History Main / MainstreamObscurity

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': Adjusted for inflation, it's the fourth highest-grossing animated film ever (despite that its original 1940 release was a notorious flop), widely praised as a masterpiece of cinema and art, but due to it being an AnthologyFilm with no dialogue but ClassicalMusic, not many people today can actually name a segment from it aside from "the WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse part", "the one with the mushrooms", "the dancing hippos" and maybe "that scene with [[SatanicArchetype the devil guy]]" or "the centaurs". As a result, its unique nature makes it less accessible than its other four contemporaries, and while it still has many fans, they're usually major art and/or classical music enthusiasts rather than conventional viewers.

* {{Music/Madness}} is a very good example of this. Ask anyone in the US if they've heard of Madness, and they'll say no. Ask them if they remember "Our House" and they'll always say yes. It doesn't help that that song was in heavy rotation on MTV back in the day, and the only song of theirs that got popular over here. ("It Must Be Love" charted too but that seems to be VindicatedByHistory.)

* The ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' series is one of the oldest, most long-running and most-distinguished series of [=JRPGs=] ever made, with ''VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen'' being released in 1987 and ''VideoGame/YsIXMonstrumNox'' coming out in 2019, with countless ports, remakes, and a prequel, ''Ys Origin''. But until the UsefulNotes/Playstation2 port of ''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim'' was released in 2005, the games were practically unknown in the West. Only 3 prior games (the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem port of ''Ys I,'' the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 port of the first game and ''[[VideoGame/YsIIAncientYsVanishedTheFinalChapter Ys II]]'' compiled and ''Ys III'' on the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]], UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis and [=TurboGrafx=]) had been released in English at all before ''Napishtim'', none of which had particularly set the sales charts on fire, leaving the series only known to die-hard import and fan-translation fans for 14 years. While it's somewhat better-known now, it's still considered a CultClassic series, despite a long and storied pedigree that puts it in the same conversation as the likes of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy, VideoGame/DragonQuest'' and particularly ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda,'' which ''Ys'' was once considered a serious rival to in the field of {{Action RPG}}s.

** To a smaller degree, his ''Manga/{{Unico}}'' series might get an occasional mention from Gen X and Gen Y Americans and Canadians every once in a while, [[Anime/TheFantasticAdventuresOfUnico since]] [[Anime/UnicoInTheIslandOfMagic the films used to frequently air]] on Creator/DisneyChannel (then known as "The Disney Channel" when both movies were airing) during its infancy throughout the 1980s and has gained a cult following in the west. That same generation even ran a successful crowdfunded kickstarter on getting the [[LateExportForYou original Unico manga series an official English translation in]] [[TheNewTens the early 2010s]], due to having very fond memories of the Unico films (and it's even odds if anyone associates it with Tezuka).

* ''Anime/WolfsRain'' is likely writer Keiko Nobumoto's most famous work after ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', but falls into the category of critically acclaimed and well-known but little seen outside of a small core of diehard fans due to its reputation for being [[MindScrew really]] [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory cryptic]] and [[AngstAversion really, really sad]].

* ''Anime/CarnivalPhantasm'' ironically causes this towards ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}.'' At the time of release in 2011, ''Carnival Phantasm'' was a web original anime that was created as a celebration of the two popular Creator/TypeMoon Visual Novels set in the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}: ''Tsukihime'' and ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight.'' Both series received equal billing at the time of release. Since then, however, Fate has grown into a CashCowFranchise, much to the consternation of fans of the other works in the Nasuverse. While Fate received new wildly popular [[Literature/FateZero anime]] [[Anime/FateStayNightUnlimitedBladeWorks adaptations]] that pushed the franchise's popularity to new heights, ''Tsukihime'' was left in the dust with both its reboot Visual Novel and ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' sequel undergoing massive delays (both of which have been released in 2021, over a decade after the reboot was announced). These days it's not uncommon for people's knowledge of ''Tsukihime'' to be limited to this specific series, and a popular meme was reacting to ''Tsukihime'' remake news by jokingly claiming that Neko-Arc (a gag character based on the main heroine) is "getting her own VN."

