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John Lennon’s “Power to the People” is a 1971 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band single: a politically charged chant Lennon said he meant people to sing together, rather than a song expected to make a revolution. Yoko Ono was central to the surrounding work and released “Open Your Box” as the single’s B-side, but the official catalog credits Lennon as the writer of the A-side.
When did “Power to the People” come out?
The single was released on 12 March 1971 and was Lennon’s fourth solo single, according to the official John Lennon catalog. It runs 2:23. The UK Official Charts Company record lists its first chart date as 20 March 1971; it peaked at number 7 and spent nine weeks on the chart. That is a UK chart position, not a global ranking. Official Charts Company chart record.
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The release paired Lennon’s song with Yoko Ono’s “Open Your Box.” The catalog credits Lennon with writing “Power to the People” and Ono with writing the B-side, so the single is not a jointly written Lennon–Ono song.
What is the song about?
The lyric turns a demand for political power into a repeated, group-ready refrain. Lennon later said the immediate spark came from conversations with Tariq Ali and Robin Blackburn, activists and writers associated with the communist magazine Red Mole. The official catalog reproduces Lennon’s explanation of the song’s intended role: “So ‘Power To The People’ isn’t expected to make a revolution. It’s for people to sing like the Christians sing hymns.”
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- On August 30, 1972, John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant's Memory and guests headlined 2 historic ONE TO ONE concerts at Madison Square Garden, NYC
That description points to a distinction in the song: it voices a political demand, but Lennon framed its purpose as collective singing rather than a claim that the recording itself would bring about revolution. In accompanying commentary, Lennon and Ono also discussed workers, political participation, communication, and women’s liberation. Those statements provide context for the song’s political conversation; they do not, on their own, establish an effect on any political movement.
Why did Lennon later criticize the song?
In a 1980 retrospective account reproduced by the official catalog, Lennon described both the conversations that prompted the song and his mixed motives:
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“Well, that came from a talk with Tariq Ali, who was sort of a “revolutionary” in England and edited a magazine called Red Mole. So I felt I ought to write a song about what he was saying. That’s why it didn’t really come off. I was not thinking clearly about it. It was written in the state of being asleep and wanting to be loved by Tariq Ali and his ilk, you see. I have to admit to that so I won’t call it hypocrisy. I wouldn’t write that today.”
This is Lennon’s later self-criticism, not a reason to erase the song’s 1971 context. He acknowledged that the political conversations inspired him while questioning how clearly he understood his own motivation at the time. His criticism sits alongside the original idea of a chant people could sing together.
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- Lennon, John & Yoko, The Plastic Ono Band, Elephant's Memory - Power To The People - Live at the One-To-One Concert, New York City, 1972 - Vinyl LP - RSD 2025
Who sings and plays on the original recording?
The official catalog credits Lennon with vocals, electric guitar, and piano. The recording personnel listed there are:
- John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar, piano; writer
- Klaus Voormann: bass
- Billy Preston: piano, keyboards
- Bobby Keys: saxophone
- Jim Gordon: drums
- Rosetta Hightower and others: backing vocals
Production is credited to John & Yoko and Phil Spector. Ono’s presence in the production and political conversation, and her songwriting on the B-side, make her part of the single’s context without changing the A-side songwriting credit.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the current “Power To The People” collection the original single?
No. The current official collection page describes a broader collection focused on John and Yoko’s early New York period, with remixed Some Time in New York City tracks, live recordings, studio jams, and home recordings. Its title connects it to the single, but the collection is not the original 1971 single reissued as a new 2LP.
The official store lists several formats for the expanded collection: 2LP, 4LP, 1CD, 2CD, and 9CD + 3 Blu-ray. The 2LP and other entries refer to the collection; check the relevant track listing if you need to confirm whether a particular format includes the original single. The 9CD + 3 Blu-ray option is the listed format with Blu-ray content; the 2LP and CD options are audio formats.
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- 72 Pages
- Includes 15 Songs
- Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook
- Softcover
An official announcement described a 12-disc box set due from Universal Music Group on 10 October 2026. As of 8 October 2026, that date is still in the future, so the box set is described as due then rather than already released. The announcement concerns the box set, not a new standalone single: official announcement.
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