As
half
of The
Beatles,
John
Lennon
and
Paul
McCartney
were
one of
the
most
successful
songwriting
teams
of the
century.
Together
they
wrote
dozens
of hit
tunes,
ranging
from
"Help!"
and
"Ticket
to
Ride"
to
"Penny
Lane"
and
"Let
It
Be."
Lennon's
romance
with
Yoko
Ono
was a
major
influence
on his
post-Beatles
career,
and he
collaborated
with
her on
everything
from
avant-garde
noise
to the
modern
pop
hymn
"Imagine".
After
The
Beatles,
Lennon's
solo
career
was
marked
by
unpredictable
records
and
his
public
pleas
for
world
peace.
After
a
reclusive
five
years
as a
family
man,
Lennon
released
an
album
with
Yoko
in
1980, Double
Fantasy.
As
their
new
song
"Just
Like
Starting
Over"
was
reaching
the
top of
the
charts,
Lennon
was
shot
to
death
outside
his
New
York
home
by
Mark
David
Chapman,
a
schizophrenic
fan.
December
8,
2005
marks
the
25th
anniversary
of
Lennon's
death.