The Beatles Voted Icons of the Century

Rock band The Beatles were voted the icons of the century in a poll made by Variety to mark its 100th anniversary.

The band outrivaled superstars like Elvis Presley, Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Mouse in a survey conducted on entertainment industry professionals, Variety staff and the online voting of the public on variety.com.

Executive editor Steven Gaydos said: "To celebrate 100 years of Variety, it seemed only natural to celebrate 100 of the people who gave us something to talk about.
We're excited to honour The Beatles in our special edition centenary issue, giving special recognition to the sole group who has most shaped the face of modern-day showbusiness."

Among the criteria for choosing icons were: commercial and creative impact, number of imitators, enduring appeal, but also whether they appear on t-shirts.

Variety's Top Ten Icons of the Century:

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


The Beatles were a British pop&rock group from Liverpool. They are widely regarded as the most important and successful pop group of all time, having achieved broad popular success, critical acclaim and cultural influence. The group shattered many sales records and charted more than 50 top 40 hit singles, including 20 #1's in the USA alone.

Dubbed "The Fab Four", the Beatles were John Lennon (1940 - 1980), Paul McCartney (born 1942), George Harrison (1943 - 2001) and Ringo Starr (born 1940). Lennon and McCartney were the principal songwriters, with Harrison making a significant contribution, particularly in the band's later years. George Martin produced most of the Beatles' recordings.