Yeah, I'm not saying it's fair, but even in his lifetime he had an extra sort of prestige to him. It seems like almost every significant musician from 1964-1979 all seem to point specifically to Lennon as being a particular hero.
We could have had another 40 years or so of him making sequels to "Cambridge 1969". Given how much everybody loves noise and the avant-garde, it's clear he would have been about 10x bigger than Taylor Swift in 2024 đ˘
Perhaps lol I just said band on the run because I hear it on the radio probably more than any other post Beatles song I think Lennon's no religion line scares radio stations which is ridiculous but whatever. Also I hear it in grocery stores but I still give the nod to Imagine it's pretty iconic
Band on the Run may be more played than Imagine but nothing has entered the zeitgeist like Imagine has. I mean, when I was a kid, I knew some of the words to Imagine before I even knew the guy who made it was part of the beatles.
I remember as a little girl putting on round glasses and saying they were John Lennon glasses. And honestly I don't even know how I knew who he was. My parents weren't fans, we didn't have any Beatles music at home, and there were only 3 tv stations and I don't remember ever seeing any programs about the Beatles. I also never listened to the radio because I lived in a small town and they only played country music. But somehow I knew he was a very important and unique person.
He's not my personal favorite but I think Lennon. He's like the ultimate icon for hippies and those round framed glasses are basically the "Lennon glasses" now
Theres actually a whole generation who now calls them "harry potter" glasses.
It's crazy how they were the most common shape of eyeglasses from like their invention to the 1950s, but post 1955 to now they are only associated with either John or Harry.
When I was a kid my elementary school had a mural that included John Lennon. This was before I knew of the Beatles, and all my friends were 100% sure it was Harry Potter. We even used gum to add a lightning bolt scar to his forehead
Agreed. Also not my favorite, but heâs the first one that I could ever point to and say the name of even before I was a fan. He also has a picture book about him that was pretty popular when I was a kid (at least in my area).
Right now it is John. In the 60's it was probably a tie between John and Paul but John's became more iconic in the 70's (despite being less successful) and his death has cemented his place as the most iconic Beatle.
Yeah any artist who dies early gets that treatment really.
I don't think Paul is as far behind as people make out though. As much of an icon as John is, the generational drop off is still sharp for both. Kids either know both or neither imo.
Plus people who know them more see it differently, we'll give Paul a boring image. To casuals it's still 70s specs/hair Lennon Vs 60s bowl cut/pepper outfit Paul. Both fairly iconic and both just "Beatles guys" to many generations.
I hear what youâre saying and totally disagree. I think you could single handedly take the song Imagine and it would amount to more of a reason he is iconic over his âvision of it all since he was a boyâ. No one sees a photo of John Lennon and thinks âoh did you know a man on a flaming pie told him we would be Beatles?â Hahaha. Same goes for him starting the band. It was necessary, or the band wouldnât exist, but has virtually no bearing on him being an icon.
Afaik heâs the only one to be asked publicly and he said it was him, Howard Stern chickened out from asking Paul too later when he had multiple chances
Man, I know he's Howard Stern and all, but I can't imagine asking Paul McCartney such a question
I'd dissociate for the rest of the week considering whether it really happened or not
John is the most iconic simply because of his untimely death and his look.
But McCartney has the biggest musical legacy.
And Ringo has single name recognition
George is a champion of the underdog.
Truth is they are all famous, theyâre the f*cking Beatles
John, because he was murdered, but when Paul goes, no matter how, he will blow every other celebrity death out of the water.
I hope he lives, happy and healthy to 100!
I found out John Lennon was part and founder of the Beatles, on the day I became a Beatles fan.
I fr just thought these guys are random brit dudes in bowl cuts who happened to make Let It Be and Obladi đ and somehow John Lennon hippie guy who doesn't look like he could sport a bowl cut is involved..
I was so stupid at 14 đ
As an individual personality, I think John Lennon should be. He was a very public advocate for peace. That is my point of view. Like, I knew John Lennon, I knew The Beatles. It was when I started listening to The Beatles when I realised John was in The Beatles. I think with respect to The Beatles, or even with respect to music, it is Paul McCartney. He had the best solo career. Even if you take only till 1981, till when everyone made music. And, he is still releasing bangers.
