The biggest acts that couldn’t crack America

Last week everyone was captivated by the American election, so I’ve decided to desperately cling on to the rapidly disappearing mist that has followed the most important election on earth and do a top 10 list of the biggest acts from the UK that could never crack America. Some are pioneering and brilliant; others are tacky and soulless. Either way, they all largely have one thing in common- they are huge around the world except in Uncle Sam’s homeland. I’ll also decide whether the US missed out on the act, or if it was for their benefit that they never cracked America.

 10) Oasis

Alright Oasis aren’t unknowns in the US-they sold out Madison Square Garden in 2008, three of their albums ((What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, Be Here Now and Dig Out Your Soul) made the top 5 in the Billboard Top 200, and out of all the Brit-Pop groups of the 1990’s they by far made the biggest impression on the US. However, despite their huge arena tour success around the world, and having an incredible run of consecutive 22 top 10 hits in the UK, like football they have never achieved the same megastar status in the US that they did in the rest of the world, and apart from the bands moderate cult following there, most recognise them as one hit wonders with Wonderwall. They didn’t help their cause when in 1996, at a time when they were rapidly grabbing the States public consciousness, had a disastrous American tour which included Liam Gallagher frequently walking off stage, abusing members of the audience for being American, and refusing to take part in large parts of the tour, and sadly they could never claw back the potential veneration of which they held in the rest of the world.

Did the US miss out?- YES. The US missed out on the carnage of the Gallagher Brothers, Liam with his hilarious and un-ashamed arrogance and ice cool stage presence, and Noel’s undisputable talent as a song writer.

9) The Libertines

Pete Doherty’s now more famous for having for having taken enough drugs to fill the Grand Canyon (ye there we go a horrible and weak American themed metaphor). However when the Libertines broke into public consciousness in the early 2000s, they helped start off an indie craze which influenced the sound and fashion of several bands that spawned in the UK in the decade just gone, and were integral to the Garage-Rock revival. Doherty and guitarist Carl Barat were the poster boys of all this Indie, but unfortunately had such a dysfunctional relationship due to Doherty’s erratic and nonsensical behaviour that they were never going to be a functional enough band to make it big in the States. Not that they probably care. Their songs about the grit in British life were unlikely to register with the mainstream American listening public. They are a quintessential British band and their legacy on the Former British Empire’s music scene in the 2000s will remain forever important.

Did the US miss out?- YES. There were a lot of Indie bands in the US last decade too, a fair amount who weren’t very good, whereas the Libertines, although not with the largest output (2 albums) nevertheless have a great collection of songs which are well worth a listen too.

8) Manic Street Preachers

In a career that has stretched for the last 20 years… probably Wales most famous band… they've have had 8 top 10 albums in the UK… this could be the start to a movie trailer about the Manic Street Preachers, but it’s actually just the start to my summary, restricted to one paragraph, about how in my opinion the Manic Street Preachers are the 8^th biggest band not to crack America. These Cardiff lads gained popularity in the early 90’s due to their early Glam Punk (yes that is such a genre)  influenced work, before moving onto more broader Rock where they couldn't get enough of talking about Social and Political things so put a lot of that kind of stuff in their lyrics, which many people like them for. Despite their popularity in the UK however, they’re barely even heard of in the US. They didn't even bother touring there between 1999-2009, and their albums have never charted there either. Even the mysterious disappearance of guitarist Richey Edwards in 1994, which has fascinated rock fans for years, still hasn't caught the Americans attention.

Did the US miss out?- YES. If they could watch footage of the Manics performing at the 02 Arena in 2011, performing all 38 of their singles, seeing 16,000 fans singing in unison, they will see a band that has perfected the performance of Arena-Rock.

