John Lennon's song "Imagine" is by all means a classic which will endure in the hearts of many. It has many aspects that make it the ideal song for such a project, from its musical quality, to its imperative message of peace.
Lennon's melodic style conveys a poignant innocence, which complements the theme of the song perfectly. The music stays simple and seems to grasp the lyrics without a seam. It is the type of song that will appeal to almost anyone who hears it because of its rhythmic, almost hypnotic sound. .
I don't know what the music of the "future" will sound like, but I believe a song like this is one that can be enjoyed by all generations to come. It isn't the music of our generation today; not rock with heavy distortion, or rap with deafening bass, nor is it the synthesized Rhytem and Blues many people choose to listen to. It is the type of song that touches a person's heart, the kind of music I listen to because I can feel it. .
This selection is a more instrumental rock that is set apart from all other genres, deserving of the reverence received in the decades past, and for those to come. This song is truly a tribute to great music, and has been likened to the twentieth centuries answer to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and Bach's "Fantasia".
In that regard, this song is seen as one the greatest songs of our century, and isn't that the type of musical merit we should consider when selecting the one song to represent us in the capsule? The song itself is asking that we see the world consciously, and don't just coast by on what others have established as right. It wants you to invoke thought upon life as your own person to decide what it is you believe in. The idea of this song is one that could easily be thrown out as a contradictory if it weren't for the way Lennon portrays it. He wants you to imagine (hence the title) it as he does and infer from your own judgment what you believe.
