Pop icon

Musical artists from Mozart to Madonna have been credited as pop icons for their contributions to music.

A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is widely regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The categorization is usually associated with elements such as longevity, ubiquity, and distinction. Moreover, "pop icon" status is distinguishable from other kinds of notoriety outside pop culture, such as with historic figures. Some historic figures are recognized as having reached "pop icon" status during their era, and such status may continue into the present. Pop icons of previous eras include Benjamin Franklin[1] and Mozart.[2]

Longevity

Usually, the pop icon status of a celebrity is contingent upon longevity of notoriety.[3][4] This is in contrast to cult icons, whose notoriety or recognition may be limited to a specific subculture. Some pop icons have left a lasting and indelible mark in the area of their career, and then went on to attain a lasting place of recognition in society at large.[5]

Ubiquity

A common element of pop icon status is the ubiquity of imagery and allusions to the iconic figure.[note 1] It is common for the figure to be recognized and even celebrated in areas outside the original source of celebrity status.[note 2] An example of this is Albert Einstein, a physicist whose image and legacy have been represented in comic strips, T-shirts, greeting cards and many other contexts.[6]

Distinction

Often pop icon status implies distinguished association with a societal ideal or archetype. It is not uncommon for iconic figures to have a nickname or sobriquet that is used to emphasize this association. Sometimes the very name of such individuals is even used as a synonym for common words or ideas.

Some pop icons, such as Mickey Mouse,[7] Winnie the Pooh, Bugs Bunny,[7] Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, Darth Vader, The X-Men, Harry Potter,[8] the Simpsons,[7] and even Sherlock Holmes are fictional characters. Even inanimate objects have been recognized as pop icons.[9][10][11]

Some figures attain transitory or context-specific "pop icon" status for particular events that captivate public attention, such as in the case of the O.J. Simpson trial.[12]

Examples

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Kaku,[6] p. 11
  2. ↑ See e.g., Kaku,[6] Chaplin,[1] et al.