* If you name a female superhero, Characters/{{Wonder Woman|TheCharacter}} shows up often as an instant response, and most would know that she's Greek, has a Lasso of Truth, and flies an invisible plane (at least to those who remember the Creator/LyndaCarter [[Series/WonderWoman1975 TV show]]). Ask people about her RoguesGallery and supporting cast, however, and that number drops. People can name multiple aspects of that information for Batman and Superman thanks [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy to]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the]] [[Film/Batman1989 success]] [[Series/{{Smallville}} of multiple]] [[Film/SupermanFilmSeries iterations]]. Wonder Woman had one TV show devoted to her, then an appearance in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' which streamlined her background (making [[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]] her ArchEnemy and not Ares) and largely used her as part of an ensemble cast of a SharedUniverse rather than a hero in her own right as did the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. [[note]] Although this is due to licensing issues. Prior to the early 2010s, the contract with the creator's estate forbade her and her supporting characters from being in any adaptation in which she wasn't a main character[[/note]] She finally got [[Film/WonderWoman2017 her own film]] in 2017.

* ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'' is probably the most famous modern superhero to not be from either of the Big Two, with a veritable heap of merchandise, two [[Film/Spawn1997 notable]] [[WesternAnimation/ToddMcFarlanesSpawn adaptations]], appearances in ''VideoGame/SoulCaliburII'' and ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', and a design that is incredibly iconic and very often mimicked or parodied. Whenever 1990s superheroes are discussed, Spawn is almost always one of the first names. Yet when you ask people anything about him (his real name, his origin, his powers, his villains, his big storylines), you tend to get a blank stare. At most, people might know Angela (because Marvel currently owns her) and Violator (who was in the movie), or be loosely aware that the stories deal with Hell, but that's about it. Many people are even surprised to hear that [[LongRunners the series is still going]], and it tends to only get attention for the occasional MilestoneCelebration. For instance, it surged to the top of the sales charts for its 300th issue... and the month before that, it had been in 327th place with 2,547 copies sold, which put it below obscure indie books that don't even have a page on this wiki, ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' spinoffs, and the prior month's issue of ''ComicBook/BatmanLastKnightOnEarth''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': Adjusted for inflation, it's the fourth highest-grossing animated film ever (despite that its original 1940 release was a notorious flop), widely praised as a masterpiece of cinema and art, but due to it being an AnthologyFilm with no dialogue but ClassicalMusic, not many people today can actually name a segment from it aside from "the WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse part", "the one with the mushrooms", "the dancing hippos" and maybe "that scene with [[SatanicArchetype the devil guy]]" or "the centaurs". As a result, its unique nature makes it less accessible than [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs its]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} other]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}} four]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}} contemporaries]], and while it still has many fans, they're usually major art and/or classical music enthusiasts rather than conventional viewers.

* ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' is well-known in the public consciousness because of [[YetAnotherChristmasCarol all of the homages, retellings, adaptations and parodies of the story over the years]]. Yet few people know anything more than the basic plot structure of "[[TheGrinch Scrooge hates Christmas]]," "Scrooge meets three ghosts," and "[[ItWasHisSled Scrooge has a]] HeelFaceTurn." Most people couldn't tell you who Jacob Marley was, who Scrooge's lost lover was, [[FreudianExcuse why Scrooge hates Christmas so much]], or how class warfare was written into the story. Ask most people what the central theme is, and it'll probably be "Christmas is awesome" instead of "the rich ought to use their money to help the poor".[[note]]If education system in your country has "obligatory reads", there is a good chance you've read it somewhere late in the Elementary, though.[[/note]]

* Many more people have watched the movies based on ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and now ''Literature/TheHobbit'' than have ever read the original CultClassic books. Even within the overall fandom, there are many things that seem to be widely known [[PraisingShowsYouDontWatch less by actually reading the books and more by hearing things from wikis and Youtube videos]], which leads to a lot of CommonKnowledge or [[EnsembleDarkhorse bigging up of characters and elements]] [[OneSceneWonder with minimal actual presence]].

