Buried Alien
08-30-2005, 02:31 AM
Without a doubt, the United States and the United Kingdom have had the greatest influence on popular music in the English-speaking world since the dawn of the rock era.
If you look at the charts and press for both countries during the past half century, you'll find plenty of overlap. Elvis was big in both countries, as were nearly all the first-generation rock 'n rollers. The Beatles, of course, dominated both countries. Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd sold well in both countries during the 1970s, as did Michael Jackson and Madonna in the 1980s and even the Spice Girls in the 1990s.
Sometimes, however, the Americans and the British have gone their separate ways as far as musical tastes are concerned. Here are some notable divergences:
1. Bill Haley and the Comets sank out of sight in the U.S. after "Rock Around The Clock" became passe' and Elvis became the next big thing, but in Britain, Haley and the Comets were heroes for years after "Rock Around The Clock".
2. Gene Vincent all but disappeared from the U.S. rock scene after "Be Bop A Lula" and a few other singles, but remained popular in the U.K. until his death in 1971 (and is a much bigger legend among rock 'n roll enthusiasts in the U.K. than in the U.S.).
3. Aside from PET SOUNDS, the Beach Boys didn't seem to catch on in a big way in the U.K. during the 1960s. Moreover, big early 1960s acts such as the Four Seasons didn't do much in Britain, but obscure American girl groups such as the Donays ("Devil In Her Heart" - covered by the Beatles on their second album) and the Exciters ("Do Wah Diddy Diddy" - covered by Manfred Mann for a hit single) were influential.
4. The Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, and the Zombies were only moderately successful in their native Britain, but did very well in the U.S. Conversely, the U.S. didn't have much interest in the Kinks, the Small Faces, or early Pink Floyd in the 1960s, but these bands did very well in the U.K.
5. The Grateful Dead, the Jefferson Airplane, and the Doors were significant late 1960s U.S. bands, but none of them made much headway on the British charts.
6. Although they emerged simultaneously, the Ramones were popular in their native U.S. and the Sex Pistols were popular in their native U.K. Neither band did particularly well in each other's countries.
7. Country rock, as represented by Poco and the Flying Burrito Brothers in the U.S., didn't really happen in Britain, which was absorbed in blues rock at the same time (blues rock was present in the U.S., but not quite at the same level as in the U.K.).
8. Grunge became huge in the U.S. in the early 90s, but did not have as great an impact in Britain. Similarly, Britpop dominated British rock in the mid-90s, but caused barely a ripple in the U.S. beyond Oasis.
So plenty of overlap, but also plenty of divergence between American and British rock tastes over the past 50 years. Overall, it seems that the British take a more charitable view of "pop" than Americans do...or at least use the term differently to describe a wider range of musical styles.
Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)
If you look at the charts and press for both countries during the past half century, you'll find plenty of overlap. Elvis was big in both countries, as were nearly all the first-generation rock 'n rollers. The Beatles, of course, dominated both countries. Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd sold well in both countries during the 1970s, as did Michael Jackson and Madonna in the 1980s and even the Spice Girls in the 1990s.
Sometimes, however, the Americans and the British have gone their separate ways as far as musical tastes are concerned. Here are some notable divergences:
1. Bill Haley and the Comets sank out of sight in the U.S. after "Rock Around The Clock" became passe' and Elvis became the next big thing, but in Britain, Haley and the Comets were heroes for years after "Rock Around The Clock".
2. Gene Vincent all but disappeared from the U.S. rock scene after "Be Bop A Lula" and a few other singles, but remained popular in the U.K. until his death in 1971 (and is a much bigger legend among rock 'n roll enthusiasts in the U.K. than in the U.S.).
3. Aside from PET SOUNDS, the Beach Boys didn't seem to catch on in a big way in the U.K. during the 1960s. Moreover, big early 1960s acts such as the Four Seasons didn't do much in Britain, but obscure American girl groups such as the Donays ("Devil In Her Heart" - covered by the Beatles on their second album) and the Exciters ("Do Wah Diddy Diddy" - covered by Manfred Mann for a hit single) were influential.
4. The Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, and the Zombies were only moderately successful in their native Britain, but did very well in the U.S. Conversely, the U.S. didn't have much interest in the Kinks, the Small Faces, or early Pink Floyd in the 1960s, but these bands did very well in the U.K.
5. The Grateful Dead, the Jefferson Airplane, and the Doors were significant late 1960s U.S. bands, but none of them made much headway on the British charts.
6. Although they emerged simultaneously, the Ramones were popular in their native U.S. and the Sex Pistols were popular in their native U.K. Neither band did particularly well in each other's countries.
7. Country rock, as represented by Poco and the Flying Burrito Brothers in the U.S., didn't really happen in Britain, which was absorbed in blues rock at the same time (blues rock was present in the U.S., but not quite at the same level as in the U.K.).
8. Grunge became huge in the U.S. in the early 90s, but did not have as great an impact in Britain. Similarly, Britpop dominated British rock in the mid-90s, but caused barely a ripple in the U.S. beyond Oasis.
So plenty of overlap, but also plenty of divergence between American and British rock tastes over the past 50 years. Overall, it seems that the British take a more charitable view of "pop" than Americans do...or at least use the term differently to describe a wider range of musical styles.
Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)