{"id":1030,"date":"2021-08-11T06:00:35","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T06:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/holychurchofrock.com\/?p=1030"},"modified":"2021-08-11T06:00:38","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T06:00:38","slug":"british-vs-american-rock-is-there-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/holychurchofrock.com\/british-vs-american-rock-is-there-a-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"British vs. American Rock: Is There A Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Artists have dominated the Rock music genre from either side of the Atlantic divide between the United States and The United Kingdom. But is there a difference between British Rock and American Rock?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
American Rock and British Rock have always had their fates intertwined, and there are a few noticeable differences between the two. Still, other than the artist\u2019s origins, no strictly definable characteristics separate the two.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Artists that have almost entirely shaped the evolution of Rock music as a whole are from the two biggest English-speaking nations on earth, the US and the UK. And, while artists like The Beatles<\/em> achieved unprecedented success courtesy of the influential role of Elvis Pressley\u2019s early iterations of Rock \u2018n Roll in the 50s, legends of the genre to emerge in the US after The Beatles<\/em>, like Kiss<\/em> and Nirvana<\/em>, may not have made their music without the British pioneers \u2013 who remain the highest selling band of all time, bar none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rock music was born in the United States in the 1950s, combining Blues, Gospel, Jazz, and Country music, with artists such as \u200b\u200bMuddy Watters, Elvis Pressley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and Little Richard spearheading the movement in the post-war era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the 1960s, the \u201cBritish invasion\u201d, where The Beatles<\/em>, The Rolling Stones<\/em>, The Who<\/em>, and several others dominated the charts, cemented the UK as the birthplace of some of the most influential musicians of all time. Meanwhile, American Rock stars, like Jimi Hendrix, would continue to wow audiences with their own unique styles that offered something slightly different to music fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, throughout best-selling the 1970s to the present day, Rock artists have made a name for themselves and etched their names into musical folklore, emerging from both countries. Their varying success seems to be defined by a cultural divide more than by their music itself. Perhaps the best observation you could make is that solo artists seem to be far more popular in the US, while bands appear to dominate the scene in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One noticeable difference between British and American Rock music is that solo artists seem to be far more successful in the United States. In contrast, Rock bands seem to achieve higher levels of success in Britain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you take a look at the top 20 highest selling artists of all time, you\u2019ll notice that the list is perfectly split between bands and solo acts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Top 25 Selling Artists of All Time<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You will notice that eight are from North America out of the ten solo artists, while eight of the ten best-selling bands are from outside of America. So, just like Rock music itself isn\u2019t necessarily defined by a particular style, outside of a general affinity towards the electric guitar and its ties youth counter-culture, the difference between British and American Rock appears to be delineated on a cultural basis more than by the individual artists\u2019 specific styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>The Intertwined Fates of British & American Rock<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Solo Artists vs. Bands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Artist<\/strong><\/td> Band\/Solo<\/strong><\/td> Origin<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> The Beatles<\/td> Band<\/td> British<\/td><\/tr> Michael Jackson<\/td> Solo<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> Madonna<\/td> Solo<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> Led Zeppelin<\/td> Band<\/td> British<\/td><\/tr> Elton John<\/td> Solo<\/td> British<\/td><\/tr> Pink Floyd<\/td> Band<\/td> British<\/td><\/tr> Mariah Carey<\/td> Solo<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> Celine Dio<\/td> Solo<\/td> Canadian<\/td><\/tr> AC\/DC<\/td> Band<\/td> Australian<\/td><\/tr> Whitney Houston<\/td> Solo<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> The Rolling Stones<\/td> Band<\/td> British<\/td><\/tr> Queen<\/td> Band<\/td> British<\/td><\/tr> ABBA<\/td> Band<\/td> Swedish<\/td><\/tr> The Eagles<\/td> Band<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> U2<\/td> Band<\/td> Irish<\/td><\/tr> Billy Joel<\/td> Solo<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> Phil Collins<\/td> Solo<\/td> British<\/td><\/tr> Aerosmith<\/td> Band<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> Frank Sinatra<\/td> Solo<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr> Barbra Streisand<\/td> Solo<\/td> American<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n