H.E. Pennypacker said:
I say Elton John is not a legend because he's that not big outside of England. He may sell very well outside of England, but would people instantly recognize him outside of his country?
You can't compare him to the Beatles. The Beatles created a cult following. I am not sure if that's supposed to give them a legendary status, but they are considered legends. I am, however, quite uncomfortable with calling them legends because I get the feeling they were more like cult leaders than great musicians. The reason I say this is because people blew out of proportion the meaning of their songs, and they were almost worshipped in a sense.
Take, for example, Charles Manson who slaughtered men and women in the name of the Beatles. Take, for example, the generation where mothers would teach their young babies about The Beatles as if they were characters from a religious story. This is not stuff I am making up.
You can't compare Elton John to Michael Jackson. You could put Michael Jackson behind a shade, and people would recognize him. Michael Jackson was such a large star at his pinacle, he was simply "the coolest man on Earth" and was quickly coined "one of the greatest musicians to ever life." Twenty years later, and with all his problems, he's still be able to maintain his title, King of Pop. For the record, the media lies about where the title came from. He did NOT give himself that title.
I know Elton John has sold a lot, but perhaps this a legend is more than a man that can sell very well. The Back Street Boys sold very well, and so did N-Sync. That does not make them legends.
By the way, I know you were just kidding about the Michael Jackson part.
In your part of the world, he is a legend. Come here, and he's really in no one's conversations. Trust me, he's no water-cooler topic, and people are not talking about him during lunch.
