Hugely Popular Musicians Who Haven’t Gotten Famous in America

Little River Band

 

They had some pretty big hits in the US in the late 70s/early 80s. What has their career in Australia been like?

 

They were huge here... l was aware they had some success in the US. but l thought they had the body of quality music to make it even bigger!!

 

Nothing to do with the subject matter but that site has 26 trackers on that page!!!

 

Stylus were big in Oz... were the only white group to be signed by the Motown Label but didn't kick on in the States

 

There was a terrible New Wave band that were big(ish) in the States in the late 80s (I think). They had a hit, the title of which was the phone number of the girlfriend in the song or something. Someone gave the number as an answer to a tecchy question on an amp website and I didn't understand the joke because the song never crossed the water. Took me a couple of weeks of calculations to work out that my leg was being pulled.

Going the other way......I'm a big fan of lots of African music, and latin, and cheesy Euro disco. There are tens of thousands (probably) of big stars around the world that never get heard in the States, and all of them are better than Maroon 5.

 

Interesting list.

It’s funny how the Hip’s biggest accomplishment in the US was playing SNL; their last concert was an unofficial national holiday here.

 

Might this have been 1982's 867-5309 Jenny by Tommy Tutone?

 

Has Paul Weller ever really made it big in the US. Always been really popular in the UK. Had number 1's with The Jam way back??

 

Paul Weller has always been very popular in my mind only. Although his solo albums after "Bullrushes" have been on a quite simple format and very disappointing. He stopped pushing the envelope.

Mark Reilly and Matt Bianco haven't really made it on either side of the pond even though they are top shelf in my book. Ive always been drawn guitar wise to Jobim and Gilberto so they are special to me. And they started with Basia who is currently on a small venue concert series that no one should miss.

Justin Currie/DelAmitri, Squeeze, Tracy Thorne and EBTG

 

Some names from the past, I always liked Tracy Thorne, did some really good songs back in the 90's. Edwin Collins is another who should have been bigger than he was. Mike Scott from the Waterboys to!

 

The great Jimmy Barnes from Australia comes to my mind.

 

Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Huge down under back in the day, but the only dent Billy Thorpe ever made in the USA was in the late 70's with his concept album, "Children of the Sun".

 

I took a date to Tracey Thorne and EBTG and after the show I was gushy their greatness and she said " Yes they are really good but I don't think Ive ever heard a band that is always singing about how disappointing their life has been." "Do they have suicide watch on speed dial?"

 

Who knows Jacques Ductronc ?

Here in 1966-67 :







Here in the early 2010s :



My prefered French variety singer... Who stayed always Rock'n'Roll and so cool , always polite but not politiquement correct...

Who knows Michel Polnareff ?

One of his major title marking his return to music and songs after so many years of absence, in the early 90s (also see the girls... ) :



My prefered French singer for his exceptional voice and talent... So provocateur that he left France for USA in the 70s...

Ah, OK, I see the problem : they sing in French their "oldies but goldies"... Too bad ! So I stop there...

A+!

 

Colin James up in Canada. Cool guitar slinger....




Colin James and the Little Big Band II is a record a lotta y’all here would probably dig if you are unfamiliar.....

 

Other old Canadian slingers to check out: Jack de Kyzer, Paul James, and David Wilcox.