Greatest British rock band(s) that didn't meet success across the Atlantic

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by stax o' wax, Aug 22, 2017.

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  1. strummer101

    strummer101 The insane on occasion aren't without their charms

    Location:
    Lakewood OH
    They got a lot of play in Cleveland. Great band!
     
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  2. jimjim

    jimjim Forum Resident

    Bell was Irish....
     
  3. Denim Chicken

    Denim Chicken Dayman, fighter of the Nightman

    Location:
    Bakersfield, CA
  4. jimtek

    jimtek Forum Resident

    The Move toured the US, one of their Cd's have a concert from the Fillmore West. Creation never had a hit in the US but there songs have been used for a few TV commercials lately. Ducks Deluxe great band three albums, don't know if they made it across the pond. Dr. Feelgood, Barclay James Harvest, Family, Suzi Quatro, Colosseum,Babe Ruth, Soft Machine, Steve Harley and the Cockney Rebels and Lindisfarne.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2017
  5. Remington Steele

    Remington Steele Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    The fact you have to really do some searching for these lists is testament to the prowess of U.K. Bands. Take a sampling of American groups on radio or racks of LPs of American or Canadian groups and it seems like half of them don't translate to much U.K. Success be it 3 Dog Night, The Guess Who, REO Speedwagon, Stevie Nicks, CSN&Y, Greatful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Joe Walsh, Pablo Cruise, Loggins and Messina, Allman Brothers, Carly Simon, Blood, Sweat& Tears to name but a few rockers with a fraction of the success translating to Britain and countless country and soul artists with small or no British success . Even The Doors get a fraction of the chart and platinum action when you look at the U.K. market.
    Telling that you also have more U.K. groups like Foghat, Bad Company, Wang Chung, The Fixx, Foreighner, The Baby's with far bigger US success and even Led Zeppelin have more multi platinum and singles success here while it is far rarer when an American act does better in the U.K. than at home like say the cases of Scissor Sisters or The Modern Lovers.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2017
  6. BryanA-HTX

    BryanA-HTX Crazy Doctor

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Budgie is probably #1 for me. Almost nothing to speak of when it comes to stateside success.

    I would throw out UFO, Motorhead and Saxon, but even they got fairly decent crowds in their day, in the US (and still do, minus Motorhead because Lemmy passed).
     
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  7. ochsfan

    ochsfan Forum Resident

  8. Geoff

    Geoff Senior Member

    Location:
    Roundnabout
    Could have sworn my passport says British Citizen...
     
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  9. Roberto899

    Roberto899 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Diamondhead?
     
  10. SquaRoots

    SquaRoots The North Star Grassman

    Location:
    AMâœĞdam.nl
    The Sound
    Comsat Angels
     
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  11. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    That would be a little like me saying that everyone on your side of the Atlantic looks Canadian from here.
     
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  12. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    He was from Belfast, technically he's British.
     
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  13. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
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  14. Jimmy B.

    Jimmy B. .

    Location:
    .
    Yeah,
    nor can Stiff Little Fingers. Or Them.

    I guess I'll vote for The Creation, who BLEW IT. Talmy had it all lined up for them to break big in the U.S. with a great deal when Kenny Pickett ceased to be in the band; the end of The Creation.
     
  15. skimminstones

    skimminstones Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    The title said GREAT bands, not just any band that has barely touched the charts even here
     
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  16. Mr Sam

    Mr Sam "...don't look so good no more"

    Location:
    France
    Joy Division. Yes, they nearly visited the US (and, then, could-have, should-have etc...)
    And, yes, New Order did meet success.

    But that still makes JD eligible for Great Band that didn't make it in the US.
     
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  17. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    "The term is sometimes seen as politically outdated, particularly in relation to Ireland, because the majority of Ireland is no longer (since 1922) part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However, the political union of Great Britain derives its name from the land mass (i.e. the British Isles), rather than the other way round"

    so... although the Irish no longer consider themselves British they in fact are geographically! So, to use a modern day equivalent, when the UK leaves the European Union they will still be European and a UK band would still be considered European.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2017
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  18. Rufus McDufus

    Rufus McDufus Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Just to stir the pot a bit more, Lynott was born in West Bromwich (England) and the band were (I believe) based in the UK for virtually all their career, apart from the early days. I'm certainly not claiming they were a British band though!
     
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  19. Colin H

    Colin H Forum Resident

    It might be an idea to list acts that were significantly successful in Britain (and/or Europe) but that never toured in the US for one reason or another, hence never made any headway there commercially.

    Two spring to mind immediately:
    1. Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames - huge London-based live act from 1962, had a breakthrough UK No.1 in 1965 and another in 1966; the Blue Flames collapsed at the end of that year (after which Georgie recorded solo, eventually performing in the US circa 1970). The 1962-66 Blue Flames only ever toured in Europe.

    2. Quintessence - 1969-72; again, huge on the British live scene, had Top 30 albums, on Island than RCA; played Royal Albert Hall twice (once headlining, the other time guests of CCR), played the first two Glastonbury Festivals, played the 'European Woodstock' Rotterdam Festival in 1970 (in the Euro cut of the film 'Stamping Ground', but not in the US cut!), several UK and Euro TV appearances, etc. Had an open invitation to start a US tour at Carnegie Hall... but the band turned down a US distribution deal and then sacked the lead singer and their end was swift thereafter. Very significant in the UK/Euro market for a couple of years as a kind of last hurrah of the 60s counterculture.

     
  20. chrism1971

    chrism1971 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glos, UK
    Dr Feelgood are my choice - one of the all-time great English bands, as far as I know zero success in the USA...
     
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  21. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    Easybeats. I know they had one monster hit here and they hailed from Australia, but they were pretty much headquartered and recorded in the UK from Friday on My Mind on. And that song only scratches the surface of their remarkable body of work.
     
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  22. carrolls

    carrolls Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin
    His mother was an Irish citizen who happened to spend three or four years working in the UK during which time Phil was born.
    His mother brought Phil back to Dublin when he was 4. He was an Irish citizen and importantly strongly regarded himself as Irish.
    How could he (or anyone for that matter) regard himself as anything else?
    Lizzy were assembled in Dublin. They went to London to get gigs as most Irish bands do. Even U2 tried that in the early days.
     
  23. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    East Belfast, they're fond of their Union Jacks there.
     
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  24. Leroyd

    Leroyd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ireland
    Fixed that for ye
     
  25. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Kaleidoscope and the Creation didn't have any success in the UK either, so I'm not sure they count.
     
    seed_drill likes this.
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