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Original poster

Which historical figure dead or alive has left the biggest impact on pop culture?

175 replies

RoyKent · 21/08/2022 18:44

Following watching Elvis and being curious over the origin of "Elvis has left the building" my sister and I were discussing if Elvis was/is the most famous person to have ever lived. Does anyone else have a cultural footprint that comes close?
I contenders for second might include The Beatles (Lennon in particular), Marilyn Monroe and maybe Marlon Brando but I still feel none of these have the same global and timeless impact.
Would love to know others' thoughts!

OP posts:
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LadyLothbrook · 22/08/2022 23:56

DorritLittle · 22/08/2022 23:53

In that case let's add Jill Murphy.

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Indeed! and Mary Shelley. Thats a throwback.

DorritLittle · 23/08/2022 00:23

Justanotherlurker · 22/08/2022 19:49

I define influencing pop culture as causing a global change in music, fashion, film etc tastes. Every artist has influences, but not all iconic artists propelled a change in the entire look and feel of a time like Elvis did and The Beatles did.

You're kind of mixing up what actually happened, Elvis, MJ and the beatles where not breaking new ground, the undergound music scene already had the clothing and haircuts, the beatles for example where not creating a new scene just bringing a scene to the mainstream, same as NWA/Public Enemy, and many of the Early DJ's, yes they have all been influenced by those before them but they didn't 'create' the scene.

As an example, Nirvana will go down as cultural icon, great individual talent but the fashion, music etc was already there long before it became 'fashion', same with NWA/Public enemy and 'just listening to car alarms' dance music that was shunned from the BBC.

What's being remembered as being a cultural shift is just "when did said generational shift" become commercialised.

In a few years some Grime etc artist will make it huge and make us all feel old, they won't be the ones who 'had' the most cultural impact though, it will be those highly commercial ones who became mainstream.

I get I'm sounding a bit snobbish, not wanting to, I used to be a free party dj in the early 90's and still has my music and dj name brought up (humblebrag)

I do see your point and agree, the Beatles' 60s look was born in Europe, but they brought it back to Liverpool where nobody looked like they did. They refused consistently to do what other bands were doing and always wore what they liked, with other bands copying them. I don't think other bands at the time were doing what they were doing, with the same sort of confidence or years of experience. There weren't really bands as we know them, insisting on recording their own music in the UK until them for example. Having said that without George Martin and Brian Epstein they wouldn't have happened at all.

Actually George Martin would be a good contender...

StarCourt · 23/08/2022 00:41

The Queen

DownNative · 23/08/2022 00:52

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 22/08/2022 17:04

Not a chance as most people do not believe the allegations against Michael Jackson

I'd imagine most people who watched the two part documentary that gave his victims a voice believe it. The evidence was pretty damming.
I don't dispute his popularity given the figures you've quoted but I am surprised that people overlook the allegations and pay offs.

Nonsense. That had very low TV ratings everywhere it was broadcast and they kept editing inconsistencies out. The UK got a much shorter broadcast than France, IIRC. Their claims in the documentary was contradicted by those made in their respective court cases which were dismissed.

As stated before, Michael Jackson's Spotify monthly listeners increased from 24.5 million to 31.5 million during that period.

Hence, most people don't believe those allegations. You can choose to believe them if you wish - your prerogative. Most people just aren't buying it.

TheVanguardSix · 23/08/2022 00:59

Jesus

DownNative · 23/08/2022 01:00

Justanotherlurker · 22/08/2022 19:26

The Jackson 5 deserve at least an honourable mention as they were the voice of Black America in a time of racism and the Civil Rights Movement.

That is if you ignore the whole Stax and Motown record lable which was huge at the time and trail blazing black musicians and getting regular top 10 hits in the US long before the Jackson 5, they where the somewhat sanitized corporate version.

It's why questions like this don't really make sense because (musically) everyone has stood on the shoulders of giants as they say.

Everyone has been influenced by others

I very clearly stated Motown marketed the J5 in a very specific way that hadn't been done before involving such a young act.

