# Musicians By Nation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574 "2008-09-14T17:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/1 "2008-09-14T17:10:33Z")
Spun off from **SSG Schwartz** ’s about the most influential Aussie band, what would you consider the band or artist that is most popular and influential from various nations? Some off the top of my head: Ireland – U2 Iceland – Björk England – The Beatles Australia – AC/DC Canada – The Tragically Hip? United States – Elvis Presley? …and that pretty much exhausts my knowledge, which is pretty anglocentric and overly simplistic. What other acts would you suggest? I’m particularly interested in the music of nations where English isn’t a national language ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/2 "2008-09-14T17:21:05Z")
Canada-Shania Twain Sweden-Abba Germany-Scorpions(80 million albums sold!) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/3 "2008-09-14T17:28:58Z")
The Netherlands – Focus ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/4 "2008-09-14T18:10:33Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Spun off from **SSG Schwartz** ’s about the most influential Aussie band, what would you consider the band or artist that is most popular and influential from various nations? > > Canada – The Tragically Hip? Depends how you measure it. And you say “bands,” but seem to include solo acts. IN Canada, the most popular BAND in terms of record sales is probably The Tragically Hip, who I believe passed Rush a long time ago (though one wonders if that’s a fair comparison.) Worldwide, it’s still Rush. But if we include solo artists I could think Canada’s best-selling musician would be Celine Dion. If you include his work with bands, Neil Young would be a contender as well. (Getting accurate record sales information off the Internet is amazingly difficult. You’d think there would be a central database of that sort of thing.) For INFLUENCE, I’d guess Neil Young. ---
**Author:** ![ShakWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@ShakWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShakWave)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/5 "2008-09-16T12:34:02Z")
Pakistan - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/6 "2008-09-16T13:19:08Z")
Denmark: Aqua (for which I am truly sorry) ---
**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:** [September 16, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/7 "2008-09-16T13:40:07Z")
Norway–Secret Garden ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/8 "2008-09-16T13:43:13Z")
I don’t equate popular to record sales… In Canada a good example is Leonard Cohen who doesn’t sell a lot of records (some people contend that he is NOT a singer, a la Dylan). However, he is revered and influential. Other than Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young come to mind. Ann Murray too. For bands, “The Band” (4/5 Canadian, right?), the “Guess Who”, Barenaked Ladies and the previously mentioned Tragically Hip and Rush. And arguably, the only Canadian musician who has truly ascended to Himalayan heights is Oscar Peterson. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/9 "2008-09-16T14:01:36Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Norway–Secret Garden I’d put A-ha ahead of Secret Garden. And I agree on Björk for Iceland, but Sigur Rós is getting there. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/10 "2008-09-16T14:12:46Z")
And after all this time there’s still diddley squat coming out of France. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/11 "2008-09-16T14:33:11Z")
“Most popular/influential” is hard to pin down, but I’ll take a stab at it: Spain - Gipsy Kings Brazil - Sepultura Switzerland - Krokus Germany - agree on Scorpions, but Kraftwerk deserves a mention Outside of Canada, and in my cohort (late-30-something American), Rush seems to trounce all over the Tragically Hip as far as notoriety and profile go. I can claim familiarity with dozens of Rush songs, but not one of the Tragically Hip’s. An anecdote that mean’s nothing, but still. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/12 "2008-09-16T14:35:36Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > And after all this time there’s still diddley squat coming out of France. Edith Piaf comes to mind. Not much else does though (except MC Solaar - who I doubt has had that much influence) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/13 "2008-09-16T14:36:21Z")
Cool idea for a thread. For India, it would have to be: Female - Lata Mangeshkar Male - Kishore Kumar Band? I don’t know that we really have bands. 90% of our music (could be higher) is made for our movies, so I don’t hear much about indie music bands, or whatever they call them over there. Anybody know anything? ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/14 "2008-09-16T14:53:20Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The Netherlands – Focus I think Golden Earring was more popular than Focus, though probably not by all that much. > [@Anaamika](#): > > For India, it would have to be: > > Female - Lata Mangeshkar > Male - Kishore Kumar Dunno if it would count, but Freddie Mercury grew up in India (he was born in Zanzibar), but he doesn’t really get associated with it. In a somewhat similar vein: M.I.A. - Sri Lanka ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/15 "2008-09-16T15:13:54Z")
Israel - Male: Shlomo Artzi, with Shalom Hanoch a close second. Of course, if you count the Banai family… Female: Rita, I guess. Bands: Probably Mashina, although I’d also consider Kaveret. The way the Israeli music business works, we probably have had more “supergroups” (a bunch of solo artists coming together for a signle album) than actual bands; of those, the biggest is without a doubt Tammuz. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/16 "2008-09-16T15:22:10Z")
> [@neutron\_star](#): > > Dunno if it would count, but Freddie Mercury grew up in India (he was born in Zanzibar), but he doesn’t really get associated with it. > > In a somewhat similar vein: M.I.A. - Sri Lanka Holy crap! We’re totally claiming Freddie Mercury from now on. _Mine_! ETA: I’m reading his Wiki entry now. He was Parsi? I never knew. Was he ashamed or what? How depressing. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/17 "2008-09-16T15:27:09Z")
I think it was kind of like his sexuality - it wasn’t something he’d deny if asked about it, but he’d seldom bring it up on his own. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/18 "2008-09-16T15:47:36Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > And after all this time there’s still diddley squat coming out of France. Ummm.. Edith Piaf? Jacques Brel? More recently, France has been a forerunner in several electronic music movements, most notably the current revival of the 80s electro sound that blossomed out of the Ed Banger label. Given the fact that they seem to drop out of sight only to reappear on the crest of a new wave, I’d give Daft Punk honourable mention. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/19 "2008-09-16T16:42:56Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > ETA: I’m reading his Wiki entry now. He was Parsi? I never knew. Was he ashamed or what? How depressing. Yep. _Nee_ Faroukh Parsibhal. He didn’t really make a special effort to hide his background; he made up an entirely new person and became that guy, so he sort of hid everything. Anyway, while we get to claim him we can’t really have Queen since everyone else was English. Plus, IMHO Brian May was the really influential one in Queen. I think Freddy was more influential as a showman than a musician. For France, _Les Negresses Vertes_, maybe? No big sellers but big influence. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574/20 "2008-09-16T17:19:18Z")
South Africa…Ooh, tough one. **Hugh Masakela** was at Monterey Pop, I think **Miriam Makeba** is fairly well known, and of course there’s **Ladysmith Black Mambazo**. Also, **Johhny Clegg**. Then **Trevor Rabin** (writer of _Owner of a Lonely Heart_ with Yes, and lots of film soundtracks) and **Manfred Mann** (_Mighty Quinn_,\* Doo Wah Diddy\*) too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-by-nation/463574.md?page=2)