# A Poll: The Most Famous \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430 "2007-03-18T13:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/101 "2007-03-20T19:43:37Z")
Very nicely done, **Gangster Octopus** , and much appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/102 "2007-03-20T19:57:17Z")
I hadn’t even heard of Fallingwater before. Interesting building! ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/103 "2007-03-20T20:13:19Z")
I just realized that the Acropolis and the Parthenon can probably be considered the same thing, giving it 34 votes. Notre Dame may have been the second most consensus pick, given that it had 30 votes and the next largest was 8 for abstentions. ---
**Author:** ![Spiral\_Stairs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Spiral\_Stairs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiral_Stairs)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/104 "2007-03-20T20:24:33Z")
I guess I’m kind of late. But, oh well, it was fun. (Without consulting prior posts, and from a free associative approach. I.e., I didn’t think very hard about these choices…) 1. Painting: **Mona Lisa** 2. Piece of Sculpture: **David** 3. Instance of Classical Architecture: **The Parthenon** 4. Instance of Medieval Architecture: **Notre Dame (Cathedral, not University!)** 5. Instance of Modern Architecture: **Guggenheim in NYC** 6. Piece of “Classical” Music (the genre, not the period): **Beethoven’s Ninth** 7. Piece of Jazz Music: **Central Park West by Coltrane** 8. Piece of “Pop” Music: **Thriller** 9. Piece of Rock Music: **You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog** 10. Piece of Blues Music: **Cross Road Blues** 11. Piece of Folk Music (English language): **Puff the Magic Dragon** 12. Piece of Latin Music: **La Bamba** 13. Novel: **For Whom the Bell Tolls** 14. Poem: **The Wasteland** 15. Movie: **The Godfather** 16. Stage Play – Drama: **Death of a Salesman** 17. Stage Play – Musical: **Cats** 18. TV Drama Series: **The Sopranos** 19. TV Comedy Series: **MASH** 20. TV News Program: **60 Minutes** ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/105 "2007-03-20T20:42:13Z")
1. Painting - The Mona Lisa 2. Piece of Sculpture - David 3. Instance of Classical Architecture - The Colliseum 4. Instance of Medieval Architecture - Don’t know, would have to be a Scottish castle 5. Instance of Modern Architecture - Empire State Building 6. Piece of “Classical” Music (the genre, not the period) - Beethoven’s 5th 7. Piece of Jazz Music - Take Five 8. Piece of “Pop” Music - Close to You 9. Piece of Rock Music - Smoke on the Water 10. Piece of Blues Music - ? 11. Piece of Folk Music (English language) - Bridge Over Troubled Water 12. Piece of Latin Music - ? 13. Novel - War and Peace 14. Poem - “There once was a man from Nantucket” 15. Movie - LotR 16. Stage Play – Drama - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff? 17. Stage Play – Musical - Rent 18. TV Drama Series - 24 19. TV Comedy Series - All in the Family 20. TV News Program - 60 Minutes ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/106 "2007-03-20T20:59:06Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Please reply to the OP before looking at other responses. This is less about your own preferences and more about your perception of “What is the Most Famous such-and-such?” How you choose to establish “most famous” is your own affair. That said, what do you believe is the Most Famous 1. Painting: The Mona Lisa 2. Piece of Sculpture: Venus di Milo 3. Instance of Classical Architecture: The Acropolis 4. Instance of Medieval Architecture: Notre Dame cathedral, Paris 5. Instance of Modern Architecture: Sydney Opera House 6. Piece of “Classical” Music (the genre, not the period) : _Waltz Of The Flowers_ from _The Nutcracker_ of Tchaikovsky 7. Piece of Jazz Music: Take Five, Dave Brubeck 8. Piece of “Pop” Music: _Bad_, Michael Jackson 9. Piece of Rock Music:\* Light My Fire\*, The Doors 10. Piece of Blues Music: _St, Louis Blues_, W.C. Handy 11. Piece of Folk Music (English language): _Jeannie (With The Light Brown Hair)_, Steven Foster 12. Piece of Latin Music: _Oye Como Va_, Tito Puente 13. Novel: _Gone With The Wind_, Margaret Mitchell 14. Poem: _The Raven_, Edgar Alan Poe 15. Movie: _Citizen Kane_ 16. Stage Play – Drama: _Julius Ceaesar_, William Shakespeare 17. Stage Play – Musical: _The Sound Of Music_, Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein 18. TV Drama Series: _Roots_, Alex Hailey 19. TV Comedy Series:\* I Love Lucy\* 20. TV News Program: _60 Minutes_ After you’ve answered all 20 and Submitted your answers, go ahead and see how closely your picks are to those of the other Dopers who have replied. [/QUOTE] I’m probably wrong in most cases, because I think in terms of people my age. I really have no idea how younger Dopers will respond. As to that, I’m not all that perceptive about other people’s tastes, generally. I’ll be in terested to see. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/107 "2007-03-20T21:20:01Z")
