Which is better, American or British music?

[AB Asks]

It's an ongoing battle for British music artists�breaking America. Artists like Razorlight and Robbie Williams have spent large amounts of time and money trying to make it across the Atlantic and failed. But is British music worse than American music? Why do British acts often fail to make it as big in America as the do in Britain?

[jedimistress]

I give up...what do you think AB?

[soozmac]

One problem is that there is a basic cultural divide between the 2 countries. Now, I know there are exceptions, but American artists tend to sing about what they've got (just look at RnB, Rap, Hip Hop etc) while UK bands sing about what they haven't got.

The other main problem is size. America is so vast that it is impossible to be played on 1 radio station and be heard by most of the nation. In the UK, you can have your song played on Radio 1, and the chances are, a good percentage of the population will hear it. TotP would have done the same, if it hadn't been flushed down the BBC toilet. Cracking America takes time and money, as well as blood, sweat and tears, travelling from state to state (there are 50, remember!) and doing as much promo as possible. With a country so large and a population so high, even if you promote your butt off, you might only reach 1% of the population, and which record company is going to continue to throw money at such a money-wasting scheme?

Saturation is another issue. Why should Robbie Williams make it big there? I mean, he's a mediocre lounge singer who made if off the back of a dreadful boy-band. Um, who needs him when you have Justin Timberlake? The only UK acts who get any attention over there are ones who break the mould, like the Spice Girls. Even Queen were never a huge success in the states.

[soozmac]

oh, and American acts tend to be popular here because only the "best" (ie most popular and most lucrative) are exported over here by their record label. Listen to the charts over there, and I am quite sure they are as chock-full of crap as ours. But only the big-sellers get exported, so we don't get to hear all the nonsense. Maybe that's a good thing!

[andy-hughes]

Soozmac has got it pretty much covered.

You cannot say that British or American music are 'better' - you simply can't quantify an art form like that.

[Munkeeluvva]

Wow, AB Asks is in the house.

Well AB Asks, instead of wasting your time posting this, why can't you sort out the abuse on here instead?

Make yourself familiar with Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act.

A person who sends, by means of a public telecommunication system, a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or sends by those means, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, a message that he knows to be false or persistently makes use for that purpose of a public telecommunication system, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or both.

And yes, this does apply to the Internet.

By allowing it to continue, you are condoning it.