As the millenium approaches, people try to get you to think about the best books you didn't read, the best speeches you never heard and the best movies you never saw. Not us. We want you to think about something close to your heart. There are women you think are pretty. There are women you think are beautiful. And then there are women you think about for the rest of your life. That's why we decided to take the helpful step and name those inspiring creatures. How many truly magical women have walked the planet this century? We declare there are a nice round 100 and are so bold as to rank them.
We gave the task of explaining our choices to our silver-tongued Contributing Editor D. Keith Mano, whose memory and eye for detail are legendary. What follows is the rhyme and reason for this exercise. Did we mention we are also including pictures?
100. Lillian Müller
99. Mata Hari
98. Blaze Starr
97. Dolly Parton
96. DeDe Lind
95. Katarina Witt
94. Carroll Baker
93. Fay Wray
92. Diana Dors
91. Marilyn Chambers
90. Lynda Carter
89. Terry Moore
88. Julie Newmar was the superbodacious Stupefyin' Jones in Li'l Abner both on film and on Broadway. Newmar's catchy face and wall-to-wall 5'11" body defibrillated you right where you stood.
87. Louise Brooks
86. Jacqueline Bisset
85. With the face of an almost cartoonish Varga Girl, beauty Loni Anderson, former star of the series WKRP in Cincinnati, now appears in ninja films. Her nunchakus are majestic.
84. Joan Crawford
83. Janet Pilgrim
82. Gene Tierney
81. Shannon Tweed
80. Linda Evans
79. Lena Horne
78. Gypsy Rose Lee
77. Liv Lindeland
76. A twelve-time Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and video fitness queen, Kathy Ireland - of the sexy brown caterpillar eyebrows - has more definitions than Webster's.
75. Diana Rigg
74. Cynthia Myers
73. Irish McCalla
72. Cheryl Tiegs
71. Janet Jackson
70. Paulina Porizkova
69. Lili St. Cyr
68. Anna Nicole Smith
67. Ava Gardner
66. Demi Moore
65. Naomi Campbell
64. Michelle Pfeiffer
63. Sally Rand
62. Patti McGuire
61. Stephanie Seymour
60. Christie Brinkley
59. Claudia Schiffer
58. Barbara Eden
57. Tempest Storm
56. Barbi Benton
55. Dorothy Stratten
54. Vanna White
53. Christa Speck
52. Theda Bara
51. Greta Garbo
50. Suzanne Somers
49. Brooke Shields
48. Candy Barr
47. Halle Berry
46. Donna Michelle
45. Catherine Deneuve
44. Mae West
43. Hedy Lamarr
42. Angie Dickinson
41. Josephine Baker
40. Clara Bow
39. Candy Loving
38. Joan Collins
37. Vanessa Williams
36. Heather Locklear has a unique crumple zone built into her upper lip that twitches with sarcasm whenever, as supreme bitch Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place, she smiles - even when in innocence.
35. Madonna
34. Linda Lovelace
33. Bettie Page
32. Marlene Dietrich
31. Elke Sommer
30. June Wilkinson
29. Mamie Van Doren
28. Jane Fonda
27. Stella Stevens
26. Grace Kelly
25. Lana Turner
24. Sharon Stone
23. Elle Macpherson
22. Jane Russell
21. Evelyn Nesbit
20. Gina Lollabrigida
19. Ursula Andress
18. Kim Novak
17. Betty Grable
16. Farrah Fawcett
15. Jenny McCarthy
14. Anita Ekberg
13. Ann-Margaret
12. Kim Basinger
11. Rita Hayworth
10. Jean Harlow
9. Bo Derek
8. Pamela Anderson
7. Elizabeth Taylor
6. Sophia Loren
5. Cindy Crawford
4. Brigitte Bardot
3. Raquel Welch
2. Jayne Mansfield
1. Marilyn Monroe