VH1's 200 Greatest Pop Icons

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Last Year VH1 did the 200 Greatest Icons in pop culture.  I managed to get the whole list and I have mixed thoughts on it.

200. The Rock
   
199. Queen Latifah
   
198. Cartman
   
197. Judge Judy
   
196. Axl Rose
   
195. Macaulay Culkin
   
194. Dr. Phil
   
193. Arsenio Hall
   
192. Beavis & Butthead
   
191. Regis Philbin
   
190. Russell Crowe
   
189. Dolly Parton
   
188. Joe Namath
   
187. Rock Hudson
   
186. Halle Berry
   
185. Rosie O'Donnell
   
184. Bob Marley
   
183. Winona Ryder
   
182. Telly Savalas (as Kojak)
   
181. Reese Witherspoon

180. Larry Hagman (as J.R. Ewing)
   
179. Chris Rock
   
178. Drew Barrymore
   
177. Mariah Carey
   
176. Wonder Woman
   
175. Jackie Gleason
   
174. Tupac Shakur
   
173. Roseanne
   
172. Gianni Versace
   
171. Scooby-Doo
   
170. Jim Morrison
   
169. Woody Allen
   
168. ABBA
   
167. The Three Stooges
   
166. Betty Ford
   
165. Diana Ross
   
164. Burt Reynolds
   
163. Liberace
   
162. Leonard Nimoy (as Spock)
   
161. Monica Lewinsky

160. Farrah Fawcett
   
159. Ricky Martin
   
158. Batman
   
157. Barbara Eden (as Jeannie)
   
156. Venus/Serena Williams
   
155. Christie Brinkley
   
154. Harry Potter
   
153. Bon Jovi
   
152. Bob Hope
   
151. Spider-Man
   
150. Garth Brooks
   
149. Sally Field
   
148. Mister Rogers
   
147. David Bowie
   
146. Neil Armstrong
   
145. Dick Van Dyke
   
144. Ellen DeGeneres
   
143. Ron Howard
   
142. Gwen Stefani
   
141. Bruce Lee

140. James Gandolfini (as Tony Soprano)
   
139. Molly Ringwald
   
138. Hugh Hefner
   
137. Prince
   
136. Babe Ruth
   
135. Whoopi Goldberg
   
134. Janet Jackson
   
133. Julie Andrews
   
132. Led Zeppelin
   
131. Calvin Klein
   
130. Dick Clark
   
129. Dorothy Hamill
   
128. Judy Garland
   
127. Tina Turner
   
126. Charlie Chaplin
   
125. Stevie Wonder
   
124. Sigmund Freud
   
123. Jane Fonda
   
122. Bob Denver (as Gilligan)
   
121. Bruce Willis

120. Sarah Jessica Parker
   
119. Ben Affleck
   
118. E.T.
   
117. William Shatner
   
116. Whitney Houston
   
115. Sylvester Stallone
   
114. Cindy Crawford
   
113. Alfred Hitchcock
   
112. Justin Timberlake
   
111. Rudy Giuliani
   
110. Bette Davis
   
109. Jimi Hendrix
   
108. Albert Einstein
   
107. Sting
   
106. Joe Dimaggio
   
105. Richard Pryor
   
104. Charlie Brown
   
103. Aretha Franklin
   
102. David Letterman
   
101. Kevin Bacon

100. Will Smith
   
99. Henry Winkler (as the Fonz)
   
98. Shania Twain
   
97. Stephen King
   
96. Wayne Gretzky
   
95. Vivien Leigh & Clark Gable (as Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler)
   
94. Penny Marshall (as Laverne DeFazio)
   
93. Kiss
   
92. Al Pacino
   
91. Marvin Gaye
   
90. Clint Eastwood
   
89. Barbara Walters
   
88. Johnny Cash
   
87. Grace Kelly
   
86. Paul Newman
   
85. Eddie Murphy
   
84. Katharine Hepburn
   
83. Aerosmith
   
82. Bill Gates
   
81. Jack Nicholson

80. Pamela Anderson
   
79. Robin Williams
   
78. Arnold Schwarzenegger
   
77. Bugs Bunny
   
76. Bruce Springsteen
   
75. John Belushi
   
74. Susan Lucci
   
73. Bono
   
72. Jay Leno
   
71. Run D.M.C.
   
70. Carol Burnett
   
69. Denzel Washington
   
68. Bob Dylan
   
67. Howard Stern
   
66. Barbra Streisand
   
65. Jackie Robinson
   
64. Celine Dion
   
63. Mel Gibson
   
62. Andy Warhol
   
61. Mike Myers

60. Kermit & Miss Piggy
   
59. Leonardo DiCaprio
   
