At what point has a British act truly 'broken' the States?

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would you say Radiohead have done this?
how about Oasis?
havent Oasis sold more records than Radiohead there? i bet its pretty close either way...and how does their success compare to that of the Spice Girls (it seemed like they were huge over there because there was a lot of referencing going on e.g. Eminem where you wouldnt expect it) - some acts from the UK have one hit and they're classed as a huge success in the States by the media over here (e.g. Lo Fi All Stars, Gorillaz, Dirty Vegas)

so what does a British act have to do to be classed as having broken the States? is it just based on sales? which British acts have come close but failed in this respect (Take That? Robbie Williams? Chemical Brothers?) how are bands like Coldplay and Doves really doing out there (i imagine they could do even better than Oasis and Radiohead myself)

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:11 (twenty-three years ago)

When the States go away.

The end.

― kate, Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:13 (twenty-three years ago)

the same thing that a US act has to do to "break" the UK?

― Curtis Stephens, Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:19 (twenty-three years ago)

What, have good haircuts and a great PR?

― kate, Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:20 (twenty-three years ago)

it is said that seal has sold more records in the states than oasis ever did. does anyone know whether this is true?

― Jay K (Jay K), Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:38 (twenty-three years ago)

I think it's true, Jay: the first album went platinum, the second album sold four million, "Kiss From A Rose" went gold ...

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Thursday, 28 November 2002 20:09 (twenty-three years ago)

wow. that says something about the british music press' delusions of national grandeur, i suppose.

― Jay K (Jay K), Thursday, 28 November 2002 20:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't even think the Doves have been added to most station playlists, even college ones. Coldplay are about as big as Bush/Bush X were. Lo Fi All Stars had maybe a minor hit if that, Gorillaz have marketing up the ying yang so I got no clue how well they actually did, but Syndicates agressive promotion got them bumrushing CMJ and some commercial radio play as well.

I couldn't tell you numbers, sadly I don't follow radio success very well these days.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 28 November 2002 20:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Spacehog!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 28 November 2002 21:09 (twenty-three years ago)

When they choose to live in the US. We have your David Sylvian and will never give him back. :)

― bahtology, Thursday, 28 November 2002 21:52 (twenty-three years ago)

yeh i notice you have to spend at least 18 solid months out there or something to even stand a chance of making it big

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 29 November 2002 01:31 (twenty-three years ago)

simple minds!!!!!!!!

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 29 November 2002 01:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Gorillaz, Craig David, David Gray, Radiohead, Fatboy Slim, Prodigy, and Coldplay have all had million-selling albums in the U.S. Coldplay's second will prolly outsell its first -- it peaked at No. 5. They seem to be more popular now than ever and crossed over where Travis, who had the same sort of initial push, never did. David Gray's new one debuted in the top 20 and C. David's new one in the top 40. I'd say Oasis was easily bigger than any of them in the Morning Glory years but they don't sell anything anymore. "Song 2" was a big hit as well, but Blur is more respected by the indie kids (and mostly for 13, it seems) than remembered by the mainstream public. Ditto Chemical Brothers, who peaked with Dig Your Own Hole, which sold more than 500K.

The Spice Girls were massive at one point, but only had three really hit singles: Wannabe, Say You'll Be There, and, to a lesser degree, 2 Become 1.

Doves seem to be fairly well-known and liked with the indie kids only, but Super Furries are prolly the most well-liked UK band in those circles (well after radiohead, of course). Pulp, B&S, Beta Band, Gorky's, Broadcast all have their followings in indie circles, too.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 29 November 2002 03:21 (twenty-three years ago)

fwiw, oasis and spice girls sales certifications in the U.S.:

Def. Maybe (1m), (WTS)MG (4m), Be Here Now (1m), the others didn't even sell 500K -- they may not have even come close.

Spice (7m), Spice Wolrd (4m)

actually, Sade is v. popular here - her recentish Lovers Rock album sold 3m. Over her career, she's had three solo albums and a hits collection sell 4m copies and two more studio record sell 3m in the u.s.

steve: poke around here for these numbers, if you wish: www.riaa.com/Gold-Intro-2.cfm

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 29 November 2002 03:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Hasn't Dido sold millions in the US?

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Friday, 29 November 2002 09:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I think the Beatles did okay.

― doug (doug), Saturday, 30 November 2002 06:39 (twenty-three years ago)

ten months pass...

