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With popular culture has come a number of icons. These icons range from people, to movie scenes, to pictures, and more. Some of the most important things made iconic through popular culture are hairstyles. Here are the top 10 most iconic hairstyles of all-time.
1. The Beatles’ Moptops
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Though it was influenced by German art students in Hamburg, The Beatles’ moptop hairstyle was like nothing most of western culture had ever seen before. Due to the huge popularity of the band, the hairstyle caught on with boys all over the world, and is still worn by many teenagers to this day. In fact, Justin Bieber wore the hairstyle early in his career when he was the most popular teen idol on the planet. Still being worn after 50 years, it looks like the iconic hairstyle is here to stay.
2. The Ronettes’ Beehives
While it was eventually worn by tons of girls throughout the 1960s, the beehive hairdo was first popularized by the girl group, The Ronettes. A large, towering hairdo, it is often worn by pop singers who are trying to give off a 1960s vibe. Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson from the New Wave rock band, The B-52s, famously wore the style in the late 70s. The late Amy Winehouse also wore the style in the 2000s.
3. Elvis Presley’s Pompadour
While it had been worn before him, nobody did more for the pompadour hairstyle than the King of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis Presley. Along with his electric and dynamic personality, Elvis’s hair is part of his identity. You won’t find an Elvis impersonator anywhere without the hairstyle. Most men who wear the pompadour these days do it as a quiet ode to Elvis. Popular men who wear the style now are Morrisey, Alex Turner, and Justin Timberlake.
4. The Ramones’ Bowl Cuts
Regarded by many as the first proper punk rock band, The Ramones were influential with more than just their music. Their long, bowl haircuts are just as identifiable as their loud, simple, hard-driving sound. The hair was worn almost as a sort of uniform for the band, going along with their tattered blue jeans and leather jackets. Fans have taken on the hairstyle for years since its inception.
5. Michael Jackson’s Jheri Curl
While Michael and his brothers were famous for their afros in the 1970s, Michael’s most famous hairstyle was his jheri curl. Though Jackson wasn’t the first person to wear the jheri curl, he was easily the most influential. Sporting the style on his 1982 mega album Thriller, the hairstyle was soon worn by black men and women everywhere. Other famous jheri curls include Lionel Richie’s, Luther Vandross’s, and the many jheri curls from the 1988 film ‘Coming to America.’
6. Farrah Fawcett’s Feathered Hair
Charlie’s most famous angel, Farrah Fawcett sported one of the most iconic hairstyles of the 1970s. Her long, feathered, blonde hair graced the most popular poster of the 1970s, sitting atop Farrah’s head as she sat smiling in a red bathing suit. The hairstyle was worn by both women and men throughout the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
7. Bob Ross’ Afro
The afro is the iconic hairstyle of the 1970s. And while it was most commonly worn by African-Americans, perhaps the most iconic of all afros belongs to white painter/television personality Bob Ross. The soft-spoken and encouraging painting instructor can’t even be thought of without also thinking of his afro. It was a part of his identity, and Ross knew it. He wanted to get rid of the afro, but realized that it had become an integral part of his television personality.
8. Bob Marley’s Dreadlocks
The King of Reggae, Bob Marley, is almost impossible to think of without also thinking of his long dreadlocks. While he certainly wasn’t the first person to wear the style which is popular in his native Jamaica, he is the man who popularized it for the rest of the world. Now, people of all races and origins wear the famous hairstyle; demonstrating the global growth of rasta culture.
9. Audrey Hepburn’s Pixie Cut
While she wore a number of different hairstyles throughout her career, Audrey Hepburn’s most iconic hairstyle has to be her pixie cut. The dainty, feminine actress wore the short-haired style sporadically throughout the 1950s and 1960s, making it popular in the process. Many females still wear the pixie cut to this day, including Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, and more.
10. The Kid ‘n Play Hi-Top Fade
The high-top fade was the haircut for young black males in the early 1990s, and no one wore it more boldly than hip-hop comedy duo, Kid ‘n Play. Christopher ‘Kid’ Reid, in particular, wore a high-top fade that almost touched the sky. It’s one of the primary icons of 1990s hip-hop culture, and is seeing a bit of a renaissance currently. Famous people who currently wear the style include basketball player Iman Shumpert and basketball player Nerlens Noel.
Image Courtesy of Flickr User SarahElizabethC.