Song · John Lennon
“(Just Like) Starting Over” by John Lennon
From the album Double Fantasy (1980)
“(Just Like) Starting Over” by John Lennon appears on 15 radio countdowns from 9 stations between 1980 and 2026. It was first released in 1980 on the album Double Fantasy. Its best result is #57 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1980. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #57 alternative song of 1980.
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"(Just Like) Starting Over" was John Lennon's way back in: the first single from Double Fantasy, issued in October 1980 with Yoko Ono's "Kiss Kiss Kiss" on the flip, and his first new recording since he walked away from the music business in 1975. He didn't pick it because he thought it was the album's best song, but because it was the right one to break a five-year silence.
Cut at the Hit Factory with Jack Douglas co-producing alongside Lennon and Ono, it's the sound of a man easing back into the game with a grin: Lennon called it his "Elvis/Orbison" track and sent up both singers' vocal styles with a wink. Earl Slick and Hugh McCracken join him on electric guitars, Tony Levin plays bass and Andy Newmark drums. It was the last single he released in his lifetime; after he was murdered on 8 December 1980 it went to number one in both the US and UK.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 57 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1980 | 106 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 263 | 95.5 KLOS | KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) | 499 |
| 2011 | 981 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) | 1100 |
| 2012 | 1034 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) | 1200 |
| 2014 | 461 | Big 100 | BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) | 1000 |
| 2016 | 601 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 | 1007 |
| 2019 | 517 | 102.5 KZOK | KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 | 1025 |
| 2021 | 180 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2021 | 967 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) | 1043 |
| 2022 | 874 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) | 1043 |
| 2023 | 928 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) | 1043 |
| 2024 | 464 | WYEP | WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years | 1049 |
| 2024 | 832 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) | 1043 |
| 2025 | 261 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) | 1043 |
| 2026 | 453 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
Also listed as: Just Like Starting Ove; Just Like Starting Over.
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