Whatever Gets You Through the Night by John Lennon – ****

First released: 1974

Strangely, though this was a #1 hit single from a #1 hit album that I absolutely love ("Walls and Bridges"), I’m not quite as big of fan of this song. Mainly because Lennon duets with Elton John and as a result Elton steals the show. It almost sounds like Lennon guesting on an Elton John album and not the other way ‘round. Lennon promised to join Elton on stage at Thanksgiving 1974 if the song made it to #1. It did and Lennon did. After Lennon’s death this version was released a number of times, including 1990’s "Lennon" and most recently on the 2005 "Walls and Bridges" reissue as a bonus track. The studio version was also on the 1975 "Shaved Fish" compilation, "The John Lennon Collection" from 1982, 1990’s "Lennon", "Lennon Legend" from 1997, "Instant Karma" from 2001, and "Working Class Hero" from 2005. There’s also two demo versions released on 1998’s "The John Lennon Anthology", one subtitled "Home" and the other "Studio".