Sometimes there’s no particular reason a band hits it big here. I can name many bands that seemed poised for huge success here, but turned out to be flashes in the pan, 1 hit wonders, or perennial opening acts.
Status Quo is a great band that never quite made it big here- just like the Small Faces, Nazareth, Saga, April Wine, UFO… I could go on, but you get the idea. There’s no particular reason Status Quo never became big stars here.
Pretty sure they’re now best known to a lot of people in Australia for fronting ads for one of the major supermarket chains and singing about said chain’s reduced prices, while people dance about with big red hands indicating the direction said prices have gone.
Take a deep breath. 
Any songs/performances you could recommend or link to? Like many others in the U.S. I know them only for their one hit here.
Whenever I hear Matchstick Men, I can’t help but think of just about anything XTC did as Dukes of Stratosphear.
Do you know what a three chord boogie is? Well now you know how every single Status Quo song sounds. There is nothing more to know.
Two things on Quo:
Everyone suggesting that they play very repetitive three chord boogie is essentially right (in that I am sure that there is variation in there somewhere but all their well known stuff is essentially the same thing - they’re known for playing the same three chords over and over again and I think one of their albums is called In Search Of The Fourth Chord). A little Quo goes a very long way. In point of fact, I’d only want to listen to one of their songs I think - Down Down would be it. That’s pretty good, I reckon, at least as an archetype.
I know someone who worked at a Doctor’s surgery here in the UK and the following story is absolutely true. The practice in question was the practice that the local gig venue used to send performers on tour to, should they fall ill. Rick Parfitt - one of Status Quo’s guitarists came in complaining of pain in his wrists, and saw a Dr from Sri Lanka. He had no idea who the Quo were. After the consultation, the staff who were aware of him asked the Dr what was going on - and the Dr replied “He’s got RSI - I’ve told him he needs total rest, apparently they’re going to have to cancel their tour” and was non-plussed when everyone fell about laughing. Seems playing the same three chords over and over finally caught up with old Rick. RSI is a very Quo injury.
Most people in America have bearly heard of Status Quo. I guess their sound wears a little thin and is a bit samey… but occasionally the Quo did churn out a very decent song. These are in my opinion the ones worth a listen:
Whatever You Want isn’t a sophisticated piece of music, but it hits the sweet spot. You hear those opening chords and this Pavlovian head-nodding and foot-tapping starts. And Down Down fucking rocks, it’s like speed-boogie.
I always got them mixed up with Wishbone Ash. Not sure why. Both were pretty… pedestrian.
Well, I watched the videos and a few other vids of them. And my opinion is that they weren’t distinct enough to get airplay in the USA without a major push of some kind. They remind me of the mediocre Arena rock bands that plagued to 70s and 80s. Some guitar chords ( I’ve heard better from other bands, the beginning of Whatever you want sounds like they wanted to copy a Jethro Tull song but just went the chord city.) Not very distinct vocals and the lyrics seem kinda dull. Nothing I watched made me go “I should listen to more of their songs” let alone “ I must buy many of their albums.
Did Status Quo tour the U.S. at all? A lot of middling blues-rock groups (Foghat, Humble Pie, Ten Years After, etc.) got modest to big time success just constantly touring in the U.S. Not only did that give you a grassroots following, but it allowed you to cash with a hit live album–when live albums were still a big thing.
Upon opening this thread I had no idea who they were. Then I listened to “Matchstick Men” and kind of recognized it, but their other songs? Yeah–pretty forgettable–more of the same. By the late 70’s there was so much more interesting music coming from Britain, I don’t know why these guys would become an “institution.” However, that doesn’t answer the answer the OP’s very good question, because–from what I’ve read–a lot of really bland, unmemorable music was big in the U.S. in the early 70’s.
I’ve heard of Status Quo. The only record I’ve heard of theirs was their cover of John Fogerty’s Rockin’ All Over the World.
So that’s what the big red hands are doing? It looked to me like they were all doing synchronized crotch-scratching.
Never heard of status Quo until this thread, and was a rock and roll junkie through the 60s and 70s.
Good songs.* I recognized “Down, Down” but didn’t realize Status Quo recorded it.
*I’m getting a kind of Spinal Tap vibe from the “Whatever You Want” video.
I think that’s Derek Smalls on drums on “Down, Down”. And I think this Guardian obituary for Rick Parfitt captures why Quo were so enduringly popular: