More popular than Jesus More popular than Jesus "More popular than Jesus" was part of a longer remark made by John Lennon during a 1966 interview, in which he argued that the public was more infatuated with the Beatles than with Jesus and that rock music might outlast Christianity. His opinions drew no controversy when originally published in the United Kingdom, but when republished in the United States a few months later, angry reactions flared up in Christian communities. The full quotation was: The statement originates from a March 1966 article for the London newspaper the "Evening Standard". When "Datebook", a US teen magazine,
Evening Standard evening edition eclipsed its morning counterpart. Both "The Standard" and the "Evening Standard" were acquired by C. Arthur Pearson in 1904. In May 1915, Edward Hulton purchased the "Evening Standard" from Davison Dalziel. Dalziel had purchased both papers in 1910, and closed "The Standard", the morning paper, in 1916. Hulton introduced the gossip column "Londoner's Diary", originally billed as "a column written by gentlemen for gentlemen". In 1923, Lord Beaverbrook, owner of the "Daily Express", bought Hulton's newspapers, although he sold them shortly thereafter to the "Daily Mail"s owner Lord Rothermere, with the exception of the "Standard". It became a