Big in the States but we don't give a hoot.

[Deleted]

Not matter how hard the Americans were told to love Kylie and Robbie, Take That etc they ignored us and didn't give a fig about them (well Kylie a few times) so it's time to have a look at the acts we were told to love and respect and buy their nice records but in the true British style we stuck are noses in the air and turned away and walked off with our heads held high as the poor singers and bands scratched their heads.

First choice is BUSH:



Bush, the London band that we were told were going to be huge over here....then we were told it again....and again but no matter how hard Zain Lowe, Steve Lamacq and all the other Radio 1 jocks tried they couldn't force Bush onto us, not even holding a shotgun to our children's heads would change our minds.

They did manage one Top 10 hit and one other top 40 but the British public stood their ground and were not going to be influenced by the media or the hype and Bush went into history as failing in their home country.

What was it about Bush that the British public didn't like was it a case of they were the sound of America at the time while we were still getting over britpop and promoting the girlbands?

[Deleted]

CATHY DENNIS:



Cathy Dennis should have been a huge star over here as an artist but she wasn't, she achieved one top 10 hit in 1991 "Touch Me" and her other offerings never reached the heights that she did in America, 4 top 10 hits in the states.



If you ask the average joe in the street in the UK who Cathy Dennis was they will either look at you blankly or they might know she wrote "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and "Toxic" but I highly doubt many could name any of her songs.



Lucky for Cathy her song writing skills far outweighed her singing career and repeat plays ensure she has a safe retirement in years to come but as a singer she failed to set her home country alight and had to head for the lands far away.

[o]

Cathy Dennis, a forgotten yummy there.

[o]

Humm, checking her discog out, I'd argue against her inclusion, 5 Top 20 hits in the Uk to 3 in the US, 11 Top 40 hits in the UK over her career, and only 4 in the US, and her albums went to 3 8 and 78 in the UK, whereas only her first charted in the States at 67.

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2016 15:34:09 GMT 1 o said:

Humm, checking her discog out, I'd argue against her inclusion, 5 Top 20 hits in the Uk to 3 in the US, 11 Top 40 hits in the UK over her career, and only 4 in the US, and her albums went to 3 8 and 78 in the UK, whereas only her first charted in the States at 67.

I agree. She definitely was not a one-hit wonder over here.

[LittleChristmasTurkey]

I thought the same thing to be honest. 'Why?' was always a personal favourite of mine.

I'm not sure she'll be too distraught about being on the list though, given the successes of the songs she's written.

[suedehead]

Bush were the first name to spring to mind for this thread. While they were huge in the US, they were playing gigs in the back-rooms of pubs in the UK.

[Razzle Dazzle]

For some reason the UK never really got goo goo dolls. They had 8 different top 40 singles in the usa and only one in the UK "Iris". Which didn't really trouble the top of the UK charts until 20 years after it was originally released

[wonderwall]

Bush sixteen stone was a great album but try follow up razorblade suitcase was disappointing

[Robin]

I agree, Sixteen Stone was a very good album.

Any of these bands/artists could and probably will feature - Silver Chair, Lil' Wayne, Three Doors Down, Tool, Stone Temple Pilots, Creed and Live (who's early stuff I loved)

[TheThorne]

Jan 29, 2016 17:28:51 GMT 1 Razzle Dazzle said:

For some reason the UK never really got goo goo dolls. They had 8 different top 40 singles in the usa and only one in the UK "Iris". Which didn't really trouble the top of the UK charts until 20 years after it was originally released

So annoying especially when The Calling appeared and started getting hits in the UK completely ripping of their sound

[borneoman]

Bush were amazing, their debut has a lot of great songs especially Glycerine, that's a lost classic

[paulgilb]

Matchbox Twenty are another group who were massive in the states (including a #1 with Bent) but didn't do much over here (although frontman Rob Thomas had a couple of hits).

And of course there are many country artists who have been massive across the pond but only have occasional (if any) success over here.

[borneoman]

yes for instance this Blake Shelton or Miranda Lambert etc etc

but besides Bush, I cannot think of any other UK act making it big in the US but flopping in the UK...

[Deleted]

Sam Fox?

[thehitparade]

I have to say, so far this thread is making me very relieved that I don't live in America.
I'm even gladder when I factor in the US acts who are bigger here than over there.

[raliverpool]

Is this thread about British (based) act only, because if it includes acts from America then there could be literally over a thousand examples.

Personally I think Britain got the far better deal with us keeping Kate Bush, and the USA having the awful IMHO Bush.

[Deleted]

Jan 30, 2016 18:52:42 GMT 1 raliverpool said:

Is this thread about British (based) act only, because if it includes acts from America then there could be literally over a thousand examples.

Personally I think Britain got the far better deal with us keeping Kate Bush, and the USA having the awful IMHO Bush.

It can be any act in the world who has been big in the states and has tried to make it big here to but either failed or had some minor success but not the success that was expected.

[raliverpool]

The Escape Club:

This London based dance pop act, comprising of lead singer/rhythm guitarist Trevor Steel and guitarist John Holliday, bassist Johnnie Christo and drummer Milan Zekavica signed to Atlantic Records in 1986 and after being the supporting act to Debbie Gibson's Out Of The Blue tour they became successful scoring 5 Top 100 hits including this chart topper which remained uncharted in their native UK:


Wild Wild West (1988 USA #1; Canada #3; Australia #6)

Their other USA hits were "Shake for the Sheik" (1988 USA #28), "Walking Through Walls" (1989 USA #81); "Call It Poison" (1991 USA #44); & "I'll Be There" (1991 USA #8).

Ironically, the British support act on Debbie Gibson's 1989 Electric Youth tour were Bros who were of course huge in the UK at the time, yet the Americans did not take to them, due to them realising how clearly awful they were.

In the UK Trevor Steel is most famous for writing and co-producing this 1995 UK #5 hit:

[Smurfie]

Hootie and the Blowfish - they had massive album sales in the US, but never really had the same experience in the UK.