Lasting Legacy of Yoko Ono: A Look at the Influence on History

A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Yoko Ono across different fields.

Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her artistic endeavors span various mediums, including performance art and filmmaking. She is best known for her avant-garde art and her marriage to John Lennon, with whom she collaborated on music and peace campaigns. Ono's work often addresses themes of feminism, peace, and social justice, and she continues to be an influential figure in contemporary art and activism.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

June 2, 1969: Lennon-Ono Bed-In End Date

The Lennon-Ono Bed-In at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada ended on June 2, 1969, where Ono and Lennon were protesting against the Vietnam war.

1972: Inclusion in 'Some Living American Women Artists / Last Supper'

In 1972, Yoko Ono was featured in Mary Beth Edelson's 'Some Living American Women Artists / Last Supper,' a feminist artwork appropriating Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper.' This piece, with heads of notable women artists collaged over Christ and his apostles, became an iconic image of the feminist art movement.

1972: Release of Happy Xmas (War Is Over) in the UK

Originally a protest song about the Vietnam War, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, was released in the UK in 1972, after being delayed, and has since become a Christmas standard.

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March 1974: McCartney's intervention

In March 1974, Paul McCartney visited Yoko Ono and inquired what would make her return to John Lennon, later conveying her response to Lennon in Los Angeles.

1976: Dispute over Lennon-McCartney Songwriting Credits

In 1976, Paul McCartney's live album, Wings over America, credited five Beatles tracks as P. McCartney-J. Lennon compositions. After John Lennon's death, McCartney tried to change the credit order to McCartney-Lennon for songs primarily written by him, like "Yesterday". Yoko Ono opposed this, citing a prior agreement, which led to conflict and accusations of rewriting history.

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1981: Grammy Award for Double Fantasy

In 1981, Yoko Ono won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Double Fantasy at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards, following John Lennon's death.

1983: Band Named After Ono Song

In 1983, the post-punk rock band Death of Samantha was founded, named after a song from Yoko Ono's 1972 album Approximately Infinite Universe.

1984: Release of tribute album and Milk and Honey

In 1984, the tribute album Every Man Has a Woman, featuring various artists performing Ono's songs, was released. Also in 1984, Ono and Lennon's final album, Milk and Honey, was released.

October 9, 1985: Dedication of Strawberry Fields memorial

On October 9, 1985, the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, funded by Yoko Ono, was officially dedicated on what would have been John Lennon's 45th birthday.

1990: Release of "Be My Yoko Ono" Single

In 1990, Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies first released "Be My Yoko Ono" as their debut single. The song is described as a shy entreaty, self-deprecatingly comparing the singer to a pop music genius and includes a sarcastic imitation of Yoko Ono's vocal style.

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1990: Worldwide broadcast of Imagine

In 1990, Yoko Ono collaborated with Jeff Pollack to honor what would have been John Lennon's 50th birthday with a worldwide broadcast of "Imagine".

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1992: "Be My Yoko Ono" on album Gordon

In 1992, the song "Be My Yoko Ono" by the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies appeared on their album Gordon.

1995: Collaboration and Comparison to Mozart and Salieri

In 1995, after the Beatles released John Lennon's "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" with demos provided by Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and his family collaborated with Ono and Sean Lennon to create the song "Hiroshima Sky Is Always Blue", commemorating the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Ono compared Lennon to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and McCartney to Antonio Salieri, which angered McCartney's wife, Linda.

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1996: Julian Lennon's Settlement with Ono

In 1996, Julian Lennon settled his legal battle with Yoko Ono over his father's will for an unspecified amount reported to be around £20 million.

1997: Reissue of solo recordings and establishment of John Lennon Scholarships

In 1997, Rykodisc reissued Yoko Ono's catalog of solo recordings on CD. In the same year, Ono and the BMI Foundation established the John Lennon Scholarships to honor Lennon's memory.

1998: "Give Peace a Chance" Composer Credit Change

In 1998, on the John Lennon anthology, Lennon Legend, the composer credit for "Give Peace a Chance" was changed to "John Lennon" from "Lennon-McCartney", even though Lennon wrote the song during his time with the Beatles. Lennon later regretted not giving Yoko Ono co-writing credit for her contribution.

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2000: Release of "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono"

In 2000, American folk singer Dar Williams recorded a song titled "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono," which uses John and Yoko's relationship as a reference point to explore love between artists.

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2000: Founding of the John Lennon Museum

In 2000, Yoko Ono founded the John Lennon Museum in Saitama, Japan, which housed over 130 pieces of Lennon and Beatles memorabilia from her private collection.

March 2002: Unveiling of John Lennon statue at Liverpool Airport

In March 2002, Yoko Ono was present with Cherie Blair at the unveiling of a statue of John Lennon in Liverpool to mark the renaming of Liverpool airport to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

2002: McCartney's Live Album and Credit Dispute

In 2002, Paul McCartney released the live album Back in the U.S. Live 2002, which credited 19 Beatles songs as "composed by Paul McCartney and John Lennon", reigniting the credit debate with Yoko Ono. Ono's spokesperson accused McCartney of attempting to rewrite history, but Ono did not pursue legal action.

2002: Inauguration of the LennonOno Grant for Peace

In 2002, Yoko Ono inaugurated a biennial $50,000 LennonOno Grant for Peace, demonstrating her commitment to peace and philanthropy.

2005: Ono's Speech at the Q Awards

At the 2005 Q Awards, while accepting an award, Yoko Ono shared that John Lennon had felt insecure about his songwriting. She reassured him of his talent as a songwriter and singer, also stating that other musicians may be nervous about covering his songs.

March 31, 2009: Inauguration of the Imagine Exhibition

On March 31, 2009, Yoko Ono attended the inauguration of the exhibition "Imagine: The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko" to mark the 40th anniversary of the Lennon-Ono Bed-In.

October 2010: Ono Credits McCartney with Helping Save Her Marriage

In an October 2010 interview, Yoko Ono discussed John Lennon's "lost weekend" and their reconciliation. She credited Paul McCartney with playing a touching role in saving her marriage to John.

2010: Closure of the John Lennon Museum

In 2010, the John Lennon Museum in Saitama, Japan, which Yoko Ono funded, closed. This museum was dedicated to preserving the legacy of John Lennon.

2012: McCartney on Ono's Influence

In 2012, Paul McCartney stated that he did not blame Yoko Ono for the breakup of the Beatles and acknowledged her inspiration for much of John Lennon's post-Beatles work.

February 2013: Acceptance of the Rainer Hildebrandt Medal

In February 2013, Yoko Ono accepted the Rainer Hildebrandt Medal at Berlin's Checkpoint Charlie Museum, awarded to her and John Lennon for their work for peace and human rights.

2013: Central Theme in James Acaster's Show

In 2013, Yoko Ono was a central theme in English comedian James Acaster's show Lawnmower, which was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show.

2014: Mention in Elbow's "New York Morning"

In 2014, the British band Elbow mentioned Yoko Ono in their song "New York Morning" from the album The Take Off and Landing of Everything. Ono responded with an open letter thanking them and reflecting on her and Lennon's relationship with New York City.

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2016: Billboard's Dance Club Artist Ranking

In 2016, Yoko Ono was named the 11th most successful dance club artist of all time by Billboard magazine, showcasing her continued impact on the music scene.