10 Songs Written About Other Musicians

Most rock fans could probably tell you where they were the night that John Lennon was killed. To have one of the most staunch advocates for peace and music icons taken from us in one fell swoop is something that fans still haven't recovered from. Though Lennon will never meet us on this plain of existence again, we at least got some heartfelt tributes from the royals of rock.

On the whole, Queen's record Hot Space is considered to be a bit of a dud amongst fans, as they try desperately to ape the dance-oriented groove they had just a few years earlier. Sticking out like a sore thumb in a good way though is Life is Real, which was written by Freddie Mercury following Lennon's murder. As opposed to just the dance beats, this is about as heartfelt as they come, as Mercury takes the good along with the bad.

Across this track, there's no denying the massive amount of sadness that comes with death, but it's message is to help us overcome the pain that we see in front of us. Even though things might seem hard now, it's better to spread peace than it is to use anger, which is what John would have wanted. Regardless of John's influence, Life is Real cut through all of the rock star pretension and brought some humanity back into rock and roll.