7) The Jam

Centre of the Mod-Revival in the 1970’s, mixing Punk with 60’s Mod music, legends The Jam were superstars in the 70s, and had a huge impact on British music during the decade of their existence. The Jam had 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, including four number 1s, and their singles That's Entertainment and Just Who Is the Five O’Clock Hero are the bestselling import singles of all time in the UK. However they never made the same impact in the US as they did in Britain, with not one of their songs entering the top 40 in the United States, and their highest charting album, Sound Affects, only reached number 72. With their smart tailored suits, Mod haircuts, and 60’s influenced Punk Rock the Jam are an exemplary example of British Rock Music, and it is their distinguishable identity as British Mod Rockers that may be the reason the US never took on the music icons.

Did the US miss out?- YES. Of course they did the Jam had such an impact on British music and they are still heavily influential today in music and fashion terms. It is unlikely, however, that their heavily British leanings would have ever have caught America’s imagination.

6) Status Quo

And I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it I li-li-li-like it, li-li-li-li. Am I talking jibberish? Morse Code? No, it’s the genius lyrics from one of Status Quo’s 2 biggest hits, Rockin’ All Over the World, the other being Whatever You Want. Here are some absolutely mental stats: they’ve had 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock group. They’ve headlined festivals for the last 30 years. They’ve sold 120 Million records world-wide, are the 22^nd biggest selling British act of all time, selling more than well-known acts in the US such as The Who, Black Sabbath, even the Spice Girls. They’ve somehow done this using only 3 chords. Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt are immortalised as Dad-Rock pioneers, and have amassed a vast array of hits somehow without ever being remotely cool. Turns out that the phenomenon of men with ponytails that wear waist coats and dance on one leg whilst playing an air guitar is actually pretty darn popular and makes a lot of money.

Did the US miss out?- NO. I get the feeling that in some parts of the Mid-West and especially in the Deep-South Status Quo would be appreciated for their 12 bar-blues waistcoat whiskey drinking leanings, but they never had enough niche or coolness to break into the US mainstream.

5) T-Rex

T-Rex frontman Marc Bolan was the archetypal 70’s Rock Star. He was handsome, had big wild hair, wore thick layers of eyeliner and sung about having sex, taking drugs and driving cars, including a “Rolls Royce, because its good for my voice” (ironically he couldn’t actually drive, although did sadly die in a car crash when he was 29). T-Rex were huge in the UK, and are still a big influence here today, their songs often covered by bands as a crowd pleaser, their riffs being recycled in other songs (a prime example being the Oasis tune Cigarettes and Alcohol) and being played on beer adverts, but like their much less talented and cool cousin Slade, they never broke into the US mainstream, their only notoriety when Get It On made it to number 10 on the US Billboard 100, thus consigning them to the one hit wonder bracket, which is rather unfortunate because they were actually a very decent band with a huge number of catchy tunes.

Did the US miss out?- YES. T-Rex were a fantastic band and have a great back catalogue of Bluesy tunes, Marc Bolan’s style and stage presence was copied numerous times by musicians both sides of the pond the following decade.

4) Slade

Who are Slade? In the UK most people under the age of 25 know them only for that now almost haunting annual Christmas romp Merry Xmas Everybody which came out in 1973. Turns out the Glam Rock band were actually very successful in the 1970’s in Britain, the old howling Wolverhampton Rock being a winning formula, obtaining 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, and they are the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles. They did try ever so hard to crack America, relocating there for several years to focus on cracking Mother Democracy, and even toured with Aerosmith at one point. Unfortunately America never took them in, Noddy Holder’s howls of ‘we’ll bring the house down’ never catching their attention.

Did the US miss out- NO. Slade’s sound is very much stuck in the 70s. They did have some decent tunes, like Coz I Luv You, Everyday, and How Does It Feel, but they were never really cool enough to catch America’s attention, and in the past being cool is usually the first requirement for a British band to get America’s attention.

