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Acts that should have been bigger in the U.S.

Richland123

Richland123

Apr 17, 2009
57,564
256,859
#1
There are many music acts that are very popular elsewhere in the world and have sold many records but only had modest (if any success in the U.S.) Here are a few I can think of right away. Who else can you name?

Jimmy Barnes
Status Quo
Cliff Richard
Saga
 
#2
Aussie band The Angels.

Found them on late night MTV in the early '80s using the name Angel City....Something about a possible confusion with the band Angel,at the time.The song was Face The Day.
A lot of american bands pointed to them as an influence.Great White,at their peak, covered their songs.

Still have that album Dark Room and Two Minute Waring.

Face The Day:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=swTNdImPU18

Straight Jacket:Live
Invalid Link Removed
 
#4
I remember watching a VH1 special on "one-hit wonders" and saw Nena and A-Ha there; both artists which are huge in their native countries with long track records of hits. The show did acknowledge that, but was pretty US-centric and put them on its list anyway.

When I was living in Germany in 2004-5 there were a lot of German acts that I really liked, but no one here has heard of them - Wir Sind Helden, Sportfreunde Stiller, Silbermond, Juli, Der Fantastischen Vier. Americans just don't pay attention if it isn't in English, or at most treat it as a novelty act.
 
#6
I sometimes watch old "Top of the Pops" compilations here in the UK, and are constantly amazed by all the acts I never heard of growing up in the States. Probably the biggest band from that era that never broke in the US was Slade (thank god!).

And luckily, Americans are spared the horror of Eurovision. So no Buck's Fizz, Gemini, etc.

Oh, and Thin Lizzy is still worshipped here, whereas on the other side of the pond they're one-hit wonders. Ask any American to name any other TL song other than "The Boys Are Back In Town" and you'll get a blank stare.
 
#8
mcarp555 said:
I sometimes watch old "Top of the Pops" compilations here in the UK, and are constantly amazed by all the acts I never heard of growing up in the States. Probably the biggest band from that era that never broke in the US was Slade (thank god!).

And luckily, Americans are spared the horror of Eurovision. So no Buck's Fizz, Gemini, etc.

Oh, and Thin Lizzy is still worshipped here, whereas on the other side of the pond they're one-hit wonders. Ask any American to name any other TL song other than "The Boys Are Back In Town" and you'll get a blank stare.
Click to expand...

My last band played Jail Break and The Cowboy Song at every show.

HUGE English band, never made much of it in the US: The Jam
 
#10
Slade.

Really big in the U.K., nothing much much in the U.S., Jimmy Lea is/was a great, largely unknown (in the U.S) bassist.
 
#16
Back in the 80's there was a Detroit band called "DC Drive" and I really thought these guys were going to have a pretty good shot at success. Great band, they had an album out, they got great press, good things were happening for them.....then gone. Don't know what happened.

Some of thier songs are on You Tube. Check out "You Need Love."
 
#18
Jamiroquai is one of the biggest ones I can think of. Most people my age recognize Virtual Insanity if I play it in my car or show them the music video, but past that they don't know who they are at all. Sucks because there is a lot of grooving going on in their albums.
 

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