Adele and Ed Sheeran are not pop culture icons like the Beatles, says Sir Bob Geldof

Adele and Ed Sheeran are two of the biggest hitmakers in music but Sir Bob Geldof is less confident about their pop culture legacy.

In nine years, Adele, 29, has sold over 58 million albums worldwide while Sheeran, 26, is not far behind with nearly 20 million albums shifted since 2011. In a candid interview, Geldof, 65, admits that while the two pop stars are rightfully celebrated for their songwriting talents, they may not have the ability to influence like legendary acts such as The Beatles.

The Boomtown Rats frontman told Compelo: "The Beatles and the Rolling Stones determined the culture, and television and film and everything stemmed from them. They were ahead of the game. That no longer exists. I can't see Adele and Ed Sheeran doing the same thing."

Commending Sheeran and Adele's musicianship, Geldof added: "Although they are intensely skilled songwriters, that gig isn't necessarily about songwriting. The Who had absolutely stripped down, simple songs and they were brilliant and drove ideas.

"Sheeran is a great songwriter, Adele is a great songwriter. You may or may not like their music, but that's not the issue. They are simply nice tunes."

According to Geldof, the "function" of rock n roll has been replaced by the boom of social media. Expressing his frustration with platforms like Twitter and Facebook, the singer said: "People vent into cyberspace, and they think they've done something. They're outraged, they vent and get 1,000 likes and think f******g aye. But all it is is cyber-w*****g."

It is yet to be determined whether Adele and Sheeran will have a lasting impact on pop culture but they have certainly made their mark on the UK music industry. Adele was the most-played artist in 2016 with music licensing company PPL collecting a staggering £212.1m ($270.2m) from the licensing of her music as well as the likes of Coldplay and Olly Murs.