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Beatles forums => The Beatles => Topic started by: fendertele on October 05, 2007, 01:41:30 PM

Title: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: fendertele on October 05, 2007, 01:41:30 PM
who was seen as the most popular Beatles when they were together, i ask as during the 90s whenever i would ask anyone who was there favorite with most Beatles fans it was split with john slightly edging it, and among non Beatles fans the majority was john.

Now when i ask there a hell of a lot of people who say George fans and non fans, and even people who before had said john.

Has it always been john and goerge, or is it just most likely that its just been the people ive spoke to ?.

I remember watching the program greatest britons and in the top 20 was john and paul, and remember being really disappointed for paul when he fell short of the top 10 and lennon made it, i couldnt understand as in my eyes they both were deserving of eqaul positioning as they had done most of there work together.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: Bobber on October 05, 2007, 01:53:08 PM
Ringo was the most popular Beatle in the US and France during the first years.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: BlueMeanie on October 05, 2007, 02:00:47 PM
During the early Beatlemania period Ringo was extremely popular. I think at one point he was getting more fan mail than the others. I suppose that after they finished touring, and disappeared into the studio, the focus was more on John and Paul. And immediately after the split, Paul was the Devil.

Non Beatles fans always say that John was the best, especially after he died. Yoko has made damn sure of that. Whilst I couldn't blame a wife for wanting to keep the memory of her husband alive, this peace crap is really getting on my tits. This Imagine thing next week is a sham. There are people who've spent their whole lives working for peace, and get no acknowledgment for it. And what the hell has John Lennon got to do with Darfur?

You started me off now!! Over to you Kev.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: Kevin on October 05, 2007, 02:17:38 PM
Hold me back now.
Truly, I don't know how anyone can measure the answer to your question. The only fact you can draw on is Ringo got the most fan mail during Beatlemania. So Ringo up to 66.
Pure supposition now - Paul 66-68 cos he wrote all the tunes.
John 68 - 70 because he shamelessly used the media to promote himself and his wife as the figureheads of youth culture.
Two lessons - don't believe your own hype, and don't call yourself a genius. Oh, and never hire the inlaws.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: fendertele on October 05, 2007, 02:21:53 PM
yeah im not looking for a definite answer but just everyones take on who was the most popular as everyone starts to gather it over the years by talking to other people, kind of thing
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: BlueMeanie on October 05, 2007, 02:27:07 PM
Quote from: 758
yeah im not looking for a definite answer but just everyones take on who was the most popular as everyone starts to gather it over the years by talking to other people, kind of thing

Well, I think you got your answer from Kevin.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: fendertele on October 05, 2007, 02:31:12 PM
yeah i was happy with his answer was just saying i wasnt asking for anything solid just an opinion, and what he gave was what i was looking for  ::) thanks
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: on October 05, 2007, 06:23:55 PM
sorry, this question is one aimed at a teenage girl, circa 1964.

 ::)
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: harihead on October 05, 2007, 10:11:40 PM
I think it would depend on who you asked and what part of the world you were in. I wasn't following the Beatles then, so I have no idea. Most teenie girls were gah-gah over Paul because he was so "cute"; I feel myself in the female minority because I never had this opinion (I always liked either John or George). Fan mail may have favored Ringo in the US, but he himself said he would have the shortest line of fans, if they all lined up behind their favorite.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: Andy Smith on October 05, 2007, 10:21:13 PM
Which popular? i honestly dunno! ::)
I wasen't around when the fabs took the world by storm, but
i suppose it was john or paul for a while, but Ringo was greatly loved
in America. i don't think George's popularity grew that much until later.
a tough call this one! :-/
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: fendertele on October 05, 2007, 10:54:30 PM
it seems now that George is more popular than ever and when i ask anyone who there fave is he always comes up.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: Flaming Pie in the Sky on October 05, 2007, 10:59:00 PM
You think it would have to be Paul...
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: on October 06, 2007, 03:39:06 AM
I was an early teen in the mid-60's myself,  and the two things I loved most back then were: 1) THE BEATLES


and a NOT TOO DISTANT #2------> HAYLEY MILLS  ;) :)  (http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u187/fivecs/hayleymills.jpg)(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u187/fivecs/70.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u187/fivecs/79.jpg)

(come to think of it, 40plus years later, I still do) Some things never change. :)
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: The Fox Drummer on October 06, 2007, 04:13:02 AM
Girls in 1964?

...Paul.

Overall?

