Bands that are hugely popular, but remain kind of obscure in most other countries.

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I know there are loads in the UK, but the US? Creedence Clearwater Revival get mentioned a lot in threads but I can't for the life of me think of the last time anyone mentioned them IRL in the UK. Who else? Neil Young? Maybe. Lyryd Skynryd?

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:13 (eighteen years ago)

So far you're delineating the average Radio 2 playlist.

There's that whole wave of '60s pop we just didn't get at all - i.e. Johnny Rivers, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the Cowsills...

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:14 (eighteen years ago)

Dave Matthews Band, Hootie And The Blowfish, Counting Crows, Live. All hugely popular in the US. All mostly ignored elsewhere.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:20 (eighteen years ago)

Hootie & The Blowfish OTM.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

Also most country artists, Garth Brooks is the first to come to mind.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:29 (eighteen years ago)

I thought Counting Crows were fairly well recogognised in the UK? As were Live maybe, alhtough I don't know how popular they were in the US comparatively. What about Cheap Trick?

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:29 (eighteen years ago)

One minor hit only (the obvious one).

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:30 (eighteen years ago)

Btw. I could mention hundreds of Norwegian acts, but I guess that doesn't count :)

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:31 (eighteen years ago)

Fra Lippo Lippi fan club to thread.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:33 (eighteen years ago)

LOL. Fra Lippo Lippi are apparently huge in the Phillipines. A lot more popular than in Norway :)

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 10:35 (eighteen years ago)

Travis, Manic Street Preachers.
They never really broke in Italy (if this can somewhat counts...).

― Marco Damiani, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:06 (eighteen years ago)

Tommy James and the Shondells

― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:07 (eighteen years ago)

Dave Matthews Band? There was a big push to break them here a few years back but I think it was kind of botched, I couldn't name you one of their songs.

― chap, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:13 (eighteen years ago)

PHish

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:15 (eighteen years ago)

Travis, Manic Street Preachers.

May not be big in the US, but they are certainly popular in the rest of the Western world. Particularly Travis.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:16 (eighteen years ago)

Tommy James & the Shondells did have a number one in the UK with "Mony Mony" so they weren't completely unknown.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:17 (eighteen years ago)

"May not be big in the US, but they are certainly popular in the rest of the Western world. Particularly Travis"

I'm just talking about Italy: not that Travis should feel too worried about not being that popular here...

― Marco Damiani, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:44 (eighteen years ago)

I like Fra Lippo Lippi.

Garth Brooks regularly presents Football Focus so he is hardly unknown in the UK.

Do the Wurzels have much of a following outside of the UK?

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:48 (eighteen years ago)

Travis, Manic Street Preachers.

May not be big in the US, but they are certainly popular in the rest of the Western world. Particularly Travis.

MSP were pretty huge in Portugal circa "This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours". Travis never caught on, no.

― Daniel_Rf, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:50 (eighteen years ago)

In Norway, Manics remain sort of an underground favourite, while Travis has topped lots and lots of album lists.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:51 (eighteen years ago)

"Best Album to Listen to with a Nice Mug of Horlicks", "Best Use of Aphex Aural Exciter", "Varg Vikernes' Top 10 Albums of 2001"

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:54 (eighteen years ago)

A Swedish friend told me on Saturday that British bands aren't doing well there these days.

― blueski, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:56 (eighteen years ago)

But The Klaxons are set to change all that.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:57 (eighteen years ago)

A Swedish friend told me on Saturday that British bands aren't doing well there these days.

Swedish bands are struggling considerably more. I mean, where are today's Roxette's, Ace Of Base's or Rednex's?

As for British bands, The Arctic Monkeys are doing very well sales-wise. Not that I understand why.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:01 (eighteen years ago)

I thought Sweden was THE music hotspot of le jour though?

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:02 (eighteen years ago)

Swedish bands do very well in Sweden at least. I told the guy that Britain is not very interested in European artists anymore.

― blueski, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:02 (eighteen years ago)

Swedish bands do very well in Sweden at least.