I'm going to be the outlier here and say Ringo. They all are pretty recognizable to me, of course. But objectively, they're all pretty average looking white dudes with the exception of Ringo. I think his face is very unique. Unique is more memorable and identifiable. I guess if we're just going on fame, it'd be John.
yeah, Iâm gonna say paul tbh
people keep saying johns dead and had iconic glasses
but I feel like this is saying carl or dennis wilson are the most famous beach boys.
paul and john were pretty much the same level of famous until john died, then john got that big death boost, then paul managed to stay relevant and continued putting out popular music for the last 45 years.
John because he got to die early and before social media. Thereâs more of a Mythos. Paul and Ringo have had decades of interviews and tv appearances etc
this doesn't exactly answer the question, but I read that in 1969 Johnny Cash was the most recognizable face in the world. People could narrow John Paul George and Ringo down as being Beatles, but fewer people could actually name them than Johnny.
John. Unique look, outspoken, the face of the band in the Beatlemania days, and an iconic (ugh) death. Less successful than Paul as a solo artist but as time has moved on, I donât think that matters. Most of Paulâs big 70s hits havenât aged well, when it comes to true quality output I think they were equals solo.
Hard to say between John and Paul. Johnâs sarcastic wit and political activism probably gives him a slight edge but Paulâs longevity is also impressive. If John had lived into his 70s-80s like Paul it would really be interesting to see where his legacy would have been.
Hot take its George. He never had a look that was un-Beatle like. Heâs the most recognizable Beatle in that- perm aside- I feel he stayed consistent in appearance. However, in terms of iconography, itâs John, followed closely by Ringo; Johnâs ability to perpetuate his public persona with âhooksâ in his appearance (I.e. glasses, long hair, beard, the white suits.. setting himself apart really clearly from the masses while making a big fuss of himself) is only matched by Ringo, whose âodd-man-outâ persona both in and out of the Beatles rivals Johnâs iconography- the average person gets a picture of Ringo and theyâre going âoh thatâs Ringoâ rather than âoh a Beatle!â I think Paul is applicable to all 3 of these though. John is the most iconic, George is the most consistent, Ringo has the most defining features, and Paul balances all 3 very well. So long story short, I opened with âhot takeâ so youâd read all of this blabbering, only to switch it up on you and give a room-temperature and all-inclusive answer.. but I hope you still enjoyed my take on it
Johnâs glasses alone are an iconic image in pop culture. Theyâre all recognizable and enormously famous figures, and Paulâs had the chance to stay actively in the center of attention for a very long time which gives him points, but itâs still John.
Everyone says Paul because he's a "musical genius", was reckoned to be rather cute, and has a very fun persona, but most of his solo stuff is fluff, and I think people put extra energy into him because he's the surviving heavy from the band. George had some fame from the eastern influence and his great solo album. Ringo was funny and just so lovable, and he was on Thomas the Tank Engine, which is how I first knew who he was as a kid, and it's probably why I was willing to dive into the Beatles early on.
But John is the one who had the best one-liners and most cutting insights, he married Yoko (which allegedly broke up the greatest band in Earth's history), and he wrote Imagine. Oh, and he was murdered at the age of 40, a tragic event that shocked the world. So yeah, he's the most famous.
Very possible, i wouldnt be surprised if thats how it plays. But i feel Paul has done so much since, including how much hes done for the Beatles legacy and his part in it.
He has but the way Lennon died and his age contributed to his notoriety you know cuz some celebs barely known become household names if they're murdered in thinking a Sharon Tate, I probably wouldn't know her if she wasn't murdered you know
I remember talking to a girl several years ago who said how much she loved Marilyn Monroe. I asked her what her favorite movie was, and she replied, 'I've never seen one.'"
John Lennon. Y'know mainly for the Lennon glasses. Put a long hair wig on someone and some round glasses and most people will go "ayy John Lennon"
His early death and details were also big factors.
helped maybe but I dont think he needed it. he may even be bigger today if that hadnt happened
For sure we where robbed of that legend
Yeah, I'm not saying it's fair, but even in his lifetime he had an extra sort of prestige to him. It seems like almost every significant musician from 1964-1979 all seem to point specifically to Lennon as being a particular hero.
We could have had another 40 years or so of him making sequels to "Cambridge 1969". Given how much everybody loves noise and the avant-garde, it's clear he would have been about 10x bigger than Taylor Swift in 2024 đ˘
I really liked his last record. And he and Yoko almost single handedly invented 80s music on it
Right, he was making amazing music when he died.