Paul and John were the foremost two. I'd say they tie. Nowadays, people only know Ringo because he's still alive, and everyone forgets poor George. :(
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: Pasta Cheif on October 06, 2007, 06:03:37 AM
Well my from older relatives that remembered that period, the females liked Paul with his looks and charm. The guys remember John more as cool with his sarcasm and wittiness.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: on October 06, 2007, 09:50:43 AM
In the 60's i had a goldfish called George  :) so he must have been popular with me :)

DaveRam :)
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: wingsman on October 06, 2007, 03:06:00 PM
Quote from: 679
In the 60's i had a goldfish called George  :) so he must have been popular with me :)

DaveRam :)

Hehehe. That's funny. I wanted to name my dog Paul McCartney, but my dads never let me do it.  >:(
Well during the solo years, overall, the most famous was Paul (yes, Paul McCartney!  :P ). In 1970-71 was George because of All Things Must Pass and John because of Imagine. But since Red Rose Speedway and specially Band on the Run Paul dominated the 70's.
There was a lot of media when John came back in 1980 with his new album, and a lot more when he was killed.
But with Tug of War Paul ricovered his success. During 1987 he probably lost the top spot because George was coming back, but not for long because in 1989-90 he made history with a new great album and his first tour in 10 years.
And he dominated the 90's and this decade so far.
I don't see Ringo surpassing Paul in popularity at this point.  ;D
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: harihead on October 06, 2007, 04:03:28 PM
Quote from: 829
I was an early teen in the mid-60's myself,  and the two things I loved most back then were: 1) THE BEATLES
This is great! Yes, I think that's how a lot of people saw them. :)

The proof is in the fishbowl, DaveRam. ;)

Overall, I agree with the people who say Paul and John. They were the most vocal and showy ones, and their legacy is secure. Personally, I'm extremely glad I "discovered" George, late though it was (only after Anthology). His work has given me a lot of pleasure, and it's great to share that with a sympathetic audience. I expect he'll fade away over the next ten years, after his remasters are all done and people move on to new things. But I'm terrible grateful to him for contributing the way he did, both musically and socially. He's far and away my favorite now. Cheers.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: adamzero on October 07, 2007, 12:41:44 AM
Quote from: 829
I was an early teen in the mid-60's myself,  and the two things I loved most back then were: 1) THE BEATLES


and a NOT TOO DISTANT #2------> HAYLEY MILLS  ;) :)  ([url]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u187/fivecs/hayleymills.jpg[/url])([url]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u187/fivecs/70.jpg[/url])
([url]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u187/fivecs/79.jpg[/url])

(come to think of it, 40plus years later, I still do) Some things never change. :)


Man, you must have been in heaven with the original "Parent Trap."  ;D
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: JimmyMcCullochFan on October 08, 2007, 03:41:50 AM
my senior high school english teacher told me that when she was a kid, that George was the most popular among her group of friends.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: Beatlemaniac64 on October 13, 2007, 11:50:18 PM
It's pretty hard to tell. I've read a lot that Paul was, because he's cute and charming and likes to put on a show. Like in the authorized biography, Ringo says that if fans of each Beatle lined up behind him, Paul would have the longest line. And at the end of the Anthology book, John says that Paul was the epitomy of what the Beatles were, and says that he was always more popular with the kids and the girls. It's sometimes hard to judge it on the opinions of teenage girls, because they just love him for his looks. But, Paul does have a lot of fans, still even today, that love him. Male, female, old and young.

It also seems like if you asked a non-fan to name a member of the Beatles, they would probably answer John Lennon, but maybe some would say Paul too. I asked a friend of mine if she knew any, and she said "I know that Paul dude". Before I was a fan, I probably would've said John if I was asked.

But George, as I'm discovering, does have his share. I found on a website somewhere a bunch of letters written to the Beatles in the '60s, and a lot were written to George. And Ringo, of course, got the most fan mail at one point. Also, on the Ed Sullivan shows, when each Beatle's name was mentioned, they all got about an equal amount of screams.

But, you can't base it on screams and who teenage girls think is the cutest. I think that John and Paul probably are the most popular, they wrote most of the songs and are just the most well-known and had the most successful solo careers. They probably tie, I think.
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: adamzero on October 14, 2007, 01:56:03 AM
Which was the most popular Rutle?  Certainly not Ron Nasty.  
Title: Re: who was generally seen as the popular beatle ?
Post by: harihead on October 14, 2007, 03:10:54 AM
I'd go for Stig. I like the skinny, silent type. :)