* You know the EpicRiff from "Smoke on the Water" from ''Music/{{Machine Head|Album}}''? If you know anything at all about music or have ever heard anyone learning the guitar, [[VideoGame/RockBand or even just]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBUvyrmEupM play rhythm games]], you know that riff. However, Music/DeepPurple is surprisingly obscure nowadays for such a prolific and popular band. And the riff itself is lifted from a Gil Evans jazz piece.

* Music/{{Bjork}} is well-known to the public for [[CloudCuckoolander being weird]], being from UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}, her infamous swan dress, and maybe "the [[LoonyFan Ricardo]] [[StalkerWithACrush López]] [[YouGotMurder incident]]". That's it. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who can name one song from her (except ''maybe'' "It's Oh So Quiet", which is both a BlackSheepHit and a CoverVersion), let alone a genuine fan of her music. In fact, she's only had two songs enter the ''Hot 100'', and both of them fizzled out in the 80 range.

* Capcom's ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' has a cult following over the years, but is solely known for Morrigan Aensland, the [[SexGod sexier-than-sex]] [[SuccubiAndIncubi succubus]] who has [[SirCameosALot appeared in more crossover games than her own]]. Good luck finding someone who can name any other characters besides maybe Lilith, her {{moe}} sister or Felicia, a near-nude CatGirl. Possibly Hsien-Ko as well due to her appearance in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', and Jedah for appearing in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''. They probably won't know anything about the gameplay either. For non-fighting game enthusiasts, the series is BestKnownForTheFanservice and not much else.

* Creator/{{SNK}} in general, while not having the same popularity as Nintendo and Sega during the 90s, was nonetheless seen by hardcore gamers as ''the'' rival to Capcom and a giant in the arcade and home console industries, until the fall of their original incarnation at the TurnOfTheMillennium. Thanks to various buyouts and rebrandings, they've continued to make new games to varying degrees of frequency but didn't enjoy as much recognition worldwide to the point that their mascot [[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry]] [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Bogard]]'s inclusion in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' was mostly seen as a complete surprise, leading the game's director Masahiro Sakurai to explain the Neo-Geo's history to new players viewing Terry's gameplay showcase. Otherwise, the most people know about this game is that it stars MsFanservice Mai Shiranui, who remains beloved on the internet due to being a popular choice for cosplayers and artists to draw.

* Most people in the United States can't really think of anything that UsefulNotes/MillardFillmore accomplished as president. As a result, he has become very well known for the fact that he's not well known for anything else, other than having an… [[InherentlyFunnyWords interesting name]]. This really goes for all the U.S. presidents other than the ones of recent memory and the big names ([[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington Washington]], [[UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson Jefferson]], [[UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln Lincoln]], [[UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt both]] [[UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt Roosevelts]], [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy Kennedy]], etc.) If you're not a history buff, you probably don't know anything about, say, UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor, UsefulNotes/FranklinPierce, or UsefulNotes/ChesterAArthur other than "He used to be President."

* Thanks to NoBackwardsCompatibilityInTheFuture, many early-generation video game classics are relatively underplayed. This applies to titles like ''Videogame/{{Metroid|1}}'' (1985-1986), or even games as recent as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' (1997). Both Nintendo and Sony have taken some steps to avert this through the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole and the UsefulNotes/PlayStation Store respectively, but not all titles have been made available through these systems (most notably, ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' until April 2013). The growth of UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution and services like Website/GOGDotCom that provide ports of retro games to modern operating systems have helped in recent years.