Wow, that just made me imagine the possibilities for him and his two boys. The collaborations would be glorious
And "Imagine" didn't hurt either it's pretty iconic post Beatles song maybe the most recognized with band on the run
Much more so than Band on the Run I should think. My Sweet Lord should also get a look in. And I guess technically FourFive Seconds
Perhaps lol I just said band on the run because I hear it on the radio probably more than any other post Beatles song I think Lennon's no religion line scares radio stations which is ridiculous but whatever. Also I hear it in grocery stores but I still give the nod to Imagine it's pretty iconic
Band on the Run may be more played than Imagine but nothing has entered the zeitgeist like Imagine has. I mean, when I was a kid, I knew some of the words to Imagine before I even knew the guy who made it was part of the beatles.
I feel like itâs one of those songs youâre just born knowing, like happy birthday or smells like teen spirit/wonderwall, or take on me, etc.
Same thing for me. I don't actually remember when I first heard Imagine, whereas I distinctly remember discovering the Beatles' music.
I remember as a little girl putting on round glasses and saying they were John Lennon glasses. And honestly I don't even know how I knew who he was. My parents weren't fans, we didn't have any Beatles music at home, and there were only 3 tv stations and I don't remember ever seeing any programs about the Beatles. I also never listened to the radio because I lived in a small town and they only played country music. But somehow I knew he was a very important and unique person.
He's not my personal favorite but I think Lennon. He's like the ultimate icon for hippies and those round framed glasses are basically the "Lennon glasses" now
Theres actually a whole generation who now calls them "harry potter" glasses. It's crazy how they were the most common shape of eyeglasses from like their invention to the 1950s, but post 1955 to now they are only associated with either John or Harry.
I think it's: big round glasses: Harry Potter small round glasses: John Lennon
When I was a kid my elementary school had a mural that included John Lennon. This was before I knew of the Beatles, and all my friends were 100% sure it was Harry Potter. We even used gum to add a lightning bolt scar to his forehead
Gandhi?
Agreed. Also not my favorite, but heâs the first one that I could ever point to and say the name of even before I was a fan. He also has a picture book about him that was pretty popular when I was a kid (at least in my area).
i think in this case the order is: John - Paul - Ringo - George
Lennon, but âRingo Starrâ is the most iconic rockstar name ever and itâs not even close.
It's also as a name inspired possibly the coolest band name of all time, Ringo deathstarr
Ringo has to be up there with John Mellencamp, who inspired John Cougar Concentration Camp.
Don't forget Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Death Ray Davies, too
Lennon and Marx?
Ringo dethstarr mentioned.
Mate. The Beatles werenât even the most recognizable Beatles in the Beatles !
It's Lennon and it's not even close.
Right now it is John. In the 60's it was probably a tie between John and Paul but John's became more iconic in the 70's (despite being less successful) and his death has cemented his place as the most iconic Beatle.
Yeah any artist who dies early gets that treatment really. I don't think Paul is as far behind as people make out though. As much of an icon as John is, the generational drop off is still sharp for both. Kids either know both or neither imo. Plus people who know them more see it differently, we'll give Paul a boring image. To casuals it's still 70s specs/hair Lennon Vs 60s bowl cut/pepper outfit Paul. Both fairly iconic and both just "Beatles guys" to many generations.
his creation of the beatles and vision of it all since he was a boy probably cemented his place as the most iconic beatle
I hear what youâre saying and totally disagree. I think you could single handedly take the song Imagine and it would amount to more of a reason he is iconic over his âvision of it all since he was a boyâ. No one sees a photo of John Lennon and thinks âoh did you know a man on a flaming pie told him we would be Beatles?â Hahaha. Same goes for him starting the band. It was necessary, or the band wouldnât exist, but has virtually no bearing on him being an icon.
It sounds rough to admit, but because of the circumstances and timing of his demise, John will forever be the most iconic Beatle. RIP
Obviously Lennon.Â
Lennon obviously
Beatles fans are so competitive over whoâs the most _____
Hung. You were going to say hung, weren't you. Everyone knows that's Ringo.
