Let's ditch the word "icon", which is just the Sunday Times word for "Superstar"--

The most compelling icons/superstars tend to be musical artists--Elvis, Dolly Parton, The Beatles, Caruso, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Tiny Tim, Dylan, Liberace, The Incomperable Hildegarde--they cultivate an image, because people remember an image, even after they get tired of the music--

A singer makes the songs popular--songs make the Superstar popular--

Think about this--long after his death, we all remember Liberace--but only a few of us remember his songs--