The phrase to be more popular than Jesus was notoriously used of the Beatles by the British musician, singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940-1980) in an interview by the British journalist Maureen Cleave (1934-2021), published in the Evening Standard (London, England) of Friday 4^th March 1966 [No. 44,074, page 10, column 3]:

How does a Beatle live? John Lennon lives like this

[…] The Beatles’ fame is beyond question. It has nothing to do with whether they are rude or polite, married or unmarried, 25 or 45; whether they appear on Top of the Pops or they do not appear on Top of the Pops. They are well above any position even a Rolling Stone might jostle for. They are famous in the way the Queen is famous. When John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce, with its black wheels and its black windows, goes past, people say: “It’s the Queen,” or “It’s the Beatles.” With her they share the security of a stable life at the top. They all tick over in the public esteem—she in Buckingham Palace, they in the Weybridge—Esher area. Only Paul remains in London.
[…]
He looks more like Henry VIII than ever now that his face has filled out—he is just as imperious, just as unpredictable, indolent, disorganised, childish, vague, charming and quick-witted. He is still easy-going, still tough as hell. “You never asked after Fred Lennon,” he said, disappointed. (Fred is his father; he emerged after they got famous.) “He was here a few weeks ago. It was only the second time in my life I’d seen him—I showed him the door.” He went on cheerfully: “I wasn’t having him in the house.”
[…]
Experience has sown few seeds of doubt in him: not that his mind is closed, but it’s closed round whatever he believes at the time. “Christianity will go,” he said. “It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first—rock ’n’ roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.” He is reading extensively about religion.

 

EARLIER USES OF THE PHRASE TO BE MORE POPULAR THAN JESUS

 

The phrase to be more popular than Jesus had already been occasionally used. The following are two examples of those earlier uses:

1-: With reference to Barabbas, a condemned criminal whom Pontius Pilate, Roman procurator of Judaea, pardoned in order to appease the mob, which demanded that he be freed instead of Jesus—From Maxims and Reflections, by ‘the Amiable Cynic’, published in The London Scotsman. A Review and Newspaper for Scotsmen at Home and Abroad (London, England) of Saturday 22^nd August 1868 [Vol. 3, No. 59, page 127, column 3]—Champagne Charlie is a music-hall song:

Popularity is often a proof of unworthiness in its recipient. Barabbas was more popular than Jesus. “Punch and Judy” is more popular than Hamlet or Macbeth, and “Champagne Charlie” than any of Beethoven’s or Mendelssohn’s masterpieces.

2-: With reference to the British film actor, director and producer Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer – 1889-1977)—From The Western Morning News and Western Daily Mercury (Plymouth and Exeter, England) of Wednesday 16^th March 1927 [No. 20,898, page 5, column 5]:

“As we move about among young people to-day we realize that Charlie Chaplin is more popular than Jesus Christ. The younger generation know the names of all the film stars, but the New Testament is a closed book to them,” said the Mayor of Plymouth at the annual meeting of Plymouth branch of the Religious Tract Society yesterday.

 

FIRST REACTIONS TO JOHN LENNON’S REMARK

 

The first reactions to John Lennon’s remark that I have found are as follows:

1-: From a humorous opinion column by John Grigg, published in The Guardian (Manchester, Lancashire, England) of Monday 7^th March 1966 [No. 37,218, page 22, column 8]:

LAST FRIDAY the “Evening Standard” published an account by Maureen Cleave of some hours spent in the company of John Lennon, the Beatle. Mr Lennon, who is said to be “reading extensively about religion,” was not very encouraging about the prospects for Christianity. “Christianity will go” he said; “we’re more popular than Jesus now.”
This would be an interesting subject for a public opinion poll—more interesting than the state of the parties or the relative popularity of the party leaders. Is it really true that the Beatles now have a bigger following than Jesus? The younger age groups may prefer the Beatles, but might not Jesus have a better rating with the audience as a whole?
Besides, Jesus’s manager might reasonably claim that to keep even a modest place in the charts over 2,000 years is a fair achievement. Mr Lennon sees merit in the founder of Christianity, but blames his fans. “Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.” The same fate has befallen other great men. Beatle maniacs are a distinct obstacle to higher appreciation of the Beatles.
In the disciples’ day, people who were “thick and ordinary” could win fame (and martyrdom) by throwing up their careers and associating with a man of genius. Nowadays they can win fame (without martyrdom) through a combination of bad taste and good publicity.

