John Lennon’s 1970 single “Instant Karma!” is presented as an example of his spontaneous approach to making music during the final months of the Beatles. Written, recorded and mixed in a single day before being released within weeks, the song became a major hit in Britain and the United States, showing that rapid production did not prevent commercial or artistic success.

The recording took place on 27 January 1970 under the Plastic Ono Band name, while Lennon’s departure from the Beatles had not yet been publicly announced. George Harrison played guitar, Klaus Voormann bass and Alan White drums, with Phil Spector producing; Lennon later said the song’s theme was that people face immediate consequences for their actions.