58. Magic Johnson
   
57. Nicole Kidman
   
56. Carroll O'Connor (as Archie Bunker)
   
55. Elton John
   
54. John Wayne
   
53. Jerry Garcia
   
52. Robert DeNiro
   
51. Tiger Woods
   
50. James Brown
   
49. Elizabeth Taylor
   
48. Jim Carrey
   
47. Jackie O.
   
46. Harrison Ford
   
45. The Bee Gees
   
44. Michael J. Fox
   
43. Martha Stewart

42. Fred Flintstone

41. Cher

40. The Osbournes

39. Katie Couric

38. Brad Pitt

37. Kurt Cobain

36. Johnny Carson

35. P. Diddy

34. Audrey Hepburn

33. George Clooney

32. JFK

31. Eminem

30. Bill Cosby

29. Mary Tyler Moore

28. John Travolta

27. Frank Sinatra

26. James Dean

25. Rolling Stones

24. JFK Jr.

23. Julia Roberts

22. Tom Hanks

21. The Simpsons

20. Britney Spears

19. The Brady Bunch

18. Bill Clinton

17. Mickey Mouse

16. Muhammad Ali

15. Jennifer Lopez

14. Steven Spielberg

13. Jerry Seinfeld

12. The Beatles

11. Friends Cast

10. Michael Jackson

9. Princess Diana

8. Michael Jordan

7. Madonna

6. Marilyn Monroe

5. Tom Cruise

4. Lucille Ball

3. Elvis Presley

2. Superman

1. Oprah Winfrey


First off it sucks that Fry, Leela and Bender aren't on the list, neither are James Bond, Jackie Chan or Ed O'Neil as Al Bundy.  And Oprah Winfrey as #1?  That sucks just as well.  However, the list has people that should be on there, and people who shouldn't.

[Reply #1 on:]

Count down shows are never very acurate or agreed on.

[Reply #2 on:]

Most of that list sucks, but I guess at least it's not all bad...

[Reply #3 on:]

I saw the rock at 200 and stopped looking.

Looks down*

Oprah Fucking Winfrey! also, JFK jnr did better than JFK. tss.

[Reply #4 on:]

I'm adding this to my ten worst 'Top 200' list.

[Reply #5 on:]

Molly Ringwald ranks higher then Batman???? In what parallel universe?

[Reply #6 on:]

The name of that list is misleading, how do the likes of Albert Einstein, and Sigmund Freud have any relevance to the pop culture? Also, why do Tom Cruise, Pamela Anderson, Oprah Winfrey and The Osbournes get higher billing than Hitchcock, Bob Hope, and Charlie Chaplan?

Well, it's a top <insert number here> list, obviously there's going to be large amounts of atrocities.

[Reply #7 on:]

This list gives me cancer.

[Reply #8 on:]

 

Originally posted by BendingUnit4000:
The name of that list is misleading, how do the likes of Albert Einstein, and Sigmund Freud have any relevance to the pop culture? Also, why do Tom Cruise, Pamela Anderson, Oprah Winfrey and The Osbournes get higher billing than Hitchcock, Bob Hope, and Charlie Chaplan?

Well, it's a top <insert number here> list, obviously there's going to be large amounts of atrocities.

I think the reason for Einstein and Freud on the list is that they are made fun of all the time.  Einstein for his hair do for example.  And remember Freud was made fun of in the movie, Bill and Ted Excellent adventure. 


Einstein has always been made fun of when any of our favorite TV characters becomes a genius.  Plucky pretended to be Einstein on an episode of Tiny Toons.  His theory of relativity is referenced all the time on TV.


When a character has to seek therapy and the doctor they meet has an accent, that doctor is parodying Freud. "Freud" has appeared on shows like Bewitched, Sabrina, or the cartoon Beetlejuice.

I think that is the reason for those two on the list.
 

[Reply #9 on:]

Even some of the people lower on the list suck. Russell Crowe? Dr. Phil? Monica Lewinski? Scooby-Doo? Who likes this shit?