Well! Almost everyone picked the Mona Lisa as the most famous painting, so I guess it really is. Lots of variety in the rest of the picks. This was interesting. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/108 "2007-03-20T22:05:35Z")
1. Painting - the Mona Lisa 2. Piece of Sculpture - Michealangelo’s David 3. Instance of Classical Architecture - The Roman Colosseum 4. Instance of Medieval Architecture - Chartres Cathedral 5. Instance of Modern Architecture - the World Trade Center 6. Piece of “Classical” Music (the genre, not the period) - Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” 7. Piece of Jazz Music - “Take the A Train” 8. Piece of “Pop” Music - “Take a Chance on Me,” Abba 9. Piece of Rock Music - “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” the Beatles 10. Piece of Blues Music - “Boom Boom,” John Lee Hooker 11. Piece of Folk Music (English language)-“This Land is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie 12. Piece of Latin Music - “Guantanamera” 13. Novel - Moby Dick 14. Poem - The Odyssey 15. Movie - Gone With the Wind 16. Stage Play – Drama - Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet 17. Stage Play – Musical - Cats 18. TV Drama Series - Cheers 19. TV Comedy Series - Seinfeld 20. TV News Program - 60 Minutes ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/109 "2007-03-20T22:06:20Z")
Just want to send out a “Sorry” to the counters for asking about changes. I should not have muddied the waters. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/110 "2007-03-20T22:17:20Z")
[QUOTE=pokey] I had no idea Take Five would be considered the most famous jazz piece by so many! It passed through my head but then I thought of how many times “In the Mood” has been in commercials and things. [/QUOTE] I had “Take Five” stuck in my head when I was answering, but I couldn’t remember the name of the song for the life of me, so I went with “Take the A Train.” ---
**Author:** ![tiger\_lily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/96bed5/32.png) [@tiger\_lily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiger_lily)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/111 "2007-03-20T23:12:52Z")
Wow, Gangster (may I call you Gangster? 😃 ), you did quite a job. I’m afraid I didn’t hit the same standard. Categories 6-10 were all music; I tried, wherever possible, to fill in an artist, if there was just one or two distinctive artists associated with the piece. If I’ve misread anyone’s intentions, please let me know. Tally as of the end of page 2 of this thread, a total of 53 votes: **6) Classical Music (the genre, not the period)** – 53 votes Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – 19.5 Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony - 16 (inc. 6 votes for Ode to Joy) Pachelbel’s Canon in D – 3.5 Rossini’s William Tell Overture – 3 Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – 2 Handel’s Messiah – 2 (inc. 1 vote for the Hallelujah Chorus) Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor – 1 Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – 1 Mozart’s Requiem – 1 Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue – 1 Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite – 1 Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – 1 Abstain - 1 **7. Jazz Music** – 53 votes Take Five (Dave Brubeck) – 13 Abstain – 8 Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) – 7 When the Saints Go Marching In – 4 Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) – 2 Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin) – 2 Sweet Georgia Brown – 2 Girl From Ipanema (Astrud Gilberto) – 2 God Bless the Child - 2 In the Mood (Glenn Miller/Tommy Dorsey) – 2 Company B – 1 (is this “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (From Company B) by the Andrews Sisters?) Basin Street Blues – 1 Kind of Blue (Miles Davis) – 1 So What (Miles Davis) – 1 Birdland – 1 Take the A Train – 1 Summertime – 1 The Entertainer (Scott Joplin) – 1 Fly Me to the Moon (Frank Sinatra) – 1 **8. Pop Music** – 53 votes Thriller (Michael Jackson) – 11 Yesterday (The Beatles) – 5 Abstain – 4 Like a Virgin (Madonna) – 3 Hey Jude (The Beatles) – 3 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) – 3 Beat It (Michael Jackson) – 2 I Wanna Hold Your Hand (The Beatles) – 2 Dancing Queen (Abba) – 2 Twist and Shout (The Beatles) – 1 Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles) – 1 Let It Be (The Beatles) – 1 Help (The Beatles) – 1 All You Need Is Love (The Beatles) – 1 Imagine (John Lennon) – 1 My Way (Frank Sinatra/Paul Anka) – 1 We Are the World (USA for Africa) – 1 New York, New York (Frank Sinatra/Liza Minelli) – 1 Moon River (Andy Williams) – 1 The Macarena (Los Del Rio) – 1 The Rose (Bette Midler) – 1 Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond) – 1 Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin) – 1 Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland) – 1 White Christmas (Bing Crosby) – 1 Happy Birthday – 1 Crazy Frog – 1 If we group all of Michael Jackson’s tunes and the Beatles tunes, we get 16 for Whacko Jacko and 15 for the Beatles. Guess he really is the King of Pop, eh? **9. Rock Music** – 53 votes Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) – 17 Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) – 10 Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) – 5 Let It Be (The Beatles) – 2 Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley and the Comets) – 2 Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) – 2 Abstain – 2 We Will Rock You (Queen) – 1 Freebird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) – 1 Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin) – 1 Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones) – 1 Living on a Prayer (Bon Jovi) – 1 Yesterday (The Beatles) – 1 Another One Bites the Dust (Queen) – 1 Heartbreak Hotel (Elvis Presley) – 1 Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan) – 1 Hound Dog (Elvis Presley) – 1 Blue Suede Shoes (Elvis Presley) – 1 My Girl (The Temptations) – 1 I Wanna Hold Your Hand (The Beatles) – 0.5 She Loves You (The Beatles) – 0.5 Again, if we group songs by a given artist, then Led Zep has 18 votes, the Stones have 11, Queen has 7, the Beatles come up with 4, and Elvis has 3. **10. Jazz Music** – 53 votes Abstain – 17 Crossroads (Blues) (Robert Johnson) – 4 Rock Me Baby (BB King) – 2 Hoochie Coochie Man (Muddy Waters) – 2 Boob Boom (John Lee Hooker) – 2 The Thrill Is Gone (BB King) – 2 I Just Wanna Make Love to You - 1 God Bless the Child – 1 God Save the Child – 1 Goin’ Down the Crossroads – 1 Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash) – 1 Mannish Boy – 1 Hound Dog (Elvis Presley) – 1 Me & Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) – 1 Sweet Home Chicago – 1 One for My Baby – 1 Everybody Needs Somebody to Love – 1 Got My Mojo Workin’ – 1 Killing Floor (Howlin’ Wolf) – 1 Minnie the Moocher (Cab Calloway) – 1 Don’t Know Much (Aaron Neville?) – 1 Dust My Broom – 1 Memphis Blues – 1 Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen – 1 Basin Street Blues – 1 St. Louis Blues – 1 Love in Vain – 1 Summertime – 1 Greased Lightning (John Travolta) – 1 One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer (George Thorogood/John Lee Hooker) – 1 This was clearly one category where people went all over the place, if they in fact had something to add. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/112 "2007-03-20T23:19:50Z")
Very nice work, **tiger lily** , and the observations and interpretations add greatly to the raw numbers. You and **Gangster Octopus** have established some pretty hefty models for others to follow if anyone has the urge to help fill out the summary. Thanks for what is obviously a great deal of work! ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/113 "2007-03-20T23:34:05Z")
No stage comedy? I’ve heard “Twelfth Night” is the most-performed play in the world, although I’ve got no cite for that, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/114 "2007-03-21T04:12:55Z")
