On this day in 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono released Double Fantasy

After a five year hiatus from music to focus on family, Lennon decided it was time to return to the spotlight. Sessions were booked and took place at the Hit Factory in New York between August and October of 1980. Jack Douglas, who the pair had worked with previously, handled the production.

The album was planned to have a focus on marriage and the dialogue between husband and wife. The track listing alternated between performances from Lennon and Yoko Ono rather than collaborating on tracks and helping to reinforce their dialogue concept. The pair ended up recording enough songs to complete Double Fantasy as well as most of a follow-up that would become 1984’s Milk and Honey.

Upon release, Double Fantasy received mostly negative reviews from critics and a sluggish start to sales numbers, though singles from the album still had no trouble reaching the top ten. However, when news of Lennon’s tragic murder just a few weeks later, sales surged with singles reaching the top spot on various charts. Critics also began changing their minds and returned with praise for what would be the final album Lennon himself would work on. Double Fantasy would go on to win the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.