Quote:
Originally posted by Patrick
It's really a question of how a person defines the word. In my mind, something that could be described as iconic is exceptionally remarkable/memorable, is considered culturally significant for a specific time period and is generally influential in some manner. Perhaps it's not necessary for all things "iconic" to meet each of those parameters, but I think we can generally agree that the most iconic persons/events/films/songs meet most of this criteria.
That said, everyone evaluates differently; we put more emphasis on certain aspects than others and give consideration to different factors, an therefore I wouldn't expect anyone to fully agree with my definition of the term. I probably wouldn't agree with their definition. For example, I think a lot of posters in this thread have put a lot of emphasis on success (sales/chart positions). I certainly would take these factors into consideration were I compiling my own list of iconic songs, but chart and sales success wouldn't be the biggest determining factor in my selection of songs. Several singles from The Emancipation of Mimi were massively successful in terms of sales and chart run, yet I consider none of these songs iconic.
Also, I do not think we're far enough removed from most hits of the past decade or so to evaluate any of them fairly.
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I have to agree. A song that was a massive hit, highly critically acclaimed or is even considered a "classic" is not necessarily iconic. That phrase suggests great cultural significance that would immediately bring it (and perhaps some sort of association) to mind for people.
For example, as has been mentioned before, "Respect" is an iconic song because it basically defines the career of the legendary soul artist Aretha Franklin. It has been covered and performed and included in films so many times that pretty much everyone and their mother knows it.
On other hand, songs like "Tik Tok" and "Bad Romance" may have been massive hits, but it's way too early to tell whether they will have any sort of lasting impact. Similarly, while 'N Sync may have been influential in making the bubblegum pop movement happen, it's hard to call any of their individual songs truly iconic. ("Bye Bye Bye" probably comes closest for a specific generation, but it's certainly no "I Want It That Way.")