* If you name a female superhero, Characters/{{Wonder Woman|TheCharacter}} shows up often as an instant response, and most would know that she's Greek, has a Lasso of Truth, and flies an invisible plane (at least to those who remember the Creator/LyndaCarter [[Series/WonderWoman1975 TV show]]). Ask people about her RoguesGallery and supporting cast, however, and that number drops. People can name multiple aspects of that information for Batman and Superman thanks [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy to]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the]] [[Film/Batman1989 success]] [[Series/{{Smallville}} of multiple]]
[[Film/SupermanFilmSeries iterations]]. Wonder Woman had one TV show devoted to her, then an appearance in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' which streamlined her background (making [[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]] her ArchEnemy and not Ares) and largely used her as part of an ensemble cast of a SharedUniverse rather than a hero in her own right as did the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. [[note]] Although this is due to licensing issues. Prior to the early 2010s, the contract with the creator's estate forbade her and her supporting characters from being in any adaptation in which she wasn't a main character[[/note]] She finally got [[Film/WonderWoman2017 her own film]] in 2017.

* If you name a female superhero, Characters/{{Wonder Woman|TheCharacter}} shows up often as an instant response, and most would know that she's Greek, has a Lasso of Truth, and flies an invisible plane (at least to those who remember the Creator/LyndaCarter [[Series/WonderWoman1975 TV show]]). Ask people about her RoguesGallery and supporting cast, however, and that number drops. People can name multiple aspects of that information for Batman and Superman thanks [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy to]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the]] [[Film/Batman1989 success]] [[Series/{{Smallville}} of multiple]] [[Film/{
SupermanFilmSeries iterations]]. Wonder Woman had one TV show devoted to her, then an appearance in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' which streamlined her background (making [[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]] her ArchEnemy and not Ares) and largely used her as part of an ensemble cast of a SharedUniverse rather than a hero in her own right as did the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. [[note]] Although this is due to licensing issues. Prior to the early 2010s, the contract with the creator's estate forbade her and her supporting characters from being in any adaptation in which she wasn't a main character[[/note]] She finally got [[Film/WonderWoman2017 her own film]] in 2017.

* ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight'' is an icon of indie gaming, being one of the most referenced retro-games out there, and yet a lot of its characters, mechanics and levels are really only discussed in the fandom itself. Shovel Knight himself, his pogo jump, the Plains of Passage theme and maybe the protagonists of the other campaigns if you're feeling generous are really only the well-known aspects of the series; It is rare to find non-fans discussing the campaigns that aren't ''Shovel of Hope''.

* The basic premise of ''VideoGame/RaidShadowLegends'' is widely known across the gaming community due to the game's marketing campaign, with publishers ready offer sponsorship to gaming-related Youtube channels in exchange for plugging the game. However, compared to the number of people who know about the game, not many have played it- in large part because some moderately famous [=YouTubers=] who ''had'' played it made videos heavily criticizing it for its egregious AllegedlyFreeGame model, deceptive marketing, and bland game design.

* Literally everyone knows who Creator/StephenKing is. His name has become synonymous with "horror author". But how many people aside from horror lovers or his central readership can name any of his titles apart from, maybe, ''Literature/PetSematary'', ''Literature/TheStand'' and ''Literature/{{It}}''? How many people assume he writes only horror, and [[SplatterHorror extreme horror]] at that (his works are fare more literary horror when they are horror at all). How many know that the decidedly non-horror films like ''Film/StandByMe'', ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'' and ''Film/TheGreenMile'' are based on his works?

* Literally everyone knows who Creator/StephenKing is. His name has become synonymous with "horror author". But how many people aside from horror lovers or his central readership can name any of his titles apart from, maybe, ''Literature/PetSematary'', ''Literature/TheStand'' and ''Literature/{{It}}? How many people assume he writes only horror, and [[SplatterHorror extreme horror]] at that (his works are fare more literary horror when they are horror at all). How many know that the decidedly non-horror films like ''Film/StandByMe'', ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'' and ''Film/TheGreenMile'' are based on his works?

* Literally everyone knows who Creator/StephenKing is. His name has become synonymous with "horror author". But how many people aside from horror lovers or his central readership can name any of his titles apart from, maybe, ''Literature/PetSemetary'', ''Literature/TheStand'' and ''Literature/[=It=]? How many people assume he writes only horror, and [[SplatterHorror extreme horror]] at that (his works are fare more literary horror when they are horror at all). How many know that the decidedly non-horror films like ''Film/StandByMe'', ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'' and ''Film/TheGreenMile'' are based on his works?

