s songs would hit No. 1 on the pop charts. Sadly, it reached that milestone after John’s tragic death. A reporter revealed what John was thinking in the final days of his life.
This John Lennon song was projected to become a No. 1 single
David Sheff famously interviewed John and Yoko Ono for Playboy in 1980. He wrote about the experience in a 2020 forward to the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. “I completed the interview in early September, and it was scheduled to be released in mid-December,” he said. “When, on December 6, [Playboy executive editor] Barry [Golson] got a hot-off-the-press advance copy of the magazine, he messengered it to The Dakota [Apartments, where John and Yoko lived].
“John and Yoko called me in Los Angeles the next day,” Sheff added. “Yoko was pleased with the interview, and she reported they were thrilled that the first single from Double Fantasy, ‘(Just Like) Starting Over,’ was projected to hit No. 1 on the record charts.”
The former Beatle wanted the world to know what he said about his band in the interview
Sheff revealed the “Imagine” singer‘s reaction to the interview. “John was also excited about the interview, saying he was particularly grateful to have had a chance to set the record straight about his relationship with Yoko and to send messages about ‘leaders and parking meters,’ feminism, masculinity, ‘that old gang of mine’ (The Beatles), and ‘all the stuff about imagining a better world, because that’s what we have to do.’ We talked about getting together when I next came to New York.”
The next day, Sheff watched Monday Night Football and heard John had been shot and killed. He couldn’t believe his ears. Sheff tried to call Yoko, but he was unable to reach her. Instead, he found his way to a fan memorial service for John in New York City.
How John Lennon’s ‘(Just Like) Starting Over’ performed on the pop charts
Yoko’s wish for “(Just Like) Starting Over” came true. The ballad became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. The tune stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 22 weeks in total. It was John’s most successful solo single in the United States. The track appeared on the album Double Fantasy. That record hit No. 1 for eight of the 77 weeks it spent on the Billboard 200.
The Official Charts Company reports “(Just Like) Starting Over” became a huge hit in the United Kingdom as well. There, the single was No. 1 for a week and lasted on the chart for 15 weeks in total. In the U.K., Double Fantasy was No. 1 for two weeks. It spent 36 weeks on the chart, making it John’s most popular release in the U.K. besides Imagine.
“(Just Like) Starting Over” is a beautiful song and its prominence might have comforted fans after John’s tragic death.
