I'm just curious about the list that MAGIC Magazine put together some time ago... I haven't been able to procure a copy, so could anybody just tell me the top ten or so ranking magicians? I've been wanting to know for a while, and I can't find it anywhere else.

10. Howard Thurston
9. Sigfried and Roy
8. Mark Wilson
7.Cardini
6. Harlan Tarbell
5. Doug Henning
4. Harry Blackstone, Sr.
3. David Copperfield (recount, recount)
2. Dai Vernon
1. Houdini (another reason for recount)

Top 10 write-ins were

1.Carl Balentine
2. John Calvert
3. Johnny Thompson (belongs in the above list instead of Copperfield, sheesh)
4. Kreskin
5. Stan Allen
6. Daryl
7. David Roth
8. David Blaine (oh please!)
9. Juan Tameriz (no way he could come below Blaine)
10. Robert Nelson

May be family prejudice but Harry Jr. belongs in that list way above Blaine who shouldn't be on there at all.

Thanks a lot. Those top 100 countdowns are always frustrating. They always leave you feeling like the real good people got cheated. But anyway, thanks for satisfying my curiosity.

I don't see Ed Marlo's name on that list. Love him or hate him both he and Dai Vernon pretty much influenced close up magic as we know it. I am not saying that the other names don't deserve to be on the list and Ed Marlo is certainly not my favorite magician but he is most definitely a major influence in magic - primarily cards.

I pretty much agree on your assessments. Particularly with who should or should not have been on it.

It’s a tough list. Any time someone comments on who should be on it, I say Oh yeah he should. Then I look at list and agree with most of it. So the problem is who to take out. If you love him or hate him, Copperfield has influence magic. Same with Houdini. The list was the most influential magicians of the century. Houdini did a lot for magic. His most important contribution was the spreading of SAM. Plus, he is the name of magic whether anyone likes it or not.

Can Blaine and Angel be considered influential? It depends on in what manner. Do they bring people in magic shops to buy? No. Are they recognizable? Yes. Their fan base is like a cult following. I see people with Chriss Angel pendants who are not even conjurers. They are just fans.

The names on the list is pretty good. I am surprised that Blackstone Jr. was not on it. But when you have to list just ten, it doesn’t give you much wiggle room. I must say that Blackstone Jr. helped influence me.

Whether you like Copperfield and Houdini or not is irrelevant to the question of whether they had more influence over magic (and especially magic fandom) than someone like, say, Thompson.

I think David Blaine should have made the top 10. The general public thinks that he is amazing and he is basically a household name for doing magic.

On the other hand, your average person would have no clue to who some of the people are who made the top 10. For example, Howard Thurston, Doug Henning, or Dai Vernon.

David Stone is a good one to add to the list

Obviously it's all the dudes from Penquin

As many DVDs as penquin sells, you would think that they were the most
influential.

I totally agree with the top 3 hands down.

Andre

I don't get how David Blaine is not top 3. He has influence so many people with so few words.

I don't want to go through my old issues looking for this but wasn't Vernon #1 on the list and Houdini #2?

that's what I remember.

Chris

hahaha! it's funny because it's true!

"watch this... Here, let me show you something.... look, look, look!"

COME ON! first question...for magicians or for lay audiences....

david blaine has had moe impact on modern close up magic than anyone I history because he took close up to the masses...the purists might argue but BLAINE is the only one ever to get the kind of coverage he received by the masses for close-up

and if were talking about magic for magicians how there be a thread without at least mentioning Slydini?

Take out S&R and either Blackstone or Thurston (as far as influence goes they were pretty much the same), and insert Bert Allerton and Eddie Tullock.

Tarbell & Wilson should be # 1 & #2.

I'm really surprised that Mark Wilson didn't make the list. More of his books on learning magic have been sold than Tarbell's. He and Tarbell have brought many a young man into the fraternity that is magic.

As for the list, I might have it in my small collection of Magic magazines. I'll look for it and get back to you.

I think Penn and Teller should be on that list somewhere.

Jack Shalom

Yes Penn And Teller are there. Also
Lance Burton David Devant Uri Geller
Eugene Burger Fu Manchu Marvyn Roy
Jeff McBride Rene Lavand Percy Abott
John Ramsay Fred Kaps Lewis Ganson
Proffesor Hoffman Mike Caveney John Scarne
Walter B Gibson Ed Marlo T. Annemann
Albert Goshman Neil Foster Larry Jennings
Horace Goldin Robert Harbin William LArsen Sr
Milt Larsen Guy Jarret Ben Chavez
Dante U.F Grant Billy McComb
J.B Bobo Alex Elmsley Floyd G. Thayer
Jim Steinmeyer Harry Lorrayne Channing Pollock
Jack Gwynne Charlie Miller Carl Owen
Frances Marshall Harry Kellar Stewart James
P.T Selbit Rober Lund Erdnase
Ricky Jay Joseph Dunninger Howard Thurston.
Sigfried And Roy Cardini MArk Wilson
Harlan Tarbell Doug Henning Harry Blackstone Sr
Harry Blackstone Jr David Copperfield Dai Vernon
Harry Houdini Robert Lund Milbourne Christopher
Servais Le Roy Paul Harris Al Koran
Slydini Michael Ammar Dr A.M Wilson
Max Malini Daniel Fitzkee The Pendragons
Al Flosso Al Baker

Some Miss...

That's most of the magicians..