In 1965, somewhere between the chaos of stadium crowds and the stillness of hotel rooms, John Lennon built himself a sonic sanctuary: a Swiss-made KB Discomatic jukebox packed with 40 of his favorite 45s. It wasn’t assembled for show. It was for solace, stimulation, and soul. At a time when The Beatles were being chased, dissected, and deified, Lennon turned to the voices that had first made him fall in love with music. This was not nostalgia—it was nourishment.
This jukebox was Lennon’s private mixtape before mixtapes existed. Long before streaming and playlists, these 45s held emotional power. These were the records he needed. Not for fashion. Not for fans. But because they reminded him who he was before the world knew his name. The crackle of Little Richard’s scream, the poetry of Dylan’s disdain, the swing of Smokey’s heartbreak—all of it informed Lennon’s musical DNA.
Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, the Miracles, the Isley Brothers, and Fontella Bass all spin side by side. There’s no ranking here—only resonance. Smokey Robinson appears five times, Dylan twice, and the influence of Black American R&B is unmistakable. It’s a jukebox that pulses with rebellion, romance, grief, and groove. It’s the kind of music that doesn’t ask for permission.
When the jukebox resurfaced at a Christie’s auction in 1989 and was purchased by Bristol music producer John Midwinter, it became more than a collectible. Midwinter painstakingly restored it, tracked down the original records, and shared Lennon’s handwritten notes—before his own death in 2004. His work was eventually turned into the documentary John Lennon’s Jukebox, offering a rare glimpse into the personal soundtrack of a man who redefined popular music.
Here are the 40 songs John Lennon carried with him—the songs that reminded him of where he came from, and maybe, where he still hoped to go.
John Lennon’s Jukebox: The Complete 40
“Agent Double-O Soul” – Edwin Starr
“Bad Boy” – Larry Williams
“Be-Bop-A-Lula” – Gene Vincent
“Bring It on Home to Me” – The Animals
“Brown Eyed Handsome Man” – Buddy Holly
“Daddy Rollin’ Stone” – Derek Martin
“Do You Believe in Magic” – The Lovin’ Spoonful
“First I Look at the Purse” – The Contours
“Gonna Send You Back to Georgia” – Timmy Shaw
“Hey! Baby” – Bruce Channel
“Hi-Heel Sneakers” – Tommy Tucker
“I’ve Been Good to You” – The Miracles
“If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody” – James Ray with the Hutch Davie Orchestra
“In the Midnight Hour” – Wilson Pickett
“Long Tall Sally” – Little Richard
“Money (That’s What I Want)” – Barrett Strong
“My Girl” – Otis Redding
“New Orleans” – Gary U.S. Bonds
“No Particular Place to Go” – Chuck Berry
“Ooh! My Soul” – Little Richard
“Positively 4th Street” – Bob Dylan
“Quarter to Three” – Gary U.S. Bonds
“Rescue Me” – Fontella Bass
“She Said, Yeah” – Larry Williams
“Shop Around” – The Miracles
“Short Fat Fannie” – Larry Williams
“Slippin’ and Slidin” – Buddy Holly
“Slippin’ and Slidin” – Little Richard
“Some Other Guy” – The Big Three
“Steppin’ Out” – Paul Revere & the Raiders
“The Tracks of My Tears” – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
“The Walk” – Jimmy McCracklin
“This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)” – The Isley Brothers
“Turquoise” – Donovan
“Twist and Shout” – The Isley Brothers
“Watch Your Step” – Bobby Parker
“What’s So Good About Goodbye” – The Miracles
“Who’s Lovin’ You” – The Miracles
“Wild About My Lovin’” – The Lovin’ Spoonful
“Woman Love” – Gene Vincent