What’s the biggest pop group or pop star in the UK prior to 2003 that has never had a song in the U.S. Top 40?
(The “prior to 2003” qualification is to eliminate any UK groups that have just surfaced and haven’t had a decent chance to make it across the pond.)
It may be helpful to give us names of major UK bands who have cracked the US Top 40. In the UK, we mostly do not know these things.
Did Cliff Richard ever even get any radio play in the US?
Sure. His song “It’s so funny how we don’t talk anymore” or whatever, was a major hit in the US in the mid 70s. That is the only song by him I have ever heard.
Other Top 40 hits:
“Dreaming” - #6
“Little in Love” - #17
“Daddy’s Home” - #23
“It’s All in the Game” - #25
My best guess would be the group Take That, probably best known in the US for member Robbie Williams, who had a US chart-topper with the single “Millenium.” From my cursory research, the only Take That song that I could find hit the US charts is “Back for Good,” which finished #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end list. To be honest, I don’t remember that song, and I never even heard of Take That until I visited the UK. Basically, they were the British version of New Kids on the Block, both in concept and popularity.
Evil Derth - Our list would be too extensive if we named every UK pop band to crack the US charts from 2003 backward.
How long have Atomic Kitten been around? I’m given to understand that they’re pretty popular in the UK (they were the basis for questions on “The Weakest Link” at least) but I don’t think that they’ve had any impact in the US at all.
Babylon Zoo, who had a massive UK hit with Spaceman, but failed to crack the Billboard top 100?
I have Top Hits books for the US and the UK, but both are pretty old so there may be newer groups that should be included. But some quick browsing found these groups with a dozenor more UK hits that aren’t in my 1992 edition of Top 40 Hits. The number given is the number of songs listed in British Hit Singles, 8th edition, which only goes up through 1990. (re-entries not included)
Alarm - 15
Marc Almond - 14
Bad Manners - 12
Barron Knights - 13
John Barry - 12
Beat - 13
Boomtown Rats - 14
Elkie Brooks - 13
Bucks Fizz - 20
Max Bygraves - 18
Alma Cogen - 21
Russ Conway - 20
Damned - 15
Ken Dodd - 19
Val Doonican - 15
Five Star - 21
Billy Fury - 29
Ronnie Hilton - 18
Jam - 17
Nik Kershaw - 12
Loose Ends - 12
Marillion - 16
Gary Moore - 14
Motorhead - 13
Roxy Music - 16
Saxon - 15
Shadows - 31
Shakatak - 14
Sandie Shaw - 19
Siouxie and the Banshees - 24
Smiths - 16
Smokie - 12
Alvin Stardust - 13
Tommy Steele - 18
Shakin’ Stevens - 34
Stranglers - 31
Toyah - 12
Ultravox - 17
Dickie Valentine - 14
David Whitfield - 19
Admit it. How many of you would have thought of Shakin’ Stevens? And he was still going strong at the end of 1990.
Yeah, but that song was pretty much a one-hit wonder. Babylon Zoo didn’t have any decent string of chart-placers like the other bands listed.
Cashbox publishes a rival chart to Billboard’s and their results disagree slightly with the list above.
According to Cashbox -
Sandie Shaw, “Girl Don’t Come” #35 (1965)
Roxy Music, “Love Is the Drug” #24 (1975/76)
Siouxsie & the Banshees, “Kiss Them For Me” #34 (1991)
Many of the others on the previous list have put singles on the chart that fell somewhat short of the top 40.
Cliff Richard’s case is interesting in that while he’s scored a few US hits they’re a pittance in comparison with his mountain of UK hits. Another one of his ilk is Kylie Minogue, who’s had 3 or 4 US hits but I’m guessing about 25 UK hits.
Des O’Connor was pretty big in the UK, but his only notable appearance of any kind in the US was a summer replacement variety program back in the early '70s.
But Kylie’s Aussie, and the OP seems to be asking for UK acts. But otherwise, yeah, she’s far bigger in Europe than in the US.
True, comparing across charts is always a risky business. For that matter, the UK book is a Top 75 listing, and the numbers would look very different if restricted to top 40 hits only. But while it was fun just flipping through the book looking for long lists, no way was I going to take that extra step!
While Cliff Richard is a real puzzle, given his enormous popularity - at least a dozen number one hits! - he does sorta fall into the “male singer of pop songs who doesn’t translate” category of several others on that list. And the Shadows fail because the UK seems to like instrumentals way more than the US does.
Maybe I’ll do a comparison of US groups who have had lots of hits without ever being on the UK charts, but I’ll bet that group is much smaller and may be more album oriented.
Quick comments: Sandie Shaw surprises me. The song of hers I remember is her first hit, “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me,” not her second one.
Roxy Music and Siouxie surprise me because they were having hits in the music video age and I would have thought at least one of those would have sparked a hit.
Kylie Minoque had eleven UK hits, all number four or better, in three years before the book cuts off, so she really had something going for her. One number three and two also-rans in the US. Even in her comeback today she’s pretty much of a nothing here and huge elsewhere. No explanation.
Des O’Connor only had seven UK hits.
Maybe I shouldn’t change the subject too much just yet, but I’d be interested in knowing about U.K. acts who never caught on in the U.K., but made it big in the U.S., and U.S. acts who likewise struggled in the U.S., but flourished in the U.K.
Anyhoo…
I hear Jimi Hendrix did pretty well for himself after he went over to the UK…