But other than the occasional "rock" act singing in Swedish (Kent, Bob Hund, Håkan Hellström, Björn Rosenström), they will even rarely cross over to the Norwegian market these days. Swedish music export isn't quite what it used to be back in the 90s.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:04 (eighteen years ago)

The Knife, the Concretes, all that stuff?

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:06 (eighteen years ago)

They don't quite sell in the same amounts that Roxette and Ace Of Base did, do they?

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:06 (eighteen years ago)

Neither, sadly, does Annie From Norway.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:07 (eighteen years ago)

No but it could be argued that Roxette and Ace of Base were around at the height of Europop acceptance and a wave of ABBA revivalism.

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:08 (eighteen years ago)

x-post True. Not even in the same amounts as a-ha did in the 80s (which, after all, is the only really big commercial success Norway has spawned - at least which lasted for a while)

Röyksopp have outsold Annie in the 00s though.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:09 (eighteen years ago)

Peter Bjorn and John?

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:11 (eighteen years ago)

No but it could be argued that Roxette and Ace of Base were around at the height of Europop acceptance and a wave of ABBA revivalism.

I think it may have had to do with MTV. When MTV Europe was launched, it became an easier way for European acts to crossover to other European markets. No other country managed to benefit from that possibility as much as Sweden.

These days, MTV have their own channels in most European countries, which means there is no MTV Europe anymore and the crossover potential that existed in the 90s is once again lost.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:13 (eighteen years ago)

I mean, Swedish acts do get exposure on MTV, but only Swedes watch MTV Sweden anyway.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:13 (eighteen years ago)

That is interesting that modern Swedish bands aren't crossing over well even into Norway.

I was wondering how nationalistic the mood in the Swedish music industry is now compared to the past pop heydays...as there seems to be a broader range of pop coming out of there now even if it's not doing well anywhere else (except the internets lol).

― blueski, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago)

Why are you euro-aspie guys talking about bands that have been out of style for 10 years everywhere as if they're popular anywhere?

― JW, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:16 (eighteen years ago)

which means there is no MTV Europe anymore and the crossover potential that existed in the 90s is once again lost.

some truth to this also i think.

but you don't even get 'naff' holiday hits like 'Saturday Night' or even 'The Ketchup Song' in the UK anymore (and in the past these didn't really on MTV so much as they did on people coming back from holidays on the continent).

― blueski, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago)

There are surely a lot of alternative Swedish acts doing quite well. I think no one has mentioned Dungen yet.

But the point here is, if you want to get your music out to a cult audience all over the world, the Net helps you. You don't even need to do anything, if your music is good it will attract listeners all over the world almost anyway. There are also lots of Norwegian acts who have broken through to cult audiences internationally thanks to the Net (face it: how many people outside Norway would have heard of Turbonegro hadn't it been for the Internet?)

But if you want to reach a huge mainstream audience, the Net isn't enough. Then you need something else. MTV Europe was that something else for the Swedes, but MTV Europe isn't around anymore.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:18 (eighteen years ago)

aspie

glasshouse.jpg

― blueski, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:20 (eighteen years ago)

No one's yet mentioned Suburban Kids With Christian Names (from Sweden) who are responsible for my favourite single of the year thus far.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago)

Btw., just to underline my last point. There are several Bertine Zetlitz and Margaret Berger fans on ILM, but I don't think either has ever has anything released outside Norway.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:25 (eighteen years ago)

I'd guess that Gasolin' from Denmark are contendors for this crown.

― dlp9001, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 14:10 (eighteen years ago)

Or a lot of other National favourites. Although Gasolin were huge in Norway.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 14:13 (eighteen years ago)

Girls Aloud

― I know, right?, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:52 (eighteen years ago)

The opposite of this are the numerous bands that are HUGE in Canada but cannot sell 100 tickets anywhere else even in America, a result of the broadcasting rules that mandate Canadian artists make up a certain percentage of airplay.

― NYCNative, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:24 (eighteen years ago)

Shitty AZNAC bands like Powderfinger that can seemingly turn up in London and play to 1,000 adoring fans who got the night off from working at Walkabout to see their homeland heroes.

― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:26 (eighteen years ago)

van der graaf generator were really big in italy and nowhere else.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:32 (eighteen years ago)

Also most country artists, Garth Brooks is the first to come to mind.

