[Lewis.]

I think Beyonce is the closest we are coming to an icon at the moment.. I can see a new face appearing soon though. Gaga is a good contender aswell.. I always think of her as the future of music and celebrity culture.

[setanta]

There's fabulous artists out there but they don't enter the mainstream as easily nowadays.

[MrGaryy]

Originally Posted by MichaelSpears

I know I'll get burned for saying this, but Britney Spears. She's broken every record imaginable, all before she turned 30. The best selling female act of the 2000's, the first song ever to get #1 in over 50 countries, 100 million records sold, 7 sold-out tours in arenas and stadiums, the biggest public meltdown in history yet still managed to come back from the ashes, i could go on..

her meltdown was definitely not the biggest in public history :/

and I don't agree she's an icon tbh. Her face is iconic, she has a few iconic videos but SHE herself has done nothing iconic, she's a product of other people's creativity, nothing is her. And every year that goes by she becomes less and less relevant.

[Iceman]

I think britney is an icon, not for her music though she's a whole industry in herself, not by choice, by fascination.

[Tom]

I think Britney Spears is the female popstar and the one others aspire to be like (musically of course). Shes had a big impact on pop even if she is just a manufactured product. The Spice Girls were manufactured even down to each playing individual roles yet they're hailed as the best British girl band of all time.

She is becoming irrelevant now but until around 2006 she was as big as it gets, and her come back was one of the biggest of the noughties.

And thats coming from someone who can't stand the woman.

[Shaun]

The thing about Britney is that she's not a personality - ANYONE could have been moulded the way she was.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Shaun

The thing about Britney is that she's not a personality - ANYONE could have been moulded the way she was.

Not anyone ... it's the 'thing' X Factor looks for which she has. Shes just told how to use it. For example you couldn't put Michelle McManus in her mould and expect the same results.

[Shaun]

I'd have thought that would've been obvious.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by Judas Iscariot

Jay-Z is already an icon in some circles. And he has years left in his career yet. The man will be an icon. Also, are we all forgetting about Eminem? Provided he can stay consistent and keep those albums coming, he is certainly becoming an icon in my eyes.

Anyone who will tell you Lady GaGa is an icon is a liar. We just have to wait and see. Wait and see.

Ahh yes I agree with Eminem.

Also The Beatles <3

[Tom]

I think Eminem has ruined it for himself, he doesn't have mainstream appeal anymore and seems to have just faded away. His mainstream career (so the one which would give him iconic status) was quite short lived.