# Anyone else think most English singers sound American when they sing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-most-english-singers-sound-american-when-they-sing/769665 "2016-10-25T05:24:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-most-english-singers-sound-american-when-they-sing/769665/41 "2016-10-31T05:26:04Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > When this question comes up (I’ve seen it before on other forums as well) and someone says that singing automatically makes all singers sound American, I always wonder if they’ve never listened to the Beatles. > > If you’ve ever been exposed to a variety of music other than contemporary popular commercial music, then it’s obvious that singers sing in all kinds of accents. > > British classical or ‘serious’ music singers invariably sing in a posh upper-class English accent. > Scottish and Irish traditional folk songs are sung in heavy Scottish or Irish accents. > Sea shanties are usually sung in British working class accents. > Etc., etc. I won’t speak for the other threads, but I don’t think anyone is suggesting singing “automatically makes all singers sound American.” The consensus seems pretty clear. It’s very common, but certainly not exclusive, for English singers to sound American while performing. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-most-english-singers-sound-american-when-they-sing/769665/42 "2016-10-31T13:31:54Z")
I could never tell the difference, until I heard Chris de Burgh pronounce “dance” in “Lady in Red”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-most-english-singers-sound-american-when-they-sing/769665.md?page=2)