JOHN LENNON - IMAGINE TOPS BEST SONG LIST

JOHN LENNON's hit IMAGINE has topped a new magazine poll to find the best 99 songs ever written. The 1971 peace anthem beat HOAGY CARMICHAEL's standard STARDUST and MARVIN GAYE's WHAT'S GOING ON to claim the top spot in Performing Songwriter magazine's hitlist. Lennon also claimed the number four spot for hit credit, alongside PAUL MCCARTNEY, on the BEATLES' YESTERDAY. Meanwhile, 1971 stands out as a great 12 months in pop music - three of the top 10 tunes were composed that year - Imagine, CAROLE KING's IT'S TOO LATE and THE WHO's BEHIND BLUE EYES. The top 10 is: 1. IMAGINE - JOHN LENNON 2. STARDUST - HOAGY CARMICHAEL 3. WHAT'S GOING ON - MARVIN GAYE 4. YESTERDAY - JOHN LENNON + PAUL MCCARTNEY 5. ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER - BOB DYLAN 6. BORN TO RUN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 7. YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING - PHIL SPECTOR + CYNTHIA WEIL 8. OVER THE RAINBOW - HAROLD ARLEN + EY HARBURG 9. BEHIND BLUE EYES - PETE TOWNSHEND 10. IT'S TOO LATE - CAROLE KING + TONI STERN.