References

  1. 1 2 Chaplin, Joyce (2006). The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Pursuit of Genius. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-00955-7.
  2. ↑ Nettl, Bruno (1995). Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06468-2.
  3. ↑ Dearborn, Mary V. (December 9, 1999). Mailer: A Biography. Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 978-0-395-73655-5.
  4. ↑ Gottesman, Ronald; Brown, Richard Maxwell, eds. (1999). Violence in America: An Encyclopedia. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-684-80487-5.
  5. ↑ Ratcliff, Ben (November 6, 2002). The New York Times Essential Library: Jazz: A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings. Times Books. ISBN 978-0-8050-7068-2.
  6. 1 2 3 Kaku, Michio (April 2004). Einstein's Cosmos: How Albert Einstein's Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-05165-0.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McNary, Dave. "Icons of the century". Variety100.com. Variety. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 Schmidt, Robert (February 24, 2004). "The 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons". Blue Corn Comics website. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  9. ↑ Vail, Mark (April 1, 2002). The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B (2nd ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-705-9.
  10. ↑ Sheff, David (April 27, 1993). Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-40469-9.
  11. ↑ "The Liberty Bell: From Obscurity to Icon". Teaching with Historic Places. National Park Service. October 16, 2006.
  12. ↑ Boot, Max (1998). Out of Order: Arrogance, Corruption and Incompetence on the Bench. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-05375-9.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Beckham 'greatest pop icon of all time'". BreakingNews.ie. Thomas Crosbie Media. November 12, 2003. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  14. ↑ Robinson, Kat (19 December 2012). "Happy birthday, Christina Aguilera: The pop icon turns 32!". Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Christina Aguilera Collections". Microsoft. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  16. ↑ "Muhammad Ali: the man behind the icon". The Guardian. June 4, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Backstreet Boys". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Hollywood Star Walk- Backstreet Boys". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  19. ↑ Jules-Rosette, Bennetta (2007). Josephine Baker in Art and Life: The Icon and the Image. University of Illinois Press. p. 49. ISBN 0252074122. Retrieved September 1, 2013. More broadly, Baker has come to be seen as a "pop icon" whose achievements and celebrity are self-referential, standing as signifiers of her historical importance.
  20. 1 2 "Beatles named 'icons of century'". BBC News. BBC. October 16, 2005. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  21. 1 2 3 Danesi, Marcel (2007). Popular Culture: Introductory Perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 112&ndash, 113. ISBN 0-7425-5547-X.
  22. ↑ "Bee Gees To Be Named BMI Icons at 55th Annual Pop Awards". BMI.com. Broadcast Music, Inc. March 27, 2007.
  23. ↑ "The World". Time. April 18, 2013.
  24. ↑ http://www.mtv.com/artists/mary-j-blige
  25. ↑ "David Bowie: the man who thrilled the world". The Guardian. January 11, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Star Transcended Music, Art and Fashion". The New York Times. January 11, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  27. ↑ "All-Time 100 Fashion Icons". Time. April 2, 2012.
  28. ↑ Harrison, Thomas. Music of the 1990s. ABC-CLIO. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  29. ↑ Everett, Cristina (January 27, 2012). "Cher is not dead: Pop icon falls victim to Twitter death hoax that fools many including Kim Kardashian, Patti Stanger". NY Daily News. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  30. ↑ http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/culture-news/staying-in/why-kurt-cobain-is-still-an-icon-20-years-after-in-utero
  31. ↑ http://time.com/3647091/bing-crosby-christmas/
  32. ↑ https://mic.com/articles/64677/tracing-miley-cyrus-s-meteoric-rise-from-innocent-disney-star-to-superstar-pop-wrecking-ball#.kUnbmjSnH
  33. ↑ http://news.iheart.com/onair/toby-knapp-41816/miley-cyrus-bored-the-pop-icon-13183099/
  34. ↑ Kerry, John (April 21, 2016). "The 100 Most Influential People- Icons". Time.
  35. ↑ The Canadian Press (August 17, 2008). "Pop icon Celine Dion wows her Canadian fans". CTV News. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  36. ↑ "Celine Dion To Receive Icon Award at 2016 BBMAs". Billboard. May 4, 2016.
  37. ↑ https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/14/17118946/stephen-hawking-pop-culture-simpsons-futurama-films
  38. ↑ http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/20000601eminem_eminem_a_legend_in_the_making
  39. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/lady-gaga-engaged-pop-icon-celebrated/story?id=29241338
