Whatever Gets You Through the Night - John Lennon (1974) 9/21/22

Trivia Question: Who was the last Beatle to score a #1 single as a solo artist?

Answer: John Lennon in 1974. Here's how it happened: John was channel surfing late one night, when he came across the popular '70s TV Evangelist, "Reverend Ike. He tuned in just in time to hear Ike say, "Let me tell you guys. It doesn't matter! It's whatever gets you through the night!" The context of what Ike was talking about didn't matter, John thought it was a great quote and a "Great Song" just waiting to be written. So he wrote it! Structurally, (for all you music theory types), the song is all chorus with no verses, but John came up with all sorts of lyrical twists to keep things interesting. When it came time to record the song, he asked for "a little help from a friend." Elton John was more than happy to play piano and sing on the cut, and he liked the song so much, bet John it would go to #1 in the US. John took the bet--and lost! In addition to hitting #1 in the US, it reached #2 in Canada, and charted in 5 other countries. To make good on the bet, John agreed to sing the song LIVE with Elton at Elton's 1974 Thanksgiving concert at Madison Square Garden. It was John's last public performance. "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" by John Lennon: a "Great Song of '74," inspired by the Rev. Ike.