It was Motown who were genius at marketing them to all audiences, black and white. Especially the whole "Voice of Black America" thing.

Part of Motown's thinking was focusing on each boy's personalities as well as talent.

Motown weren't left out of the picture there. It was a perfect marriage of Motown and J5. They were Motown's last superstar act and their biggest child act.

Shame Motown fell apart after Gordy moved them to California and focused on movies.

Rosewaterblossom · 23/08/2022 01:10

I just watched a documentary on Netflix about Shania Twain who had 3 consecutive diamond records! She must be up there for changing country music/pop music crossover and paved the way for that genre to be in the mainstream.

mydogsteppedonabee · 23/08/2022 01:44

Freddie.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 23/08/2022 01:53

When people say Jesus, which Jesus? The one from the Bible? That's just a book of stories.

dropthevipers · 23/08/2022 02:18

ChobKnees · 22/08/2022 11:58

So "famous" that I have no clue who he is...

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Thing is, ignorance is not usually a good look

Checkitoutnow · 23/08/2022 04:34

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 23/08/2022 01:53

When people say Jesus, which Jesus? The one from the Bible? That's just a book of stories.

Which proves the original point. If someone is so famous and influential, people will write and create stories and myths around them. That’s influence.

Did Marilyn Monroe really have an affair with JFK?
Did Paul McCartney really die before Abbey Road?
You see?

Inkanta · 23/08/2022 05:27

Mike Oldfield, David Bowie and Kate Bush.

ItsMyUsername · 23/08/2022 06:00

Imagine if the internet was around when Elvis died!

It for sure would have cause search engines to crash.

TabithaTittlemouse · 23/08/2022 06:20

Andy Warhol IS pop culture.

KangarooKenny · 23/08/2022 06:32

Bowie wouldn’t have got where he was without Mick Ronson - Ronno.

Nellodee · 23/08/2022 06:34

Fusajiro Nanauchi, of Nintendo fame. Pokémon is the biggest global media franchise (followed by Hello Kitty). You could argue that the whole manga/kawaii/Japanese aesthetic entered the west via Nintendo.

KangarooKenny · 23/08/2022 06:36

Rosewaterblossom · 23/08/2022 01:10

I just watched a documentary on Netflix about Shania Twain who had 3 consecutive diamond records! She must be up there for changing country music/pop music crossover and paved the way for that genre to be in the mainstream.

That’s probably a lot to do with the fact that her ex husband was a very successful record producer !

Mybumlooksbig · 23/08/2022 07:24

Princess Diana

NancyJoan · 23/08/2022 07:31

Not a chance as most people do not believe the allegations against Michael Jackson

Don’t they??

DorritLittle · 23/08/2022 07:33

TabithaTittlemouse · 23/08/2022 06:20

Andy Warhol IS pop culture.

Good point.

DorritLittle · 23/08/2022 07:43

People keep saying Diana - I know she influenced things like attitudes to AIDS but am not sure how she impacted pop culture? Marilyn Monroe did though.

CrabbitBastard · 23/08/2022 08:00

DH reckons the beatles are over rated. There have been better singers before and after. I personally think a successful band/singer is one you talk about decades afterwards. If you think about Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, they were classical musicians but people talk about them centuries afterwards.

TitaniasAss · 23/08/2022 08:02

The hero worship for Michael Jackson from some on this thread is bizarre.

Original poster
RoyKent · 23/08/2022 08:13

I would say the vast majority of the public do believe the accusations against Jackson.

OP posts:
Badbadbunny · 23/08/2022 08:14

Rosewaterblossom · 23/08/2022 01:10

I just watched a documentary on Netflix about Shania Twain who had 3 consecutive diamond records! She must be up there for changing country music/pop music crossover and paved the way for that genre to be in the mainstream.

I think Olivia Newton John had already done the country/pop changeover in the late 70s. She did different genres and was quite revolutionary around that time with some of the first pop videos.