Beyond being musicians and creating tracks the world comes to love, most of our icons are music fans themselves. Some stick to the genre they are used to making, taking direct inspiration from fellow musicians, and some listen to wildly different styles than what they create – which often helps add an eclectic touch to their works.
John Lennon was no exception. In 1965, while The Beatles were constantly on the road, Lennon purchased a 15kg KB Discomatic jukebox – a portable record player he filled with 40 of his favourite 45s. This was his personal soundtrack of sorts, a compact musical diary that revealed what moved and inspired him. Years later, the jukebox would be rediscovered and restored, offering a rare glimpse into the tracks that shaped one of the most influential songwriters of all time.
Lennon’s choices span R&B, soul, early rock and roll, Motown, and blues – exactly the kind of energetic, emotionally driven music that seeped into The Beatles’ own evolution.
He included pop hits like ‘In the Midnight Hour’ by Wilson Pickett and ‘Rescue Me’ by Fontella Bass, songs that were hugely successful in their own right and widely loved for their infectious hooks and powerhouse vocals. Otis Redding’s ‘My Girl’ also makes an appearance – though famously performed by The Temptations, Lennon opted for the cover version.
There’s also a strong presence of early rock and roll, with three tracks by Larry Williams – ‘Short Fat Fannie,’ ‘Bad Boy,’ and ‘She Said, Yeah’ – who was a clear favourite of Lennon’s. Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly each appear multiple times, while Chuck Berry’s unmistakable ‘No Particular Place to Go’ rounds out this foundation of rock’s pioneers.
Lennon demonstrated an interest in rhythm and blues too, leaning into records like ‘Watch Your Step’ by Bobby Parker and Barrett Strong’s ‘Money (That’s What I Want),’ which the Fab Four famously covered.
He was also drawn to soul and Motown. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles are represented heavily, with four songs on the list, including ‘The Tracks of My Tears,’ ‘Shop Around,’ and ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’.
Surprisingly, the jukebox also reveals Lennon’s appreciation for then-newer folk and pop artists: Bob Dylan’s ‘Positively 4th Street’ is one of the most pointed songs on the list, given the history between the two artists.
Lennon also included Donovan’s psychedelic folk gem ‘Turquoise,’ and two tracks from The Lovin’ Spoonful. Only one woman appears on the list – Fontella Bass with ‘Rescue Me’.
Some tracks are nods to The Beatles’ own setlists and influences: The Isley Brothers’ ‘Twist and Shout,’ a staple in the band’s early repertoire, and James Ray’s ‘If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody’, which had a short-lived presence in their Hamburg days.
John Lennon’s 40 favourite songs (from his 1965 jukebox):
• ‘In the Midnight Hour’ – Wilson Pickett
• ‘Rescue Me’ – Fontella Bass
• ‘The Tracks of My Tears’ – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
• ‘My Girl’ – Otis Redding
• ‘1-2-3’ – Len Barry
• ‘Hi-Heel Sneakers’ – Tommy Tucker
• ‘The Walk’ – Jimmy McCracklin
• ‘Gonna Send You Back to Georgia’ – Timmy Shaw
• ‘First I Look at the Purse’ – The Contours
• ‘New Orleans’ – Gary U.S. Bonds
• ‘Watch Your Step’ – Bobby Parker
• ‘Daddy Rollin’ Stone’ – Derek Martin
• ‘Short Fat Fannie’ – Larry Williams
• ‘Long Tall Sally’ – Little Richard
• ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ – Barrett Strong
• ‘Hey! Baby’ – Bruce Channel
• ‘Positively 4th Street’ – Bob Dylan
• ‘Wild About My Lovin’’ – The Lovin’ Spoonful
• ‘Turquoise’ – Donovan
• ‘Slippin’ and Slidin’’ – Buddy Holly
• ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ – Gene Vincent
• ‘No Particular Place to Go’ – Chuck Berry
• ‘Steppin’ Out’ – Paul Revere & the Raiders
• ‘Do You Believe in Magic’ – The Lovin’ Spoonful
• ‘Some Other Guy’ – The Big Three
• ‘Twist and Shout’ – The Isley Brothers
• ‘She Said, Yeah’ – Larry Williams
• ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’ – Buddy Holly
• ‘Slippin’ and Slidin’’ – Little Richard
• ‘Quarter to Three’ – Gary U.S. Bonds
• ‘Ooh! My Soul’ – Little Richard
• ‘Woman Love’ – Gene Vincent
• ‘Shop Around’ – The Miracles
• ‘Bring It on Home to Me’ – The Animals
• ‘If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody’ – James Ray with the Hutch Davie Orchestra
• ‘What’s So Good About Goodbye’ – The Miracles
• ‘Bad Boy’ – Larry Williams
• ‘Agent Double-O Soul’ – Edwin Starr
• ‘I’ve Been Good to You’ – The Miracles
• ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’ – The Miracles