# American music v British music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260 "2010-07-19T19:39:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/41 "2010-07-21T11:46:17Z")
> [@santosvega](#): > > I think one could also argue that the vast majority of Rock and Roll today in either country owes more stylistically to the British innovators (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Who, Kinks, Zep, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Sex Pistols, Clash, etc.) than to any of the American Rock progenitors . You couldn’t argue this point citing those bands. Seriously, look into their history and their own influences and tell me who were the bigger progenitors. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/42 "2010-07-21T12:00:24Z")
We aren’t talking about where the music originated (a fool’s errand anyway: is Country music a distinct style of music or just a derivative of the British folk tradition?), we’re talking about the best bands, in which case the UK wins by a country mile. The US did some nice work and all getting things going after the war, but the British really refined things and had the best bands that came to define what pop and rock meant. Even citing Hendrix as the US’s answer to the list of British bands is laughable. It took the British to recognise his musical talent! ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/43 "2010-07-21T12:28:02Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > We aren’t talking about where the music originated…we’re talking about the best bands Thank you. Once again, forget influences and history. Instead make a list of your top 20/30/40bands or artists. Be honest about them, list who is the bestest. Then check where they are from. Are the majority British? Or American? (lets forget “other” for now) ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/44 "2010-07-21T12:36:17Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Thank you. > > Once again, forget influences and history. Instead make a list of your top 20/30/40bands or artists. Be honest about them, list who is the bestest. Then check where they are from. Are the majority British? Or American? (lets forget “other” for now) The only way possible for the UK to win is if you concentrate on a 30 to 40-year period within a single genre (rock and roll). Jazz, country, blues, folk, hip hop, R&B are all dominated by the US. Rock & Roll is the only one up for debate. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/45 "2010-07-21T13:13:35Z")
Folk dominated by the US? I suppose if you only listen to American folk music you’d get that impression, just as if you only listened to Brazilian hip hop you’d get the impression that Brazil dominated the hip hop scene. Virtually every pub and bar in the UK has a folk night, never mind the likes of Ralph McTell, Donovan, Fairport Convention, etc. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/46 "2010-07-21T13:15:08Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > The only way possible for the UK to win is if you concentrate on a 30 to 40-year period within a single genre (rock and roll). Jazz, country, blues, folk, hip hop, R&B are all dominated by the US. Rock & Roll is the only one up for debate. But I dont want to exclude genres, and who said I wanted a UK win? But forget genre. If you genuinely believe that the best artists of all time are all blues artists, then run with that. Who said we had to focus on Rock? If you listed the greatest artists of all time, where would they be from? For example. Joe Bloggs says that the best ten artists of all time are -Beatles -The Who -Rolling stones -Paul Simon -Bruce Springsteen -New Order -Spice Girls -Rush -Kate Bush -Mercury Rev. Joe would say that the best music came from the UK, as seven of the ten best artists came from the UK. What would you say? What would your list (made honestly) indicate? WHO are the best bands/Artists of all time? WHERE are they from? Vote accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/47 "2010-07-21T13:34:41Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Folk dominated by the US? I suppose if you only listen to American folk music you’d get that impression, just as if you only listened to Brazilian hip hop you’d get the impression that Brazil dominated the hip hop scene. Virtually every pub and bar in the UK has a folk night, never mind the likes of Ralph McTell, Donovan, Fairport Convention, etc. The US did when it came to charted hits and album sales, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/48 "2010-07-21T13:35:04Z")
Back in the 1950’s and early sixties all those great “colored” artits couldn’t get playtime on white stations or play in white venues. Really. It was that segregated. Fortunately, Britian didn’t have such nonsense beliefs, which is how the British invasion came to be. No modern music is more historic than rock music. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/49 "2010-07-21T13:40:23Z")
