(Oct. 09, 1940 - Dec. 08, 1980) John Lennon was best known as a singer, songwriter, poet and guitarist for the British rock band The Beatles. His creative career also included the roles of solo musician, peace activist, artist, actor and author. As half of the legendary Lennon-McCartney songwriting team, he heavily influenced the development of rock music. He is recognised as one of the greatest music icons of the 20th century and many of his songs, such as Imagine and Strawberry Fields Forever, are often ranked among the best songs in popular music history.