Not in Ireland. For some incomprehensible reason, country is huge here -- especially Brooks. He's sold out more than one stadium show here in the past, if I'm not mistaken.

― MacDara, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:33 (eighteen years ago)

"The opposite of this are the numerous bands that are HUGE in Canada but cannot sell 100 tickets anywhere else even in America, a result of the broadcasting rules that mandate Canadian artists make up a certain percentage of airplay."

Like any country there are bands that are more popular at home than overseas but other than the Tragically Hip I can't think of any "HUGE" bands that fit this description. The Cancon rules make little difference in this case. Even with those regulations (usually 25-40% depending on the station/format/medium) the percentage of Canadian artists on Canadian Radio and TV is much lower than the percentage of UK artists on the BBC, or US artists on MTV.

― everything, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:34 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, and Stompin Tom, but he rarely gets played on the radio any more anyway.

― everything, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:37 (eighteen years ago)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Trevi

― Pashmina, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:41 (eighteen years ago)

i feel like, for the English speaking world, New Zealand could rule this thread. i'm thinking off the top of my head of bands like The Chills, The Clean and Goodshirt that seem to be regarded highly and sell well in NZ but rarely crop up elsewhere.

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:43 (eighteen years ago)

The Chills and The Clean are ancient though. We cared about them in the 80s. Goodshirt are defunct one-hit wonders were they not?

― everything, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:47 (eighteen years ago)

there was no regard to time, or indeed tense, in my post. at various points in their respective careers i feel like they met the thread description, but i'm neither a kiwi nor an expert.

who sells now, then? how well do Die! Die! Die! and The Mint Chicks do?

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:53 (eighteen years ago)

not very well, i'm guessing

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:54 (eighteen years ago)

But the thread title says "hugely popular". Die! Die! Die! and The Mint Chicks are not huge in NZ.

― everything, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:59 (eighteen years ago)

lol Garth Brooks popular

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude ‫茄蕃‪, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:00 (eighteen years ago)

that's what i figured. i was scraping the barrel of my knowledge of half-decent current NZ bands.

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:01 (eighteen years ago)

Drummer Johnny Fay of the Tragically Hip once famously quipped to Billboard that being the biggest band in Canada was "like being the world's tallest midgets."

― everything, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:03 (eighteen years ago)

Not in Ireland. For some incomprehensible reason, country is huge here -- especially Brooks.

Dunno if it is that much comprehensible. The folk tradition that predated and influenced American country music had a lot in common with traditional Irish music after all.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:24 (eighteen years ago)

Any non-Scots like Scheme?

Come to think of it, any Scots here like Scheme?

Didn't think so.

― everything, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:26 (eighteen years ago)

The Streets

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 26 April 2007 00:36 (eighteen years ago)

Sloan and The Tragically Hip are certified rockstars in Canada but are relatively unknown in the US and elsewhere.

― tinnitus, Thursday, 26 April 2007 01:11 (eighteen years ago)

How big is Jimmy Buffett outside of the US?

― dlp9001, Thursday, 26 April 2007 01:30 (eighteen years ago)

In Australia, Powderfinger.

(Unfortunately).

― Drooone, Thursday, 26 April 2007 01:33 (eighteen years ago)

Is this supposed to be between Europe and America only?? I'm sure there are HUNDREDS of non English language music that fit this.

― Jack Burton, Thursday, 26 April 2007 02:57 (eighteen years ago)

Dunno if it is that much comprehensible. The folk tradition that predated and influenced American country music had a lot in common with traditional Irish music after all.

8080

(I hope "8080" is not already passé.)

― Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 26 April 2007 03:14 (eighteen years ago)

I was going to say Jet but they did have their day in the sun elsewhere didn't they? Urrgh.

― Trayce, Thursday, 26 April 2007 03:52 (eighteen years ago)

There is also the tradition of the long-serving "our Elvis" megastar who has had hits for decades at home but is largely unknown outside his own country.

