John Lennon Remembered Through New Remastered Albums

What can be said about John Lennon that hasn't already been said? The famed musician, philanthropist, and former Beatle was - and still is - one of the most important influences on popular music. He has written numerous peace anthems, including "Imagine" and "Give Peace a Chance," which still belong on the soundtrack of peace and anti-war movements today. Many songs he wrote with the Beatles ("Help!," "Revolution," "I am the Walrus," "Day in the Life") go down in history as some of the finest songs of all time.

In 1980, after an incredibly turbulent few years, John Lennon was finally at peace. He returned to the studio after a long hiatus in which he had played the role of house-husband, doting on his wife Yoko Ono and their son. His new album at the time, "Double Fantasy," was the album he had waited so long to put out. Everything was perfect.

However, things took a tragic turn on December 8, 1980. That morning Lennon was in the studio working on an upcoming single called "Walking on Thin Ice." Upon returning to his famous apartment at the Dakota building in New York City, a crazed "fan" named Mark David Chapman - who had received an autograph from Lennon just hours before - pulled out a revolver and shot at Lennon five times. Four of the five bullets hit him, and he said, "I've been shot" as he collapsed on the floor. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

Lennon's death remains to be one of the most shocking celebrity deaths in history. A man who was defined by peace and love and was famous for his anti-war and violence protests had just suffered a senseless, meaningless death by the hands of a madman with no motive. The world continues to mourn the death of one of the finest musicians in the history of popular music.

In present day 2010, the world is celebrating what would have been his seventieth birthday. To mark this momentous milestone, the team that remastered the entire Beatles catalogue last year have done the same with Lennon's catalogue. Among the remasters is also a special edition of "Double Fantasy" called "Double Fantasy: Stripped Down," in which the songs are stripped of many overdubs, orchestras, and background vocals in order to give Lennon's vocals a stronger presence.