  40. ↑ "A League of His Own: Tom Hanks, American Icon". Rolling Stone. December 10, 2012. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  41. ↑ Bego, Mark. Whitney Houston!: The Spectacular Rise and Tragic Fall of the Woman Whose Voice Inspired a Generation. Skyhorse Publishing. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  42. ↑ Otfinoski, Steven. African Americans in the Performing Arts. Infobase Publishing. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  43. ↑ "50 Incredible Things Janet Jackson Achieved Before Her 50th Birthday". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  44. 1 2 3 Agencies // MED.B. (June 26, 2009). ""Pop icon" Michael Jackson dead at 50". ECHOROUK Online. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  45. ↑ Pareles, Jon; Sisario, Ben; Stelter, Brian; Barnes, Brooks (June 25, 2009). "Michael Jackson, 50, Is Dead". Arts Beat. The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  46. ↑ http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/cleveland-cavaliers-lebron-james-jim-brown-statue-for-winning-title-062016
  47. ↑ http://www.mercurynews.com/2011/10/05/steve-jobs-pop-cultural-icon/
  48. ↑ "Angelina Jolie: Sex Symbol, Mother, Hollywood Icon".
  49. ↑ "http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/1035/michael-jordan
  50. ↑ "The Evolution of Alicia Keys". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Over the past decade and a half, the 35-year-old has gone from R&B sensation to international pop icon
  51. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/cyndi-lauper
  52. ↑ http://www.today.com/klgandhoda/billy-porter-cyndi-lauper-i-found-each-other-2D79536239
  53. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/eighties-pop-icon-cyndi-lauper-is-bringing-her-shes-so-unusual-tour-to-australia/story-fni0cvc9-1226682453549?nk=d35c66d46f80742be01675fe35acee2f
  54. ↑ Tagliaferro, Linda (March 2000). Bruce Lee. Lerner Publications. ISBN 978-0-8225-9688-2.
  55. ↑ "Madonna Biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  56. ↑ The Steel Butterfly Still Soars. The New York Times. October 6, 2012.
  57. 1 2 "Streisand, Minnelli and Garland: Pop Icons, Gay History". Huffington Post. June 26, 2014.
  58. ↑ "Jay-Z's Roc Nation Signs Deal With Pop Singer Kylie Minogue". Hotnewhiphop.com. 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
  59. ↑ https://www.we-heart.com/2014/04/01/katy-perry-cultural-icon/
  60. ↑ "Still Would Stand All Time: Notes On Prince". NPR. April 24, 2016.
  61. ↑ Grow, Kory (November 24, 2013). "Rihanna Wins First-Ever 'Icon Award' at American Music Awards". Rolling Stone.
  62. ↑ Rothman, Michael (April 21, 2015). "Rihanna Serves as Bridesmaid for Her Assistant". ABC.
  63. ↑ Hardwick, Jack (April 4, 2015). "Rihanna to debut new single American Oxygen tonight at March Madness festival". Daily Star.
  64. ↑ Mokoena, Tshepo (July 2, 2015). "Ten reasons why Rihanna has become the 21st century's ultimate pop star". The Guardian.
  65. ↑ =http://www.sacurrent.com/Blogs/archives/2015/03/31/from-the-archives-selena-a-star-dies-and-an-icon-is-born
  66. ↑ =http://clizbeats.com/latinpop-music-icon-selena-brought-back-life-help-revolutionary-digital-technology-5225/
  67. ↑ ="http://www.vh1.com/shows/famous_crime_scene/episode.jhtml?episodeID=164801
  68. ↑ Kim, Esther (March 7, 2011). "Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in 2011". seventeen.com. Seventeen.
  69. ↑ "Britney Spears Accepts Video Vanguard VMA – And A Kiss From Lady Gaga". MTV News. August 28, 2011.
  70. ↑ "Inside Britney Spears' comeback". Entertainment Weekly. May 27, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  71. ↑ "Spice Girls". AllMusic.
  72. ↑ "2004 Meryl Streep Tribute". American Film Institute.
  73. ↑ "Taylor Swift: A New Pop Icon". The Creative Issue. October 29, 2014.
  74. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/hollywood-icon-elizabeth-taylor-dies-79/story?id=12894882&page=2
  75. ↑ Heaf, Jonathan (April 21, 2011). "2006: Justin Timberlake". GQ. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  76. ↑ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181131#.VPtTk3yG-So
  77. ↑ Hess, Mickey. Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, Volume 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  78. ↑ "Style Icons: TLC". MTV. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  79. ↑ http://tech.mit.edu/V118/N20/agrease.20a.html
  80. ↑
  81. ↑ "Usher's 'Behind the Music': Why we can't wait to watch". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 14, 2018. It chronicles the 31-year-old’s climb from choir boy to pop-music icon
  82. ↑ "Usher Sounds More Like His R&B Contemporaries On 'Hard II Love'". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2017. The icon’s face on Hard II Love’s cover art is seen in the form of a bust, symbolic of the album’s themes
  83. ↑ "Let's Talk About The Album That Actually Made Usher An Icon". BuzzFeed. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  84. ↑ D'Addario, Daniel. (2012). Retrospective Body of Work: Screen Siren Raquel Welch Gets Her Lincoln Center Retrospective. Retrieved April 13, 2015.

Further reading

  • Danesi, Marcel (2007). Popular Culture: Introductory Perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 112&ndash, 115. ISBN 0-7425-5547-X.
  • Cullen, Jim, ed (2001). Popular Culture in American History. UK: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-21958-7.
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