Fave UK bands who were more popular in North America than UK

[Barking Spiders]

Just been listening to The Fixx's Shuttered Room while I work. They were quite successful in North America but nowt even scraping the UK top 40 singles chart which I find surprising considering how similarish bands like Tears for Fears and Talk Talk were successful in the 80s. IMO this tune should've been top 10

 

 

over to youse 👉

Edited September 26, 2023 by Barking Spiders

[Mykesbass]

Sade (and yes, they were a band). Huge in the states for years after their success in the UK.

[Supernaut]

Bush for sure. 

[Crusoe]

32 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Bush for sure. 

Utterly inexplicable though.

[Steve Browning]

5 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

Utterly inexplicable though.

The drummer (Robin) used to dep with the band I played in. Last saw him at a pub in Bognor Regis. He used his dad's car. I was a bit stunned to learn of their success Stateside.

 

He is/was a very fine drummer and obsessed with Dave Weckl.

[Barking Spiders]

46 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

Utterly inexplicable though.

 Oh I dunno, look at the dumpster load of trash (as they say over there) that came out of the US rock scene after Grunge. Were Bush any worse than Puddle of Mudd, Creed, Staind, Hoobastink, Three Days Grace, Godsmack, Shinedown, Matchbox 20 and any other bands with 'Three' or 'Third' in their name? I'd say not although they weren't much cop that's true. Should we include Foo Fighters there as well?

Edited September 26, 2023 by Barking Spiders

[Crusoe]

4 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

 Oh I dunno, look at the dumpster load of trash (as they say over there) that came out of the US rock scene after Grunge. Were Bush any worse than Puddle of Mudd, Creed, Staind, Hoobastink, Three Days Grace, Godsmack, Shinedown, Matchbox 20 and any other bands with 'Three' or 'Third' in their name? I'd say not although they weren't much cop that's true. Should we include Foo Fighters there as well?

I'd lump them right in there. I never really took to the Foofs, but I'm not sure I would add them to that list.

[SteveXFR]

15 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

 Oh I dunno, look at the dumpster load of trash (as they say over there) that came out of the US rock scene after Grunge. Were Bush any worse than Puddle of Mudd, Creed, Staind, Hoobastink, Three Days Grace, Godsmack, Shinedown, Matchbox 20 and any other bands with 'Three' or 'Third' in their name? I'd say not although they weren't much cop that's true. Should we include Foo Fighters there as well?

 

They were certainly no better than any of them. For some reason  in the US they liked the super bland rock that came along after grunge.

I saw Bush supporting someone (possibly Pearl Jam?) back in the late 90's and I couldn't fault their playing or singing in any way, they were competent but boring. 

[TheGreek]

Though they were successful in the UK,  Depeche Mode were huge in the States long after they had exceeded the sell by date over here.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

.

Edited September 26, 2023 by RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE

[chriswareham]

The Psychedelic Furs had far more success in the US than at home in the UK. The infamously bitchy music press here wrote them off when they released their third album, and back then bad reviews in the weeklies could kill a band overnight.

[chriswareham]

Two others that come to mind are Modern English and Love And Rockets. They also suffered at the hands of the UK music press, particularly L&R who had already endured a lot of spite in their preceding incarnations as Bauhaus and Tones On Tail.

Edited September 26, 2023 by chriswareham

[ossyrocks]

Matt Schofield. Great player, great band often with Jonny Henderson on keys when he played in the UK. I’ve been to gigs when there were barely 50 people in the room, when in the US he can fill a big room and draw big festival crowds.

[SteveXFR]

I believe Stranglers have a larger following in the US than the UK. 

[Mykesbass]

5 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Though they were successful in the UK,  Depeche Mode were huge in the States long after they had exceeded the sell by date over here.

That's a good call. Almost like their second incarnation, when they became  rock band than electronic.

[BassBunny]

9 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

Just been listening to The Fixx's Shuttered Room while I work. They were quite successful in North America but nowt even scraping the UK top 40 singles chart which I find surprising considering how similarish bands like Tears for Fears and Talk Talk were successful in the 80s. IMO this tune should've been top 10

 

 

over to youse 👉

One of my all time favourite bands. Made it big in the US thanks to MTV. First saw them on The Tube in the 80's. I think The Tubes were on the same show. My youngest son is really into them as well and we're really stoked that we are seeing them in London in December.

One of the first reviews I saw of them had the classic line, " They can fill a 75000 seater stadium in America at the drop of a plectrum but are virtually unknown in the UK."

[Downunderwonder]

I reckon anyone who does anything notable in the US takes them beyond UK level "sucess" whether or not they were household names at home.

[asingardenof]

A current one I believe is Yola, who if you haven't checked her stuff out is incredible.

[casapete]

1 hour ago, asingardenof said:

A current one I believe is Yola, who if you haven't checked her stuff out is incredible.

She’s amazing - we saw her play a tiny club in West Yorkshire four years ago and soon after

she became well known in the US. Great voice and songs, originally based in Bristol I believe. 
Also appeared as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the 2022 film ‘Elvis’. A fantastic talent.

[G-Lo]

The Subhumans... sure, they're well loved in the UK in the punk scene but that's it. I've seen Richard Lucas do spoken word for 30 people in the UK, I've seen him sing with mutual friends' bands. Much MUCH bigger in the States

[asingardenof]

37 minutes ago, casapete said:

She’s amazing - we saw her play a tiny club in West Yorkshire four years ago and soon after

she became well known in the US. Great voice and songs, originally based in Bristol I believe. 
Also appeared as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the 2022 film ‘Elvis’. A fantastic talent.

Another reason I need to watch that film then! 

[franzbassist]

Not a favourite of mine, but The Outfield spring to mind.

Edited September 27, 2023 by franzbassist

[Barking Spiders]

15 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

I reckon anyone who does anything notable in the US takes them beyond UK level "sucess" whether or not they were household names at home.

 Agreed. There are quite a lot of online articles about Brit bands who were a big deal on the home front but did nowt in North America e.g. Madness, Jam, Blur, Weller..... Let's face it, that's a very long list and you can be a biggish thing in Blighty but not actually sell many records. I mean, The Jam have never had an album go platinum in the UK while Bush's first two albums went multi-platinum in the US and Canada but only gold and silver in the UK. Have to admit if I was a pro I'd rather be in Bush's shoes.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Barking Spiders