I'd argue it's much easier to make an iconic movie (you shoot and statistically at some point you hit) than a good series based on it (you already have the expectations set high, you need to surprise so as not to bore but keep consistency with the overall mood etc. - a very demanding task).
And of course the iconic role in "Top Gun", and the silly but classic "Top Secret"
As the article notices, he really had a wide range. Probably my favorite actor of his generation.