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Elvis Ranked 10th In Variety's Iconic Celebrities List

Entertainment magazine Variety quizzed key industry figures and polled readers for the list to mark its 100th birthday. Elvis is listed at #10, the Beatles came in first. Executive editor Steven Gaydos said: "It seemed only natural to celebrate 100 of the people who gave us something to talk about. "We are excited to honour the Beatles, giving special recognition to the sole group which has most shaped the face of modern showbusiness." Among the criteria for choosing icons were commercial and creative impact, number of imitators, enduring appeal and whether they appear on T-shirts. The list is meant to represent every side of showbusiness, including actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, TV presenters, animals, comedians and even cartoon characters. However the top 10 is dominated by Hollywood screen stars and music legends. After the Beatles come jazz genius Louis Armstrong, actress Lucille Ball of 50s TV series I Love Lucy and film stars Humphrey Bogart and Marlon Brando. Film legends Charlie Chaplin, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe - the only other woman in the top 10 - come ahead of Mickey Mouse. But surprisingly Mickey beats Elvis Presley, who features only in tenth place despite still selling millions of records every year. The top 10 are: 1. The Beatles 2. Louis Armstrong 3. Lucille Ball 4. Humphrey Bogart 5. Marlon Brando 6. Charlie Chaplin 7. James Dean 8. Marilyn Monroe 9. Mickey Mouse 10. Elvis Presley
Source: Mirror / Updated: Oct 15, 2005 
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SuziB (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 29, 2005report abuse
Elvis wasn't tenth - there is no second to tenth! After the winners, clearly the wrong choice by Variety, everyone else in the top 10 was put in alphabetical order. The results were decided by Variety's editorial staff not a vote - in the public vote at MSN ELvis has won b a slandslide.
nrbl (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 20, 2005report abuse
Buyep01, Just to let you know that i also emailed them. So now they at least have 2 emails!!
forelvis (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 19, 2005report abuse
And here are mor bad news:
Lennon cover: #1
(Tuesday October 18, 2005 03:35 PM)

A photograph of a naked John Lennon taken the day he was murdered, has been voted the greatest magazine cover of the past 40 years in the USA.

The image - pictured - was used on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine a month after Lennon was gunned down by Mark Chapman outside the former Beatle's New York City apartment.

Taken by world renowned snapper Annie Leibovitz, the photograph shows Lennon curled-up alongside Yoko Ono and was chosen by panel of editors, artists and designers.

The cover, published in December 1980, was chosen ahead of Demi Moore's infamous Vanity Fair pregnancy shot and Andy Warhol's Esquire picture of a soup can, by the American Society of Magazine Editors.

The announcement comes just 24 hours after The Beatles were announced as the greatest icons in popular culture history, ahead of Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Mouse and Elvis Presley.
buyep01 (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 19, 2005report abuse
I encourage Elvis fans to do exactly what I did go to variety.com and tell them exactly what you think of the survey results. Just me sending an email might not even get read but if a few thousand come in maybe they can do the poll and pass the ballots out somewhere other than the annual beatles fan club meeting.
Jes (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 17, 2005report abuse
The Beatles I can understand, but Louis Armstrong 2nd? Who did they poll? This poll is quite ridiculous I must say.
EspenK (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 17, 2005report abuse
"Elvis would laugh at being beaten by a mouse": Exactly, hehe! I'm sure he would even joke about it on stage. Actually I can picture Elvis' voice in my head doing just that (filtered by a poor audience recording of course :D)

"Espenk: you are probably much too young to know this actress ;-)":
I probably am, being "just" in my mid 30s. But my point remains: These kind of polls all seem to have been made by, and voted on, by people who are stuck in their long gone teenage years and lost all contact with the entertainment world that surrounds them.

