What was John Lennon's only U.S. number-one single during his lifetime?

John Lennon’s only U.S. number-one single during his lifetime was “Whatever Gets You thru the Night.” Released in 1974, it became the lead single from his album Walls and Bridges and topped the Billboard Hot 100.

The recording featured Elton John on piano and harmony vocals. Lennon was initially skeptical that the song would become a major hit, but Elton John bet him that it would reach number one. After it did, Lennon fulfilled his promise by joining Elton onstage at Madison Square Garden on November 28, 1974.

The song was Lennon's first and only solo U.S. chart-topper before his death in 1980. “Imagine” and “Just Like Starting Over” are frequent mix-ups: “Imagine” reached number three in the United States during Lennon’s lifetime, while “Just Like Starting Over” became a posthumous number-one hit in 1981. The phrase “during his lifetime” is therefore essential to the question.