[Reply #10 on:]

They are spur of the moment type celebrities.  Why do you think the Osbournes are on the list? It is because their show blew up so quickly that they became huge.  That is one reason why I don't like this list.  The fact the Osbournes are on it and outrank someone like Charlie Chaplin or Bruce Lee, both "long-time" icons is insulting. 

I like Britney Spears, but the fact she's in the top 20, is laughable.  She became a big star in 1999 and was only around for four years when this list first came out.


I'm surprised that Simon from American Idol didn't sneak is way up on the list.  I'm just glad this list was made before William Hung became a household name.  He's the Asian who lost early in American Idol 3 and now he has his own album out with songs that he butchers with his singing.

[Reply #11 on:]

Where are Rocky and Bullwinkle? Married with Children? Mr. Show? Drew Carey?

Despite my love for hockey, why is Wayne Gretzky on this list?

[Reply #12 on:]

Proof they thought this shitlist up in one freaking day:

Denzel Washington and Bob Dylan are back to back.

The guy who played "The Hurricane" and the guy who played "The Hurricane" Back to back?  Cooincidence?  Try contrivance.

Bitterness edit: Where the heck is Beck?

[Reply #13 on:]

 

Originally posted by fryfanSpyOrama:
   
126. Charlie Chaplin
   
15. Jennifer Lopez

What a wonderful world.

[Reply #14 on:]

Another thing I'm angry about is that The Rock is on the list, but not Hulk Hogan, the man who made pro wrestling to what it is today.

[Reply #15 on:]

How the HELL did the Osbournes beat Batman, Neil Armstrong, and Marilyn Monroe? Who votes on this shit?

[Reply #16 on:]

Like I said above, "They are spur of the moment type celebrities."

[Reply #17 on:]

Hey, if this list is complete and utter bunk, why are we wasting valuable time talking about it?  Let the stupid channel have its stupid meaningless list, and ignore it.  I don't think this Top 200 list is really going to impact anyone's life that much.  Plus, it's like 6 months old, anyway.

[Reply #18 on:]

When looking at this list, you have to remember that all it is is a list of various pop-culture icons of now and the recent past.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Its not a list of things that are good neccasarily or that the list makers like.  Its just a list of what they feel are the most prominent pop-culture icons, and by that token it is mostly very accurate.  People above complain about the inclusion of people like Oprah and Dr. Phil, and while I'm not exactly fans of either of them, they fit the criteria and it would be a mistake to not have them be there.  Its also not fair to complain about the lack of Futurama characters; much as I love the show, it never hit it big enough to be worth inclusion.  Perhaps if it gains a big enough cult base like Star Trek did, but not now.

There are some glaring ommisions mind you.  For one, there's no Star Wars, which I would think would need to be in the top fifty at least.  And there are other small problems, like the lack of any video game characters (given the prominence of video games in our culture now).  But it would be hard to come up with a completely accurate list considering all the icons that need to be considered.

Anyways, Evan is correct.  While I just defended the list a little, its just a list.  It serves no particular purpose other then to catalogue these various icons, and isn't something to dwell on.  Read the list out of curiousity, and then move on with your life.

[Reply #19 on:]

DotheBartman you are right about a few things.

Futurama lack of hitting it big, can be blamed on FOX.  However, Star Wars is mentioned on list in the form of Harrison Ford, (Han Solo and Indy.)

As for video games characters, I think characters like Pac-man or Mario would be top contenders. 

Also, I think lists like this do serve one purpose.  It allows us to complain, that is a given, but it gets us to admire the things we like even more.  The fact that James Bond is not on the list, made me appreciate on just how big James Bond is and his impact on pop culture.  Lists have a habit on doing this.  Sometimes I think that VH1 does lousy list on purpose just so we fans can like what we like even more. Appreciate what is not mention even more. It just like when I learn that a show like KOTH or Simpsons gets renewed by FOX, but they don't renew Futurama, it makes me like Futurama even more.

Of course, I'm not going to lose sleep that James Bond is not in the list, and I'm sure others feel the same about their icons not being the list either.

[Reply #20 on:]

Another thing I just realized is that this list doesn't have Siskel and Ebert.  Two of the most well known film critics ever.  "thumbs up, thumbs down".  Those phrases are used in everyday talk.

[Reply #21 on:]

dont expect anything from these junkie lists, i was watching something like top 50 hottest actresses and cher was on it, i was like UHH and shes a singer anywho!!!

[Reply #22 on:]

Any list that has Eminem listed higher than JFK is pure garbage and should be ignored.