Question: Mentioning a book to an individual to include in their list as *classic* was met with...

> 
> I wouldn't call "Book Name" a classic - it's less than 11 years
>  old.
> 
> 
> 

This got me thinking about when a book or other item (car, slang, recipe, etc...) becomes a *classic*. In my initial investigation I stumbled upon this description...

> 
> A novel can be called a classic when there is a significant time
>  period between its publishing and the current age we are in. In other
>  words, it has to be old, as well as critically renowned as a good
>  novel. Then, it can be called a classic.
> 
> 
> 

While the above may help define what constitutes a classic, it doesn't define the amount of time that needs to pass before that criteria is met.

Does the designation *classic* truly imply that a significant amount of time has passed since the work's creation, and if so, how long must that period be to qualify as "significant"?

Answer: 
*Classic* as explained at [etymonline.com](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=classic) historically referred to standard authors of Greek and Roman antiquity. As an [adjective and noun](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/classic) it now means (a) "1, exemplary of a particular style; 2, exhibiting timeless quality" and (n) "1, a perfect and/or early example of a particular style; 2,an artistic work of lasting worth". Some books, films, and artistic works are of obvious quality when they first appear; others are not; any can be called classic in either sense even when they first appear. Some judgments hold, some do not.

An [ngrams](http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=instant+classic%2Cold+classic%2Cnew+classic%2Cfavorite+classic&year_start=1970&year_end=2006&corpus=0&smoothing=3) for "instant classic,old classic,new classic,favorite classic" in recent years shows rising use of "instant classic". ![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bhbYc.jpg)

For some reason, use of "favorite classic" has [exploded since 2006](http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=instant+classic%2Cold+classic%2Cnew+classic%2Cfavorite+classic&year_start=1970&year_end=2010&corpus=0&smoothing=3).
There is no definite length of time which must pass before something becomes a classic. The requirement is that sufficient time has passed during which it becomes famous because of its quality.