2-: From the following letter, published in the Evening Standard (London, England) of Wednesday 9^th March 1966 [No. 44,078, page 10, column 4]:

AS a loyal reader of the Evening Standard for many, many years, I feel justified in expressing my opinion of Maureen Cleave’s nauseating article entitled How Does a Beatle Live? [March 4].
Might I ask how Miss Cleave arrives at the conclusion that “the Beatles are as famous as the Queen” and that the Beatles and the Queen “tick over in the public esteem?” Since when were the Beatles held in public esteem?
And as for John Lennon’s reference to his  father—“I showed him the door. I wasn’t having him in the house”— I am surprised that Miss Cleave’s apparent adulation for Mr. Lennon blinded her to the fact that no gentleman would discuss his private family affairs for publication in a national newspaper.
The final straw is John Lennon’s impudent assertion that “we’re more popular than Jesus now.” I have no doubt at all that his “valuable” opinion about Christianity will be treasured in the halls of literature for years to come!—C. Baron Benjamin, 2a Buckingham Mansions, West End Lane, N.W.6.

3-: From the Cornish Guardian (Bodmin, Cornwall, England) of Thursday 10^th March 1966 [Vol. 66, No. 3,400, page 11, column 1]:

High Spirited Youth

WHEN one of the Beatles, in a published statement, claims that “Christianity will go—we are now more popular than Jesus Christ,” his opinion may be accepted by a vast number of “Beatlemaniacs” in several countries. One is tempted to ask whether his or any other of the present-day “beat” groups will be remembered—except by some social historian studying the 1960s—in a 100 years’ time, whereas members of Christian churches number some hundreds of millions nearly 2,000 years after Christ.
The Beatles’ spokesman’s opinion would not be worth noting but for the fact that it may be symptomatic of some teenagers’ notions today and may possibly influence their conduct. Rowdyism among young people may be partly, but not wholly, due to high spirits.

The first U.S. reactions to John Lennon’s remark that I have found are as follows:

1-: From an interview of the U.S. country singer-songwriter Roger Miller (1936-1992), by Frank Elston, of the Herald and Review, published in the Decatur Sunday Herald and Review (Decatur, Illinois) of Sunday 20^th March 1966 [Vol. 36, No. 12, page 14, column 8]—Jack Lemmon (1925-2001) was a U.S. actor:

Although the neatly groomed Miller agreed the Beatles are a popular group, he said, “They don’t classify me with the Beatles because I don’t wear my hair quite the same.
“I don’t say I’m more popular than Jesus either,” Miller said referring to a statement by Jack Lemmon [sic] concerning an alleged brag by the Beatles.
“It’s nice to hear people say things like that sometimes because it helps weed out those kind,” Miller added.
“The Beatles are talented and good, but things like that shouldn’t be said or even thought,” he added. “They should be thankful to know where their talent comes from. After all, you shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

2-: From the Effingham Daily News (Effingham, Illinois) of Tuesday 12^th April 1966 [Vol. 67, No. 86, page 1, column 1]:

A letter which the seventh and eighth grades at Green Creek school near Effingham wrote to the publishers of Newsweek Magazine has been published in part and the class has received a letter from the magazine thanking it for its interest.
The letter, written by Jerry Haarman on behalf of the classes, as quoted in the April 11 issue on page 9, reads, “We feel that John Lennon’s remark, ‘We’re more popular than Jesus now’ (Newsmakers March 21) is blasphemous. From now on it is Good-by Beatles, you’ve cooked your goose. Signed: Seventh and Eighth Grades, Green Creek School, Effingham, Illinois.”