* Literally everyone knows who Creator/StephenKing is. His name has become synonymous with "horror author". But how many people aside from horror lovers or his central readership can name any of his titles apart from, maybe, ''Literature/PetSemetary'', ''Literature/TheStand'' and ''Literature/[=It=]? How many people assume he writes only horror, and [[SplatterHorror extreme horror]] at that (his works are fare more literary horror when they are horror at all). How many know that the decidedly non-horror films like ''Film/StandByMe'', ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'' and ''Film/TheGreenMile'' are based on his works?

* ''{{Series/Cheers}}'' was and still is considered to be one of the best sitcoms ever made. However, aside from the much-lauded pilot, the iconic finale, and a few episodes, most notably the episode about Cliff appearing on ''Jeopardy'', you will very seldom hear a lot of discussion about the show anymore. The show's fanbase isn't quite as active as many other sitcom fanbases like ''{{Series/Seinfeld}}'' (itself quite suffering from this), ''{{Series/Friends}}'', or even ''Cheers''' own spinoff ''{{Series/Frasier}}''.

** A lot of quotes are attributed to ''Literature/TheBible'' that are actually by others. Many people think certain sayings, such as "[[Creator/BenjaminFranklin The Lord helps those who help themselves]]," "[[UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi Love the sinner, hate the sin]]," or "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" are Biblical, [[BeamMeUpScotty when they really aren't]]. Others are in the Bible but frequently misquoted--a big one is "Money is the root of all evil," which is actually "''Love of'' money is the root of all evil."
** A lot of concepts that are considered "Biblical" are actually taken from ''Literature/ParadiseLost'' or ''Literature/TheDivineComedy.'' For example, nowhere in the Bible does it say that Satan's name is Lucifer.
** Most people could probably summarise pretty well the first two books of the Bible -- in other words, from Creation to Moses coming down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. What happens for the rest of the Old Testament, when exactly does Christianity cut off from Judaism... that part is much less well known.
** And about that Creation story: most people don't tend to know off the top of their head that there are two accounts of creation, and most English-speaking Christians don't know that Noah's "two animals of each kind" were [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%207&version=NRSVCE actually fourteen in one (canonical) verse]].[[note]]Though that fourteen was only for the birds and the "clean" animals; the unclean had to make do with only two.[[/note]]

* The ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' stories. Plenty of people have read them, but far, far more people are aware of him than have read any of them, or get the wrong impressions from adaptations and sundry works that make him a Victorian superhero. The original Sherlock was a SmallStepsHero who largely tackled small cases rather than solving murder mysteries. Someone like UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper is far above his pay grade. Likewise, TheWatson is the true protagonist of the books, not Sherlock, and the original Holmes was an asexual cocaine addict.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': Adjusted for inflation, it's the fourth highest-grossing animated film ever, widely praised as a masterpiece of cinema and art, but due to it being an AnthologyFilm with no dialogue but ClassicalMusic, not many people today can actually name a segment from it aside from "the WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse part", "the one with the mushrooms", "the dancing hippos" and maybe "that scene with [[SatanicArchetype the devil guy]]" or "the centaurs". As a result, its unique nature makes it less accessible than [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs its]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} other]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}} four]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}} contemporaries]], and while it still has many fans, they're usually major art and/or classical music enthusiasts rather than conventional viewers.

** Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart has a huge body of work, but is mostly reduced to the first few notes of "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", the "Requiem", the "Queen of the Night" chorus from ''Theatre/TheMagicFlute'', his 40th Symphony, his 25th Symphony, and Rondo Alla Turca. To most people, he is just a ChildProdigy in a wig. And ''Film/{{Amadeus}}'' hasn't done his reputation much good either. The general public nowadays has the impression he was a cross between a genius and a ManChild with an obnoxious laugh who spoke with a very thick American accent.