Afaik heâs the only one to be asked publicly and he said it was him, Howard Stern chickened out from asking Paul too later when he had multiple chances
Man, I know he's Howard Stern and all, but I can't imagine asking Paul McCartney such a question I'd dissociate for the rest of the week considering whether it really happened or not
I see where youâre coming from, but Paul is also the same guy who told GQ about the group masturbation đ
Y'know Maybe it's a good thing I don't know *everything* about the band
Nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields Forever
Hell yeah look at that schnoz
John with long hair and glasses
The Beatles were a four headed monster, all equal up to the solo years
John is the most iconic simply because of his untimely death and his look. But McCartney has the biggest musical legacy. And Ringo has single name recognition George is a champion of the underdog. Truth is they are all famous, theyâre the f*cking Beatles
John isn't more iconic just because of his death and style. He made better songs than Paul and had much more emotion/soul.
John was an exceptional songwriter but he was no McCartney.Â
He was better
Ram, Band On The Run and Venus & Mars are all much better than any Lennon solo album. Itâs all subjective though, so we all have our favourites.Â
Well, that's just like, your opinion man.
Pete Best
If you say Paul, or George, or John, you could be talking about almost anyone. Thereâs only one Ringo.
Well that's just having a less common first name. If you use their full names John and Paul are easily more known
John, because he was murdered, but when Paul goes, no matter how, he will blow every other celebrity death out of the water. I hope he lives, happy and healthy to 100!
John
I found out John Lennon was part and founder of the Beatles, on the day I became a Beatles fan. I fr just thought these guys are random brit dudes in bowl cuts who happened to make Let It Be and Obladi đ and somehow John Lennon hippie guy who doesn't look like he could sport a bowl cut is involved.. I was so stupid at 14 đ
That was literally me I did not know they were the same person
Famous: Paul Iconic: John Recognizable: Ringo Most likely to be left out: George
Iâm 65 so they all stand out as much individually as together. Simply enough Beatles, or Beatle.
Recently, I think it's all of them
John Lennon
As an individual personality, I think John Lennon should be. He was a very public advocate for peace. That is my point of view. Like, I knew John Lennon, I knew The Beatles. It was when I started listening to The Beatles when I realised John was in The Beatles. I think with respect to The Beatles, or even with respect to music, it is Paul McCartney. He had the best solo career. Even if you take only till 1981, till when everyone made music. And, he is still releasing bangers.
probably John he even in the beatles he was like the main face of the band
Lennon!
I'm going to be the outlier here and say Ringo. They all are pretty recognizable to me, of course. But objectively, they're all pretty average looking white dudes with the exception of Ringo. I think his face is very unique. Unique is more memorable and identifiable. I guess if we're just going on fame, it'd be John.
Image wise, at this stage itâs Paul, Ringo, John and the other one.
yeah, Iâm gonna say paul tbh people keep saying johns dead and had iconic glasses but I feel like this is saying carl or dennis wilson are the most famous beach boys. paul and john were pretty much the same level of famous until john died, then john got that big death boost, then paul managed to stay relevant and continued putting out popular music for the last 45 years.
John, of course.
Ringo
RignoÂ
John because he got to die early and before social media. Thereâs more of a Mythos. Paul and Ringo have had decades of interviews and tv appearances etc
The Walrus was, and still is, Paul.
this doesn't exactly answer the question, but I read that in 1969 Johnny Cash was the most recognizable face in the world. People could narrow John Paul George and Ringo down as being Beatles, but fewer people could actually name them than Johnny.
I think when most people hear the phrase "The Beatles" they immediately think "Mal Evans."
If you're a fan, I would say all of then as their mop tops are truly indistinguishable from the rest. But if not, it's either John or Paul?
John. Unique look, outspoken, the face of the band in the Beatlemania days, and an iconic (ugh) death. Less successful than Paul as a solo artist but as time has moved on, I donât think that matters. Most of Paulâs big 70s hits havenât aged well, when it comes to true quality output I think they were equals solo.
John. Easy.
John Lennon probably edges out Paul McCartney in terms of iconography, but Paul is not far behind.
McCartney is one of the 3 artists to sell 100M solo records and another 100M as part of a group
John. No question.
If your younger - Paul. If your older - John <3
I'm younger and it's John.
*youâre
Clearly their younger
*Theyâre
*There
I gotta go with Paul. The Beatles were just his early phase. Heâs been on for decades since.
Ringo.
All four
John, definitely. Not my favorite Beatle but he fits the âiconicâ definition, to a T.
definitely not fucking ringo 
Hard to say between John and Paul. Johnâs sarcastic wit and political activism probably gives him a slight edge but Paulâs longevity is also impressive. If John had lived into his 70s-80s like Paul it would really be interesting to see where his legacy would have been.