Thus Cliff Richard in Britain, who's had a few hits here and there in America but has never really broken the market, Johnny Hallyday (France), Joe Dolan (Ireland), John Rowles/John Farnham (NZ) and doubtless many others besides.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 26 April 2007 07:13 (eighteen years ago)

If anybody's got 850 Euros spare and wants to buy me this

http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000F2BWZA/ref%3Dpe%5F4611%5F2164801%5Fpe%5Fmu%5F2164801%5F26/171-1373252-5889865

I'd be, um, grateful.

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 26 April 2007 07:33 (eighteen years ago)

I'd quite like some decent 2CD career retrospectives of Jacques Dutronc and Adriano Celentano, if any exist - the only ones I ever see in the shops have ultra-tacky covers with about ten tracks apiece and retail for £33.99 on import.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 26 April 2007 07:47 (eighteen years ago)

Now, John Farnham did have one worldwide hit back in 1987.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 26 April 2007 07:57 (eighteen years ago)

"You're The Voice" - what a "classic."

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 26 April 2007 08:34 (eighteen years ago)

What about Rammstein? They are really quite big in continental Europe, even in non-German speaking countries like Finland (despite their German lyrics), but they never seemed to have made a major impression in the English-speaking world.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 26 April 2007 09:40 (eighteen years ago)

Except amongst metal fans, but there are hardly any of them, right?

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 26 April 2007 09:44 (eighteen years ago)

Well, I checked their chart positions, and only one of their albums seems to have ever made it into the British or American Top 40. Whereas in Finland most of their albums have gone straight to Top 10.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 26 April 2007 09:46 (eighteen years ago)

Silverchair in Aust?

― moley, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:42 (eighteen years ago)

Dunno if it is that much comprehensible. The folk tradition that predated and influenced American country music had a lot in common with traditional Irish music after all.

Point taken, though the connection between the Irish folk tradition and the commercial pap that Brooks represents is tenuous at best, to my ears at least. And I have no idea where Daniel O'Donnell fits into the equations.

― MacDara, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:46 (eighteen years ago)

I was going to say Jet but they did have their day in the sun elsewhere didn't they? Urrgh.

They've had a few top 20 hits here. Urrgh seconded.

― chap, Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:49 (eighteen years ago)

Dunno if it is that much comprehensible. The folk tradition that predated and influenced American country music had a lot in common with traditional Irish music after all.

Depends what you mean by Irish, if you mean "Ulster-Scots" (i.e. basically Lowland Scots), you're right

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 10:57 (eighteen years ago)

Point taken, though the connection between the Irish folk tradition and the commercial pap that Brooks represents is tenuous at best, to my ears at least.

I guess the same could be said about the American folk tradition too.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 26 April 2007 11:06 (eighteen years ago)

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band in Scotland?

― moley, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:36 (eighteen years ago)

Very much so. They were fairly big in terms of Britain at their peak but I can attest that Alex was a god of Elvis proportions in Scotland, and especially in West Central Scotland, since we'd known him since the fifties.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:38 (eighteen years ago)

Ah that's a good one, but I was thinking more of their popularity in Australia... I think they were popular in Germany too?

Flying Burrito Brothers in Holland!!!!!!!!!

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:39 (eighteen years ago)

This Dutch guy I met was going on about this band called Golden Earring I'd never heard of.

― chap, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:40 (eighteen years ago)

You've never heard "Radar Love"?!??!?!

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:41 (eighteen years ago)

Nope.

― chap, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:42 (eighteen years ago)

Udo Lindenberg!

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:43 (eighteen years ago)

I've just checked Radar Love out and I've actually heard it loads; I just didn't know what it was called or who it was by.

― chap, Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:11 (eighteen years ago)

Eva Braun from Yugoslavia. My slavic friend turned me on to them, I can't find their albums (heartcore??) anywhere but from what I remember they sound like Slavic REM.

anyone?

― Capn Guthrie, Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:11 (eighteen years ago)

I think bands that are big in other countries when they aren't big in their own are more interesting, see VDGG/Italy, Burritos/Netherlands

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:13 (eighteen years ago)

While neither is obscure, it's struck me that the Greatful Dead and Hawkwind seem to occupy the same niche within their native lands, and their reputation is outsized within those borders.

― bendy, Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago)

Hawkwind are nothing like as popular

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:19 (eighteen years ago)

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