# Extremely popular, or even legendary entertainers whose work you've never seen/heard **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654 "2010-07-31T04:18:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/81 "2010-08-06T03:21:32Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > Bob Dylan. I know he was a hugely popular singer in the 60s, that there was outrage when he started to use electronic instruments, that he had a terrible singing voice and that his real name was Robert Zimmerman. But I couldn’t name any of his songs, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard any. I’m not even sure whether he’s dead or alive. Oh, my goodness. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/82 "2010-08-06T13:44:34Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > I’ve never read a Harry Potter book or seen any of the movies. No desire. I have all the books and the DVDs and have yet to open one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/83 "2010-08-06T19:55:24Z")
King Crimson Joy Division The Smiths The Cure ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/84 "2010-08-06T20:58:09Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > I’ve never read a Harry Potter book or seen any of the movies. No desire. For what it’s worth, please don’t think there’s any form of direct link between the two. That would be doing the books a grievous injustice, what you might think of them notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/85 "2010-08-06T21:48:34Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > > [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > > > I’ve never read a Harry Potter book or seen any of the movies. No desire. > > For what it’s worth, please don’t think there’s any form of direct link between the two. That would be doing the books a grievous injustice, what you might think of them notwithstanding. I actually have no opinion either way, just no desire for that particular genre of literature. I probably wouldn’t mind the movies, but – similarly – not interested in that particular genre of film… ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/86 "2010-08-06T22:35:00Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last 40 years, you’ve heard his songs. They’re covered by…everybody, actually. Really? I can’t say I have not heard his stuff since I’ve heard the Battlestar version of his song “All Along the Watchtower” and that opening song to Watchmen, but I honestly haven’t heard him at all besides those as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/87 "2010-08-06T23:48:07Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Grateful Dead actually had a top 40 hit but Zappa never did. _Valley Girl_ hit #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. ETA: Oops. Beaten to it. Didn’t see that, my bad. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/88 "2010-08-08T20:16:40Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > > [@silenus](#): > > > > Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last 40 years, you’ve heard his songs. They’re covered by…everybody, actually. > > Really? I can’t say I have not heard his stuff since I’ve heard the Battlestar version of his song “All Along the Watchtower” and that opening song to Watchmen, but I honestly haven’t heard him at all besides those as far as I know. Following up on **silenus** ’s comment, I’ve Youtubed some of Dylan’s songs: _Like a Rolling Stone_, _Blowing in the Wind_ and _All Along the Watch Tower_, but I don’t recognise any of them (they all seem pretty nondescript; I couldn’t hum any of the tunes for you…). I do recognise the name _All Along the Watch Tower_ as a Jimi Hendrix cover, though I had never actually heard it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/89 "2010-08-08T21:39:58Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > Following up on **silenus** ’s comment, I’ve Youtubed some of Dylan’s songs: _Like a Rolling Stone_ [hijack]this is neither here nor there since everyone’s mind works differently, but when I first heard Like a Rolling Stone, I somehow know it was Dylan without having directly heard him sing anything (only covers of his songs). ..[furthering the hijack]and just now I have a more visceral understanding of (but not agree with) the people who claimed “Judas” when he went electric, because I remember it sounding very Classic Rock-y rather than folky or rock n rolly. So in short, I disagree that it’s non descript. Then again I’ve also guessed songs by Led Zeppelin, the Sex Pistols, and The Mission (UK) without having heard them before, too, so maybe I can’t judge. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/90 "2010-08-10T14:44:23Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > > [@Superhal](#): > > > > Any heavy metal bad from the 80’s, 90’s or now, including Zepplin, Poison, Ratt, etc. > > Ha! The dudes in Poison and Ratt would piss themselves in joy at the mere mention of Led Zep in the same sentence as them. Yes, because deep in their souls they know they’re Not Worthy. Seriously, Jimmy Page had a thorough background in British blues (as well as knowing a catchy hook when he heard one), and it shows. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/91 "2010-08-10T15:19:04Z")
I’ve always admired most of the people here for their open-ness to new experiences, but after this thread…? Hey, gang! Live a little. Pick up a book you’ve never thought you’d read (I am NOT the demographic for Harry Potter, and I hate fantasy, so I only read the first chapter… and got hooked). Listen to some new music (I admire the poster who YouTube’d Bob Dylan… don’t worry, your speakers do not have sandpaper stuck in them). Don’t be smug that you don’t know anything about _X_. This is the last place people should be proud of their ignorance. Except the Celine Dion-free poster. I’m jealous. I realized that all the music I was listening to was Olde Crappe™, so I downloaded some music that my skatepunk kid recommended and now this Kingston Trio fan is enjoying Vampire Weekend, Beirut, and all those electronica bands with animal names (Grizzly Bear, Octopus Project, Animal Collective…). So maybe everyone who posts to this thread should expose themselves to one new genre of entertainment. _(I think we can exclude Reality TV under the Do No Harm rule)._ Uh. oh… does this mean I’ll have to read _Twilight_? [makes sign of cross] Noooooooo… ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/92 "2010-08-10T15:57:52Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Uh. oh… does this mean I’ll have to read _Twilight_? [makes sign of cross] Noooooooo… It doesn’t mean you have to take it seriously! 😉 Think of it as watching a trainwreck. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654/93 "2010-08-17T01:54:39Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > As far as I can recall, I don’t think I have ever seen a movie with Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe or James Dean (though I have seen each on news clips or in magazines, and certainly recognize each of their images) Last night I watched Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, so now I have finally seen a movie with Humphrey Bogart. I really enjoyed it, and now know where the archtype characture of the old, crazy prospector, dancing around and cackling, overcome with gold fever came from… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-popular-or-even-legendary-entertainers-whose-work-youve-never-seen-heard/548654.md?page=4)