[QUOTE=tiger lily] In the Mood (Glenn Miller/Tommy Dorsey) – 2 [/QUOTE] My mistake. “In the Mood” was Glenn Miller’s signature song. “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” was the younger Dorsey’s song. **tiger lily** , (start the link at 40 seconds) [Thanks for the summaries!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beSIjc7_EcA) The famous things we know, The buildings, songs and poems. We talked all night about it, now the rankings you have shown, So thank you so much! [/Bob Hope] ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/115 "2007-03-23T20:04:26Z")
Hey Zeldar…do another poll if ya can think of enough topics. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/116 "2007-03-23T20:41:50Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Please reply to the OP before looking at other responses. This is less about your own preferences and more about your perception of “What is the Most Famous such-and-such?” How you choose to establish “most famous” is your own affair. That said, what do you believe is the Most Famous [/quote] 1. Painting – Mona Lisa 2. Piece of Sculpture – Michelangelo’s David 3. Instance of Classical Architecture – The Parthenon 4. Instance of Medieval Architecture – Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris 5. Instance of Modern Architecture – Eiffel Tower (if 1889 is still considered “modern”), Sydney Opera House (if “last 100 years” is the guideline) 6. Piece of “Classical” Music (the genre, not the period) – Beethoven’s Fifth 7. Piece of Jazz Music – _Take the A Train_ (or, as Lawrence Welk is reputed to have said, “That wunnerful Duke Ellington classic _Take a Train_”) 8. Piece of “Pop” Music – _White Christmas_ (8 and 9 will get varying answers, depending on how individual respondents define and distinguish “pop” and “rock”) 9. Piece of Rock Music – _Stairway to Heaven_, Led Zeppelin 10. Piece of Blues Music – _Beale Street Blues_ 11. Piece of Folk Music (English language) – _Kum Ba Yah_ (with the exception of the oft-repeated title, the lyrics are in English) 12. Piece of Latin Music – _Cielito Lindo_ (aka the Frito Bandito song) 13. Novel – _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ 14. Poem – Shakespeare’s “Sonnet XVIII” (_Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?_) 15. Movie – _Star Wars_ 16. Stage Play – Drama – _Hamlet_ 17. Stage Play – Musical – _Oklahoma!_ 18. TV Drama Series – _Gunsmoke_ 19. TV Comedy Series – _I Love Lucy_ 20. TV News Program – _Sixty Minutes_ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/117 "2007-03-23T20:45:43Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] Hey Zeldar…do another poll if ya can think of enough topics. [/QUOTE] How about this idea: you do one. If I don’t see your thread in the next couple of days, I’ll try another batch. Thanks for the words of support. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/118 "2007-03-23T21:28:28Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] How about this idea: you do one. If I don’t see your thread in the next couple of days, I’ll try another batch. Thanks for the words of support. [/QUOTE] Ugh! Ok…I will try one. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/119 "2007-03-23T21:32:42Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] Ugh! Ok…I will try one. [/QUOTE] Good deal. I’ll be watching for it, and will be among your first customers. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430/120 "2007-03-23T22:21:10Z")
1. Painting - Mona Lisa 2. Piece of Sculpture - Michelangelo’s David 3. Instance of Classical Architecture - Parthenon 4. Instance of Medieval Architecture - Notre Dame 5. Instance of Modern Architecture - World Trade Center 6. Piece of “Classical” Music (the genre, not the period) - Handel’s Messiah 7. Piece of Jazz Music - Rhapsody in Blue 8. Piece of “Pop” Music - “You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog” 9. Piece of Rock Music - “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” 10. Piece of Blues Music - “The Thrill is Gone” 11. Piece of Folk Music (English language) - “Blowin’ in the Wind” 12. Piece of Latin Music - “La Vida Loca” 13. Novel - The Three Musketeers 14. Poem - Ozzymandeus (sp?) 15. Movie - Star Wars 16. Stage Play – Drama - Romeo & Juliette 17. Stage Play – Musical - Cats 18. TV Drama Series - 24 19. TV Comedy Series - MASH 20. TV News Program - 60 Minutes [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-the-most-famous-_______/396430.md?page=7)