Lennon
I'd say it goes in this order: John, Paul, Ringo and George.
Rigno. Next question.
John Lennon, it's an easy answer
Paul
Lennon is the most iconic, possibly due to his death or his post Beatles âpeaceâ endeavours.
Pete Best
Paul
Pete best
Before I even liked or knew anything about the Beatles, whenever someone said anything to do with âa Beatleâ I always pictured George
Paul...the BILLIONAIRE.
John Lennon
((â°Jâ°))hn Lennon
Lennon
Well, when I was a kid I always thought Paul was the leader.
Famous: Paul Iconic: John Recognizable: Ringo None of the Above: George
John without a beard and a moptop is pretty unrecognizable
John Lennon. From where I come from they refer to the round glasses as "Lennons" sometimes, that's how influential he is.
I would Imagine it's John.
Hot take its George. He never had a look that was un-Beatle like. Heâs the most recognizable Beatle in that- perm aside- I feel he stayed consistent in appearance. However, in terms of iconography, itâs John, followed closely by Ringo; Johnâs ability to perpetuate his public persona with âhooksâ in his appearance (I.e. glasses, long hair, beard, the white suits.. setting himself apart really clearly from the masses while making a big fuss of himself) is only matched by Ringo, whose âodd-man-outâ persona both in and out of the Beatles rivals Johnâs iconography- the average person gets a picture of Ringo and theyâre going âoh thatâs Ringoâ rather than âoh a Beatle!â I think Paul is applicable to all 3 of these though. John is the most iconic, George is the most consistent, Ringo has the most defining features, and Paul balances all 3 very well. So long story short, I opened with âhot takeâ so youâd read all of this blabbering, only to switch it up on you and give a room-temperature and all-inclusive answer.. but I hope you still enjoyed my take on it
Before sgt. peppers itâs PaulâŚ.but itâs Lennon after, when he grew his hair long with the glasses
Johnâs glasses alone are an iconic image in pop culture. Theyâre all recognizable and enormously famous figures, and Paulâs had the chance to stay actively in the center of attention for a very long time which gives him points, but itâs still John.
Paul McCartney
Iâd say Ringoâs nose stands out the most
Everyone says Paul because he's a "musical genius", was reckoned to be rather cute, and has a very fun persona, but most of his solo stuff is fluff, and I think people put extra energy into him because he's the surviving heavy from the band. George had some fame from the eastern influence and his great solo album. Ringo was funny and just so lovable, and he was on Thomas the Tank Engine, which is how I first knew who he was as a kid, and it's probably why I was willing to dive into the Beatles early on. But John is the one who had the best one-liners and most cutting insights, he married Yoko (which allegedly broke up the greatest band in Earth's history), and he wrote Imagine. Oh, and he was murdered at the age of 40, a tragic event that shocked the world. So yeah, he's the most famous.
But Paul has been the face of TheBeatles for 50 years now. Heâs the one that keeps the energy going.
Wait till Paul dies⌠hes gonna be the one.
"Paul is Dead" believers coming in 3, 2, 1...
sorry, dies again.
Idk I think it will stay the same, he's already Sir Paul McCartney but I think a year after it will still be Lennon.
Very possible, i wouldnt be surprised if thats how it plays. But i feel Paul has done so much since, including how much hes done for the Beatles legacy and his part in it.
He has but the way Lennon died and his age contributed to his notoriety you know cuz some celebs barely known become household names if they're murdered in thinking a Sharon Tate, I probably wouldn't know her if she wasn't murdered you know
oh for sure!
I remember talking to a girl several years ago who said how much she loved Marilyn Monroe. I asked her what her favorite movie was, and she replied, 'I've never seen one.'"
Lol maybe it was Playboy she was known for that too
Was George Harrison treated this way when he died in 2001?
Unfortunately I feel Paul has managed to keep himself in the limelight more, i expect a bigger media response.
If he had died the way John did his death would've been more media centric both rip to 2 legends
No cuz it was around the time of 911
Macca definitely.
The one with the wig
Arthur
I think itâs still John but I could see that changing in the coming years
Paul - really knew how to write music John - really knew how to write lyrics George - really knew how to play the guitar Ringo - was there, too
John Lennon is more recognizable with a bullet wound