Posted on 10/14/2005 5:38:44 PM PDT by Pharmboy
The Beatles were singled out on Friday as the most influential entertainers of the past 100 years, beating out the likes of Elvis Presley, Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Mouse, according to a survey conducted by show business newspaper Variety.
Behind the Fab Four's first-place finish, were in alphabetical order: jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong, television comedienne Lucille Ball, movie legends Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, Charlie Chaplin, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe, cartoon hero Mickey Mouse and singers Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
Variety said the Beatles were named "Icons of the Century" because they were the entertainment personalities who made the biggest impact on the industry and the world in the past 100 years.
The newspaper published a list of 100 entertainers from all branches of show business, including actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, television presenters, animals, comedians and cartoon characters. Among other names on the list were Johnny Carson, Johnny Cash and Lassie.
The winners were chosen by Variety editors based on polling of entertainment industry professionals and Variety staff and by online voting by the public on variety.com.
Among the criteria for selection were a performer's commercial, creative, political and social impact and even whether their image was presented -- like James Dean's -- on a t-shirt.
The list was to be published in Variety's Sunday issue to celebrate the paper's 100th anniversary. "It seemed only natural to celebrate 100 of the people who gave us something to talk about," said Steven Gaydos, the paper's executive editor.
Without Elvis, there is no Gene Vincent or (Silver)Beatles.
Without Col. Tom Parker, there is no Elvis mechandising. Without "Elvis" there is no Beatlemania.
I remember the Beatles the first time around, and like anyone else who has listened to them, burned out on them, and then for some strange reason (curiosity, nostalgia, etc) went back to listen, think I can give a reasonable opinion why their music stands the test of the decades. The best way I can put it is primarily Paul McCartney's gift for music composition and unusual but pleasant chord changes that give Beatles tunes a sort of thumbprint of their own. That thumbprint carried through their psychedelic years despite John's constant meddling. Their music was well written, genuine, and rightly deserves a high place in pop-music history.
"Without Elvis, there is no Gene Vincent or (Silver)Beatles"
Without black blues musicians there is no Elvis, no rock n roll, no jazz, no swing.....
What?
Why isn't Wally Cox on the list?
Ridiculous.
;o)
Saw McCartney two weeks ago in Philly. . Was an awesome show . Did all the old Beatles songs . People ranged from infants to 70's + Everbody knew the words to the songs ..26 songs in regular set and TWO encore..Was a time machine back to the 60's with a flood of memories .
Their version of" Kansas City "blows the doors off Wilbert Harrisons .
and still the Beatles CDs are priced at a full 18+ dollars... none of that Nice Price for them like LedZep or (fill in the blanks)___
Baby Boomers --The wealthiest group of humans on the planet . We lost a few to drugs and alcohol, but Cobain sucked on a shotgun . That is " STUCK ON STUPID!"
PS. We'll sleep when we're dead.
BB's may be wealthy and so what?
When it comes to their favorite music - they are stuck on stupid.
That's why it pains me to say that I thoroughly disagree with this poll.
My pick? Without a doubt ... Francis Albert Sinatra.
Chuck Berry made the bridge ... without him no Elvis, no Beatles, etc
"Even though I just posted in another thread about big band and swing music that my interests have pretty much generated there"
I like the Beatles too, but I agree swing.....well....rocks!
And I will second the chairman of the board too! Me born in 54.
In college (1971) a prof asked us to write a list of the five most influential non-dieties in our young lives. Out of @ 25 students all but two of us included Walt Disney. No one else came close to that percentage.
IMHO, Bing Crosby belongs in the top 10 list as well, because he was also a massively ground-breaking and influential artist before Sinatra, but he's sort of forgotten about these days.
Wake me up in 50 years when the Beatles (WHO?) will be as well remembered as Rudy Vallee is today.
Anyone who likes the Beatles should check out "Beatlemania Now" if the come to your area, they're excellent.
http://www.beatlemanianow.com/
That is a good point.
I can still recall his introductions on Sunday nights after Lassie
Some knucklehead swiped my Dark Side Of The Moon CD I bought about 17 years ago that I paid a pretty good price for. Back then I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $22 for it. Found a copy at Wal-Mart a couple months ago for $5.
Not only that, but you are still buying the same 16-bit mixes that were made in 1987/8. Think about that -- 18 years between "Let it Be" and and the CD release, yet it's been almost 18 years since that CD release.
However, Elton John went through three masterings in about six years...
I looked forward to those shows back then with the same anticipation as the Roy Rogers Show and The Lone Ranger. My favorites.
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