Name a few:-


1) U2
2) Duran duran
3) Spice girls
4) Beatles/stones
5) Boy george (culture club)
6) George Michael (even bigger in US then in UK by far apparently)



Anymore? Even one hit wonders will do?
Plus who broke the biggest?(excluding beatles)


Didn't break America but tried:-

1) Oasis (shame really)
2) Robbie Williams (thank god 4 u americans- u have been spared)
3) Ronan Keating (I heard a while back that he'll try.....I hope he failed even more then Robbie.....Ronan is a complete wank case!)


Anymore?

Led Zeppelin.

The Cure

Bee Gees.

Radiohead.

Cool, I had no idea they broke America?


Anyone know acts that tried hard to break through but didn't?

PANDURITO said:

that was my vote.

superspaceboy said:

.
[Edited 9/23/04 10:29am]

The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were definately the British Invasion in the 1960s if no one else was.

The 1980s also had a large British Invasion.

thesexofit said:

Oh boy.....

The Irish folks ain't gonna be happy about this "British" band being mentioned

British darlings of America:

Duran Duran
Tears For Fears
The Beatles
Thw Who
Rolling Stones
The Clash
Sex Pistols
Elvis Costello
Radiohead
Depeche Mode

Ask your average American about these groups and they'll go either "who?" or "They're not that big here":

Style Council
Gang of Four
The Specials (which is totally unfair)
Japan
The Higsons
APB (technically, they're Scotch)
James
London Suede
The Small Faces
The Cocteau Twins

Saint Etienne was a band that really should have broken in the States at least as a one-hit wonder - their songs were such delicious pop gems - but it never happened. I'm kinda glad, though - I never had to experience getting sick of looking at the deliriously beautiful Sarah Cracknell.

NWF said:

i think James had a minor hit here called "laid"

thesexofit said:

made it
coldplay
neneh cherry
various girl/boy groups that had there top ten hit in the late 90s


oasis did break america with -morning glory-

lol poor robbie he tried three times! angels was a minor hit i think? but he just couldnt do it.

and ronan keating was supposed to release some stuff in america but never happend.nor did boyzone happen here in the late 90s either(they tried to)

Christopher said:

Err, Neneh Cherry isn't British.

Pink Floyd
The Police (with token American drummer)

`
non-British edit
[Edited 9/23/04 23:05pm]

Supernova said:

i know shes orginally from sweden....

NWF said:

Wrong! Apoptygma Berzerk are Norwegian!

Christopher said:

Cream (or as the British used to call them The Cream)

Rod Stewart
Cliff Richard was pretty big in the '70s.
Queen

`
[Edited 9/24/04 0:36am]

Traffic
Steve Winwood
Genesis
Phil Collins
Peter Gabriel
Judas Priest
Def Leppard
Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osborne
Moody Blues
Jethro Tull
Yes
Roxy Music
ELP


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

did they? I mean... did they??=

Anxiety said:

They still are

Duncelot said:

They should have.
Jeff Lynne IS a genious!

Let's face it.
If it were not for Prince, who would need American music ?

I mean, you can take to that desert island all the music you want but from just one country.

UK wins hands down.

No R&B you say? I wouldn't miss it that much

I don't know how technical we're being in this thread. I left some acts like the Cranberries, Franz Ferdinand, Simple Minds, U2, and Samantha Mumba out because they are from the UK, but they aren't British -- come to think of it, tons of Scottish acts broke in the States. I don't know if we're referring to British as in the "entire UK" or British as solely pertaining to England. So I'll stick with just the acts from England.

Ones that broke:
Slick Rick
Phil Collins
Monie Love
Spice Girls
Sting
Lisa Stansfield
Cathy Dennis
Annie Lennox
Blur
Elton John
Soul II Soul
Simply Red
Craig David
Pet Shop Boys
UB40 (named after a British unemployment benefit form -- had hits like "Red Red Wine" and "I Can't Help Falling In Love W/ You" from the Sliver SDTK)
Seal
Fatboy Slim
Chemical Brothers
Joan Armatrading OBE
Prodigy (I remember "Firestarter" & "Smack My Bitch Up" made a lot of noise back when Electronica was supposed to "replace rock 'n' roll" in 1997 -- REMEMBER ALL THAT MADNESS?!)
Sade
Des'ree
Mark Morrison ("Return of the Mack")
Floetry

Those that didn't:
Cleopatra (girl group made a scant dent on MTV with "Cleopatra's Theme" but soon fell flat)
Westlife
Sneaker Pimps ("6 Underground" made some noise, that's about it though)
Caron Wheeler (NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM CARON WHEELER HERE -- I LOVE HER MUSIC -- "I Adore You" was the jam, but it's a G*DD*MN shame her LP "Beach of the War Goddess" didn't blow up in the U.S.)
BBMak (had minor success with "Back Here" and "Still On Your Side" but they didn't really blow up large -- still they had more success here in the States than in their mother country)
Geri Halliwell (aka Ginger Spice -- her solo LP "Schizophonic" didn't generate the same heat that the Spices did)
S Club 7
All Saints (had minor success with "Never Ever," but that was about it)
Mel B (aka Scary Spice -- her solo stuff)
Ms. Dynamite (she got the British Mercury award, people thought she was gonna blow last year with the "A Little Deeper" LP, but everybody was too busy focusing on Beyoncé)
The Streets (people know him here in the States, but he hasn't broke on Billboard so I had to put him here)
Mis-Teeq (their making some minor waves with "Scandalous" but they'll fall off soon)
[Edited 9/24/04 3:40am]

JANFAN4L said:

Yes I remember all that madness, but that album went to #1 for several weeks in the US. I don't think that really qualifies as not having made it. How has the new one fared in the States by the way?

Supernova said:

Novabreaker said:

Hmmm... Interesting. I forgot that they debuted at #1 in the US & the UK with "Fat of the Land." But I do know that after that year, the noise was over. The US market treated Electronica like a major fad (blame MTV and the media circa '97) I don't really hear their music being replayed on radio stations or on music video channels when they reflect back to the '90s, so that's why I put them in the latter category. But you're right, they still can classify as having "made it" though.

Their new one made no noise AT ALL.
[Edited 9/24/04 3:33am]