Of course, someones real impact can only be judged in retrospective, but where are names like Bob Geldof, Madonna, John Travolta, The Simpsons, David Letterman, Kraftwerk, Hugh Hefner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bono, Michael Moore... Just to mention a very few of *many* names from the last 3-4 decades who each in their own way had a huge impact on political awareness, fashion, dancing, music, opinions and social boundaries. And in my opinion, much more so than the family friendly and politically correct, spineless movies with Bogart, Brando and the likes. Three words: "GET OVER IT!".
hedgehog (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 17, 2005report abuse
Elvis would laugh at being beaten by a mouse
SilviaZ (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 17, 2005report abuse
Espenk: you are probably much too young to know this actress ;-)
EspenK (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 16, 2005report abuse
The only thing reader polls like these tell is something about the readers who bother to vote, thats all. If ElvisNews did a similar poll Elvis would win with something like 98% of the votes - and the readers would hunt down and punish those who voted differently. :D One thing that annoys me more than the occational "Elvis-not-on-#1" situations, is the fact that the persons in polls like these almost always are completely dominated by some long gone relics from the past. It's like time has stood still the last few decades - that NOTHING has happened since the invention of color tv. For example: Lucille Ball? Who the **** is she? I've not even HEARD the name before, ever.
cathyreno (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 16, 2005report abuse
looks to me is that they put all the names in a hat and drew each one out at random thats my opinion, T C B
Sean Ryan (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 16, 2005report abuse
who cares about polls like this. there not even worth worrying about.21 no.1's in the US and UK.Highest paid actor in the 60's.Enough said.
EspenK (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 16, 2005report abuse
"I am at an absolute loss of words" he said, and posted the longest reader comment in the history of ElvisNews :D
buyep01 (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 16, 2005report abuse
Every one who ever reads my reviews or opinions know I am subject to get long winded at times on the key board. I am at an absolute loss of words or better yet at a lack of words that I can list on the site. Obviously variety magazine is unique, it is like no other magazine anywhere. The still have the same writers, editors, and the people that voted on this dumb ass opinion. It is sad that these people were unable to hire any people with IQ's above 20 in 100 years well they say the first thing to go is the mind and the variety magazine staff has obviously experienced this tradgedy. I think they may have even wrote in crayon as part of their therapy.

No in all seriousness this is the worst case of stupidity ever, top off by their own slanted view of the publishers and staff of who decided on this list. Because the criteria that was set was completely ignored and a fantasy world was created without any common sense at all. For Example the Beatles came in at number one. I think that influence was on of the deciding factors, one of the beatles perhabs john lennon said before Elvis there was nothing and all for agreed that if there had been no Elvis there would have been no beatles. Influence, if the #1 rated people have said that the guy who is listed at #10 was the entire reason they are famous and was inspired by the king and without him they would be unknown, call me stupid but that person is probably more effective in the world than the beatles.

Another according to variety magazine small acomplishment which we will compact together, the invention of rock n roll by combining white country with black rythm and blues to create a unique style of music 50 yrs later still hitting the charts and going to number one to this day, also one billion record sales world wide, 613 active elvis presley fan clubs stillfunctioning which is more than anyone alive or dead, getting around 3 million returns on the net when listed by first name, selling out madison square gardens 4 consecutive nights in a row for a total of 100,000 people who seen the show, a live broadcast by satelite which was very rare in 1973 (since I am only 28yrs old, I don't know how rare satelites were) for a concert that was broadcast and watched by more people than when man set foot on the moon, in a real survey the only face more recognized than Elvis was our lord jesus christ, 9 million pictures exist in the USA congress library by far the most requested is Elvis and president Nixon, over 600,000 people every year visit graceland 2nd only to the White House in number of visitors, has had more top ten hits than anyone along with the most songs on the charts for the longest period of time, has more impersonators than any celebrity that has ever existed.

Single handed kicked off the sexual revolution that paved the way for artist that would have never been famous other wize. I can go to any city in the united states and show anybody 20 to 1 of elvis compared to the beatles. Sirius band radio has an all Elvis channel I have yet to find the Beatles only radio. When the king died over 80,000 people came from every where in the world that the national guard was called in to help with the crowd, never played to an audience in vegas that did not sell out and the fire code had to be rewritten for the Elvis venues. In the USA more people voted for which Elvis picture should be on the stamp than in the 1992 presedential election.

We could go on for years with this I just wanted to point out somethings that may give you the IQ of variety magazine staff or people surveyed, because I guess to variety the above are minor accomplishments probably so trivial I dont even know Why I listed them. they don't compare to mickey mouse, The others in between rated above the king is just mental retardation.
dismas (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 15, 2005report abuse
The tip-off here is "key industry figures." Even in life, when he was at the very top of the show biz pecking order, he was considered an interloper by the big time entertainment world insiders. That he chose to remain an outsider -- never kissing up to any of the New York/Hollywood/Nashville establishment types -- only served to cement his reputation with his fans, and seal his fate among his detractors. That sleazy, jaundiced group of self-absorbed phonies hated him for his success then, and they (and their fat cat offspring) hate him for it still. They only ever aknowledge him at all because his phenomenal numbers and enduring fame and fortune simply cannot be denied. Long live the King, the once and future outlaw!
MauriceColgan (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 15, 2005report abuse
The establishment and a large section of the media has never forgiven Elvis Presley for proving them all wrong! He haunts them still, even here in Ireland too
John4126 (profile/ contact) wrote on Oct 15, 2005report abuse
Even when Elvis comes out top. i find these lists pointless. Too often you end up scratching your head at the bizarre selections and this list is no exception. I'm not a Beatles knocker, but clearly going by the criteria given they are not number one. In fact the complete top 5 seems ludicrous to me. Reverse the list and you would probably get a more accurate result!

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