Meh. I could survive on a diet of only one or the other if I had to, but the UK comes out ahead because of The Beatles and The Who alone. Not that I don’t love The Beach Boys or The Doors though. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/50 "2010-07-21T13:40:47Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > But I dont want to exclude genres, and who said I wanted a UK win? No idea. I certainly didn’t. > [@](#): > > But forget genre. If you genuinely believe that the best artists of all time are all blues artists, then run with that. Who said we had to focus on Rock? Nobody said that. It’s just what everyone seems to be doing. My list would certainly contain some jazz, hip hop & R&B acts. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/51 "2010-07-21T21:02:44Z")
Jimi Hendrix, the Gershwin brothers, Hank Williams Sr., the Motown stable of artists, Ray Charles, James Brown, Bird, Trane, Prez, Robert Johnson, Aretha Franklin, Lady Day, Big Bill Broozny, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, the Duke, the Count, Lady Day, Bob Dylan, Prince, the Allman Brothers, Johnnie Cash, Chuck Berry, Frank Zappa, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland. It ain’t even close. The U.S.A. has the beat. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/52 "2010-07-21T21:12:58Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > We aren’t talking about where the music originated (a fool’s errand anyway: is Country music a distinct style of music or just a derivative of the British folk tradition?), we’re talking about the best bands, in which case the UK wins by a country mile. When I cited stylistic innovation and diversity earlier, I meant to imply that _so much_ has happened in American music that a majority of the best is inevitably an American portion. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/53 "2010-07-21T21:17:15Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > No modern music is more historic than rock music. I would argue that hip-hop is. It completely reshaped the popular music landscape the way rock did in the 50s/60s. I’m not going to say one is more historic than the other–they just both ushered in seismic shifts in popular music. I haven’t heard anything as revolutionary in popular music since then, and I can’t imagine what the next great sonic revolution could be–or if it’s even possible to have such a sudden, all-encompassing movement of pop culture in the same way again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/54 "2010-07-21T21:41:50Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > If you listed the greatest artists of all time, where would they be from? For example. Joe Bloggs says that the best ten artists of all time are > -Beatles > -The Who > -Rolling stones > -Paul Simon > -Bruce Springsteen > -New Order > -Spice Girls > -Rush > -Kate Bush > -Mercury Rev. Am I correct in assuming that you respect the opinion of someone who would rank The Spice Girls ahead of James Brown? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/55 "2010-07-21T22:24:10Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > Am I correct in assuming that you respect the opinion of someone who would rank The Spice Girls ahead of James Brown? Oh yes, Joe and I are both huge fans of the Spice girls. We appreciate the complexity of their lyrics, as well as applauding their tireless efforts on behalf of many charities. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/56 "2010-07-21T22:56:15Z")
All joking aside **BB** , their inclusion does tarnish Joe’s creibility just a wee bit; and your citing him doesn’t aid in your debate. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/57 "2010-07-21T22:59:32Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > All joking aside **BB** , their inclusion does tarnish Joe’s creibility just a wee bit; and your citing him doesn’t aid in your debate. Psst…[Joe Bloggs.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Bloggs) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/58 "2010-07-21T23:07:29Z")
Nice. Consider me whooshed!! ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/59 "2010-07-22T11:50:12Z")
I have no bone in this fight since I’m Canadian (and we’re better than both :D) but if you go by record sales, the winner is the US by almost twice. In this [list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists#Artists_by_reputed_sales) of the top record sales over 50 million the US has 68 entries and the UK only 34. If you look at the numbers The Beatles and Elvis cancel each other out but Michael Jackson gives the US a huge lead. The UK catches up in the 200-300 million sales area but unfortunately the ratio in the other categories is overwhelmingly American. Results may vary if you were to break it down by genre but I don’t think so. …I just realized ABBA has sold 300 millions albums, excuse me while I go barf now. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260/60 "2010-07-22T12:50:42Z")
The poll question should be rephrased as Do skiffle, Cliff Richard, Oasis, New Order, Stone Roses, The Smiths and the Housemartins collectively mean that British bands are better than Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Creedence, the Doors, the Ramones and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-v-british-music/547260.md?page=4)