* If you name a female superhero, Characters/{{Wonder Woman|TheCharacter}} shows up often as an instant response, and most would know that she's Greek, has a Lasso of Truth, and flies an invisible plane (at least to those who remember the Creator/LyndaCarter [[Series/WonderWoman1975 TV show]]). Ask people about her RoguesGallery and supporting cast, however, and that number drops. People can name multiple aspects of that information for Batman and Superman thanks [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy to]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the]] [[Film/Batman1989 success]] [[Series/{{Smallville}} of multiple]] [[Film/{{Superman}} iterations]]. Wonder Woman had one TV show devoted to her, then an appearance in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' which streamlined her background (making [[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]] her ArchEnemy and not Ares) and largely used her as part of an ensemble cast of a SharedUniverse rather than a hero in her own right as did the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. [[note]] Although this is due to licensing issues. Prior to the early 2010s, the contract with the creator's estate forbade her and her supporting characters from being in any adaptation in which she wasn't a main character[[/note]] She finally got [[Film/WonderWoman2017 her own film]] in 2017.

* Creator/JamesFenimoreCooper was the first American writer to achieve massive commercial success abroad and to exert an influence on the leading writers of his day. ''The Spy'' is considered the first substantial novel of American literature and ''Literature/TheLeatherstockingTales'' are considered classics that for instance shaped TheWestern. Yet all the average American reader today will remember is that Creator/MarkTwain lambasted him in a polemic essay, but never read one of Cooper's books, let alone checked if Twain's sweeping claims are factually correct or not.

* ''Film/PlacesInTheHeart'' -- a.k.a. the movie that won Creator/SallyField the Best Actress Oscar in 1985 is far less famous today than her embarrassing Oscar acceptance speech, which thanks to BeamMeUpScotty is remembered as "You really like me!" (And who remembers the ''first'' film that won her the same honor, 1979's ''Norma Rae''? The reason her second win got such an effusive reaction out of her was that she finally felt taken seriously as an actress after starting her career in ''Gidget'' and ''The Flying Nun''.)

** Everybody is able to recognize Creator/CharlieChaplin and knows he starred in slapstick movies. But for modern audiences: how many people have actually ever watched and enjoyed any of his films compared to his international fame? Let alone those who know he didn't really look like the Tramp in real life. (Creator/RobertDowneyJr, who played him in the 1992 {{Biopic}} ''Chaplin'', was surprisingly similar-looking at that point!)

** Creator/BusterKeaton: He is most famous today for the landmark gag in ''Film/SteamboatBillJr'' in which the front of a house's facade falls on him, but his character survives because he neatly fits into a small opening. This gag is repeated countless times and still shows up in visual comedy but his films like ''The General'' are more obscure, to say nothing of later work like ''The Cameraman''.
** The Creator/MarxBrothers are famous for their dedicated fans and people who actually sat down and watched any of their movies. To the modern, general public Groucho's face may ring a bell, his and Harpo's names may too, but that's about it. Some of their scenes are well-known, like ''Why a duck?'', the mirror gag from ''Film/DuckSoup'', and the crowded stateroom scene in ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'', but not everybody may be able to point to them as the originators. Some younger viewers may know them from being references in Creator/WoodyAllen movies -- Allen complained about this when he made ''Sweet and Lowdown'' and his lead actress Samantha Morton claimed not to know who Harpo Marx was.

** Can you describe what one of Creator/ShirleyTemple[='s=] films was about without saying something like, "Well, she sang 'Animals Crackers In My Soup' in some movie I don't know the name or plot of"?[[note]]That movie is ''Curly Top'', by the way.[[/note]] She is more recognizable as a 1930s Hollywood glamour icon than the number of people who saw her movies. Ironically enough, it's likely she is now more famous for her turn in Creator/JohnFord's ''Film/FortApache'' known among Western fans and movie-buffs who generally tend to deprecate her work as a FormerChildStar (whose UnfortunateImplications were mocked by Creator/{{Graham Greene|Author}}).