1964 to thread

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 27 October 2003 02:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Radiohead appear to have "broken" the States (in more ways than one) around my way. Will clerks in record and book stores across the entire Bay Area STOP FUCKING TALKING ABOUT RADIOHEAD!!!!!!!!

― adaml (adaml), Monday, 27 October 2003 02:43 (twenty-two years ago)

So the new Radiohead single, then.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 October 2003 02:59 (twenty-two years ago)

they were voted fifth greatest band by mtv viewers. flea endorsed them.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 27 October 2003 03:05 (twenty-two years ago)

if that ain't the kiss of death

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 27 October 2003 03:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Me to some British act wanting to "break through" in the U.S.: "Spend some time in the bloody middle of the country, you idiot! You're not going to make it just by touring NYC and LA. You've got to really reach in and go to someplace like Louisville, KY and Austin, TX. You say that's too hard? Turin Brakes did it -- in 1999. Come on, you can do it, you can go to Middle America. Come on, give it a shot. Middle America will love you for it, and then voila, you've got more fans than you expected!"

― Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Monday, 27 October 2003 04:32 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah and look at turin brakes now, dave matthews loves them.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 27 October 2003 04:33 (twenty-two years ago)

the Key is Marketing!!!!

― Reginald Mantle III (reggie), Monday, 27 October 2003 04:35 (twenty-two years ago)

british bands need to hit the gym.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 27 October 2003 04:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Just you wait, Keith.

(btw, I'm a Turin Brakes fan, and usually anytime I become a fan of a musical artist it's going to be a lifelong sort of fandom.)

― Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Monday, 27 October 2003 04:46 (twenty-two years ago)

ok, i'll wait.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 27 October 2003 04:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Turin Brakes did it -- in 1999

Did they break the USA that way? :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 27 October 2003 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

i've been really impressed by the scale of Broadcast's current US tour. i'm not sure they're covering the Middle enough but multiple dates in many of the bigger cities seems unusual for a band of their stature. of course they'll never be that big but nonetheless...

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Here in the U.S., Coldplay's new album has sold more than Justin Timberlake's. Victory!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 27 October 2003 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Bush.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 27 October 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

It seems pretty safe to say that Radiohead are a pretty fucking huge band in America. I'm not sure if most people even think of them as being a "British band," they are usually just accepted as being their own thing.

Oasis did well in the US for a little while (well, for one album), but their American fanbase has fallen off drastically, so I'd say they broke, but now are kinda broken. Radiohead definitely beats them because their fanbase has been very consistent and they sell more or less the same with each record - platinum, give or take a little bit. Amnesiac sold slightly less, OK Computer sold slightly more.

Blur has done very well for itself, and is pretty well established as a dependable cult band in the US with a few big hits here and there. To a lesser degree, Pulp is a pretty big cult band too. I get the sense that Pulp never realized how many US fans they have - it was a slow build, but I think that if they came to the US to tour for their last record, they would have done really well and sold out large theatres in most major cities with ease.

As has been said, touring the entire US is a key factor in breaking UK acts. Radiohead, Oasis, and Coldplay were never lazy in playing all over the US, and it paid off very well for them.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 27 October 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Here in the U.S., Coldplay's new album has sold more than Justin Timberlake's. Victory!

Really? I'm honestly VERY surprised that that is the case (perversely happy, though).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 October 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

when no one can put them back together ha ha

― thom west (thom w), Monday, 27 October 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Making a decent appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and exclusively occupying the Billboard Top 5 can do wonders for a U.K. band trying to "break into" the States.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 06:43 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

Radiohead is the best band in the world!! No other band cmpares to them.

― there there, Thursday, 1 April 2004 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

At what point does it just become simpler to agree with googlers?

In answer to the original question, I'd say when UK ilmers start attacking the act, only for the act to be defended by American ilmers.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Thursday, 1 April 2004 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Nobody's mentioned the Prodigy! Fat of the Lad was ridiculously huge over here. Debuted at #1 and everything.

I'd say a band truly "breaks" the States when their videos get into heavy rotation on MTV. For example, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" broke the States, but "Slow" did not.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 1 April 2004 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

did you know that at the point when oasis soldthe most records in the states, seal sold more there!

get real, limeys!!!!!!

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 1 April 2004 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

the english shall never break us!

― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 1 April 2004 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

teeny OTM - NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 1 April 2004 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

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