3) Robbie Williams

Oh how many times has poor old Robert tried to crack America. Here’s some facts for you- He is one of the best-selling artists world-wide having sold over 70 Million records, he’s the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom AND the bestselling non-Latino artist in Latin America, and entered the The Guinness Book of World Records in 2006 after he sold 1.6 million tickets in one day for his world tour. Yet not one of the 50 States in America has ever been close to being interested, he’s never even made the top 40. He’s tried absolutely every promotional activity conceivable: appearances on more chat shows that I knew existed, huge billboard posters letting everyone know exactly when and where his albums are going to be released plastered across the country, and even advertising his albums on American TV.  He’s probably even tried running through Times Square naked with a sandwich board on. But the US never got wind of the annoyingly smug rogue that the rest of the world seemed to, and even if he stood by his new release in Walmart he’d probably still not get recognised.

Did the US miss out?- No. He did have some decent Pop tunes that mainstream America probably would have enjoyed in that very brief wave (I say wave, probably more puddle) of British pop appearing on the US charts such as the Spice Girls in the 1990s, but nevermind. I’m sure Robbie will settle for Angels being played at the first dance of weddings and at funerals for the rest of time.

2) The Kinks

One of the most influential bands of all time, with one of the best songwriters of all time in Ray Davies, the Kinks were early on a part of the British Invasion. Legendary song You Really Got Me made the top 10 in the US, and was incredibly influential towards the American Garage Rock Scene, and its distorted guitar was a pioneering influence on the rebellious Rock Music that increasingly grew in the 60s. However, after the American Federation of Musicians banned them from touring for four years because of supposedly "rowdy on-stage behaviour", it effectively cut them off from the wave of British Invasion bands hitting America, and majorly slowed down the momentum of their growing popularity in the US, with the legendary tune See My Friends charting only at 111 in 1965, and one of the best rock songs of all time Waterloo Sunset not even charting at all. In the midst of the ban, The Kinks music was becoming increasingly British, the song writing becoming more introspective and influenced by British Country and Folk, rather than being influenced by the musical and social upheavals that were occurring in the late 60’s, which many popular bands were being influenced of at the time, and many believe this is what alienated the Kinks from their US fans who appreciated their earlier music. The Kinks will never garner the respect or popularity that The Beatles or the Rolling Stones get in the US, however nevertheless their influence on Rock Music on both sides of the pond is invaluable,  and always will be.

Did the US miss out?- YES. If the ban wouldn't have happened they would almost certainly have the superstar status which they have across the world. The Kinks were pioneers of Rock Music, taking it to places it had never been before, and it’s a shame that during their golden era of writing incredible songs they were banned from touring in the US.

1) Cliff Richard

In the UK we haven’t been able to get away from him for the last 50 years. He’s old, clearly senile and very, very creepy. Yet every decade he crops up somehow, reminding us that some people, despite ageing 10 years, do not change. You’d usually have to pay me to be anywhere close to Chris Evans, but 15 years ago when he was campaigning for Virgin Radio to stop playing his songs, I would have been right there brothers in arms protesting with him. However, despite my obvious beef, he’s sold an astonishing 240 million records worldwide. He’s the 5^th biggest selling British recording artist of all time. He’s a Knight of the Realm. He’s been in show business for so long the copy-write for his early tunes was going to run out so he got it extended so he still gets royalties until 2033. He’s outlived several of his pop star contemporaries and has one of the most famous and irritatingly catchy Christmas songs in the UK ever. Who is this old git most Americans under 40 would question. There’s a good reason why they would ask this. It’s because thankfully for them he’s never come close to cracking the land of freedom, achieving just 8 Top 40 singles in the US, and unless there’s anyone who has a recording of him appearing on the Ed Sullivan show in the 60’s once, it’s unlikely that they’ll ever find out who he is. To be fair to him, his early stuff he did with The Shadows was decent Rock n Roll, back when he was marketed as Britain’s answer to Elvis Pressley, a rebel type figure. But that was just the foam on top of the pint of a music career that has lasted over half a century. He’ll be the only person to live on this planet that will sell 240 million records, yet be able to walk down Sunset Boulevard without being noticed.

Did the US miss out?- NO. Apart from his early work with the Shadows, which some have argued opened the door for British Rock n Roll, they have not missed out at all. Obviously his more Gospel music would go down well in the Bible Belt type places, but on a mainstream level I think he is without doubt the most famous musician to have never cracked America.