** Most people can recognize the first few notes of "Für Elise" and his Music/OdeToJoy from the Ninth Symphony, but have never heard the rest of the music that follows. Everyone knows Beethoven's grumpy face and knows he was deaf.

* ''Film/DirtyHarry'' is often considered the quintessential gritty cop movie, and is so well known that to this day people make Dirty Harry references whenever Clint Eastwood's name is mentioned. Everyone knows that Eastwood played the role, and they know that he said: "[[Film/SuddenImpact Go ahead, make my day]]" when begging a perp to give him an excuse to shoot him. They're also familiar with his catchphrase "You feelin' lucky, punk?", even though [[BeamMeUpScotty that's not what he said, nor was it a catchphrase]]. They know he and his [[DaChief chief]] were constantly at odds, and...that's about it. Your average person could not name any of the films aside from the first one, the supporting cast, or even Harry's last name! (Callahan, for the record.)

** Unless they've been in a coma for a decade or two, they'll know who Batman is. But you'd be hard-pressed to find someone outside the hardcore fandom who knows that [[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison he now has a pre-teen son]] with the daughter of one of his enemies. Likewise, said enemy and daughter of said enemy, [[Characters/BatmanRasAlGhul Ra's]] and [[Characters/BatmanTaliaAlGhul Talia Al-Ghul]] are both relatively new characters and are still not widely used in mainstream adaptations. They were created in the early 1970s but were not adapted until ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' in the early '90s. It took over another decade for them to show up in ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' and they're radically different than their comic counterparts. They remain popular characters in adaptations aimed at existing comics fans but arguably the only comics-accurate versions of the characters in a mainstream adaptation is in the ''[[VideoGame/BatmanArkham Arkham]]'' video game franchise.

** You'd also be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't read comics that knows that Alfred isn't Batman's only ParentalSubstitute. His parents' friend, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, is his maternal figure who helped Alfred raise him after their death. Like the al Ghuls, Leslie is a relatively recent addition from the 70s and she's only ever appeared in the flesh in one "mainstream" adaption, ''Series/{{Gotham}}''. Even that is a pretty different take on the character. She is YoungerAndHipper and [[PromotedToLoveInterest Jim Gordon's love interest]]. She's also not the pacifist she is in the comics and spends some time as a mob boss. Leslie has been referenced in some mainstream adaptations like the [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries Arkham games]] but she's only ever appeared physically in two other adaptations, a few episodes of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight'' animated film. The former is still popular but she's not in any of the famous episodes and the latter is something that's marketed at existing fans. It doesn't help that she has a particularly (in)famous NeverLiveItDown moment in the comics that required an AuthorsSavingThrow. [[note]] [[ComicBook/BatmanWarGames She let a teenager die to teach Batman a lesson about how kids shouldn't be fighting crime]] [[/note]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': Adjusted for inflation, it's the fourth highest-grossing animated film ever, widely praised as a masterpiece of cinema and art, but due to it being an AnthologyFilm with no dialogue but ClassicalMusic, not many people today can actually name a segment from it aside from "the WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse part", "the one with the mushrooms", "the dancing hippos" and maybe "that scene with [[SatanicArchetype the devil guy]]" or "the centaurs". As a result, its unique nature makes it the least known of the first five Disney films nowadays, and while it still has many fans, they're usually major art and/or classical music enthusiasts rather than conventional viewers.

* Most people in the United States can't really think of anything that UsefulNotes/MillardFillmore accomplished as president. As a result, he has become very well known for the fact that he's not well known for anything else, other than having an… [[InherentlyFunnyWords interesting name]]. This really goes for all the U.S. presidents other than the ones of recent memory and the big names (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, both Roosevelts, Kennedy, etc.) If you're not a history buff, you probably don't know anything about, say, UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor, UsefulNotes/FranklinPierce, or UsefulNotes/ChesterAArthur other than "He used to be President."

* VideoGame/{{OutRun}} is [[PacManFever frequently referenced in American cartoons as the ONE racing game]] and has influenced many future racing games, but very few people nowadays aside from the retro gaming community know what it is, let alone played it.