10 Surprising Popular Culture Facts You Didn’t Know

10 Surprising Popular Culture Facts You Didn’t Know

As a society, we are deeply entrenched in popular culture, whether it’s music, movies, or television. We relate to these things so deeply that they have become embedded in our daily lives. However, as much as we know, there are still some surprising facts about popular culture that we don’t know. In this article, we will uncover ten of these surprising facts that will change the way you view popular culture.

1. The Beatles never wrote sheet music.

Despite their status as one of the most legendary music acts in history, The Beatles were not trained in reading or writing sheet music. In fact, they never wrote any of their music on paper. All of their songs were written by hand and later recorded in studio sessions.

2. Elvis Presley was not the first artist to record “Hound Dog.”

While Elvis Presley’s version of “Hound Dog” is the most famous, it was originally written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for a blues singer named Big Mama Thornton. She recorded the song in 1953, three years before Elvis released his version.

3. “The Godfather” was almost never made.

“The Godfather,” one of the most iconic and influential movies in American cinema, was almost never made. Paramount Pictures initially rejected the script, and several other studios passed on the opportunity to produce it. It wasn’t until director Francis Ford Coppola convinced the studio to give him a chance that the movie was finally made.

4. Tetris was created by a Russian mathematician.

While Tetris is a global phenomenon, it was actually created by a Russian mathematician named Alexey Pajitnov. He originally designed the game to improve his students’ spatial reasoning skills.

5. Marilyn Monroe had a higher IQ than Albert Einstein.

While Marilyn Monroe is often portrayed as a ditzy blonde, she was actually incredibly intelligent, with an IQ of 168. For comparison, Albert Einstein’s IQ was estimated to be between 160 and 190.

6. The first ever music video was made in 1894.

Long before MTV, the first-ever music video was created in 1894. It was a short film called “The Dickson Experimental Sound Film” and featured a man playing a violin.

7. “The Simpsons” has predicted multiple events.

Over its three-decade-long run, “The Simpsons” has predicted multiple events that later came true, including the invention of smartwatches and the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States.

8. Anthony Hopkins only appeared on-screen for 16 minutes in “The Silence of the Lambs.”

Despite winning an Academy Award for his role as Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs,” Anthony Hopkins only appeared on-screen for 16 minutes and 27 seconds.

9. “The Lion King” is based on William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

While “The Lion King” is usually thought of as a children’s movie, it is actually a retelling of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Both stories feature a young prince who must avenge his father’s death.

10. “Jurassic Park” almost featured stop-motion animation.

Before settling on using CGI to create the dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park,” director Steven Spielberg considered using stop-motion animation for some of the scenes. However, he ultimately decided that CGI would provide a more realistic look.

In conclusion, popular culture is full of surprising facts and insights that many of us might not know. From the origins of Tetris to the true genius of Marilyn Monroe, these interesting tidbits give us a fresh perspective on the world of movies, music, and television. By understanding these facts, we can appreciate these cultural touchstones even more.