Greatest Sports Star:
"Star" implies cultural impact and popularity along with athletic and competitive achievements.

1. Other - Tiger Woods

Changed golf's demographics not just who are playing it, but who is watching the sport. Barring injuries or early retirement, Tiger is going to most likely going to best Nicklaus' major championships total. The game's most dominant. Everyone knows him. Celebrity endorser.

2. Muhammad Ali

Everyone knows him. Socio-political issues and sports. Global celebrity.

3. Michael Jordan

Endorsement giant. (The first sports superstar to be that huge of an endorser?) Has changed basketball culture - nearly everyone wants to be on Sportscenter highlights, win the scoring title and win the championship at the same time. How many are modelling their game after Magic or Bird?


Entertainers:

1. Duke Ellington

Jazz is an original American artform. He's one of it's (and popular music's) most influential figures. Extremely prolific.

2. The Beatles

Along with Bob Dylan, they, along with others, helped forge what became known as rock (different from rock and roll). Popular artists that experimented.

3. Bob Dylan

One of the huge figures, if not the figure, of early 60s folk music. Folk's biggest artist since Woody Guthrie at the time? One of the major, major contributors to rock music. The most influential in the move to more abstract lyrics in popular music? Stylisitic experimenter.

Michael Jackson, James Brown, Chuck Berry, and George Gershwin were very close to making the cut. Pop, funk/soul, rock and roll, musical theatre and classic concert hall respectively.

I don't know much about blues music, but blues is an original music artform and lots of rock, folk, and jazz music is influenced and based on the blues so have music scholars and artists like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin said.


Greatest Actors:

1. Other - Greta Garbo

Possibly the greatest screen actress ever (not just for American, but world cinema)

2. Henry Fonda

Great performances throughout six decades!! Extremely versatile.

3. Marlon Brando

May not have as great a career as Henry Fonda, Chaplin, Keaton, or De Niro, but when Brando was on, he was on. The main influence for following generations of actors.


I'm not claiming to be an authority on these things so if I'm wrong about stuff let me know. I'd love to learn.