Why There Not Here?

[No Brake$]

My question is, how can english-singing stars be so huge in one country and not the other?
I think Robbie Williams is great, and is such a void in American radio, but he never tests well here. Is it shitty promotion? Is it because he is too european? I mean he does well everywhere but here, extremely well. Not to mention, what about Delta Goodrem. She is a smash in Austrailia and I think maybe 100 people outside of these messageboards have ever heard of her, yet Evanescense and even Matchbox Twenty is loved down there. I just would like to hear people's theories and other examples about the subject.
Have a good weekend- RK

[fredsteve]

Well Delta Goodrem hasn't been released in the US yet so she hasn't really had a chance to flop... lol

I think internationally the emphasis is very much on American music. In Australia, for example, the record industry is MUCH smaller than in the states, because Australia is a country of only 20 million people. Record companies can't afford to take many risks on local acts because expenses to launch an artist are just as high, but rewards are MUCH lower, even if the artist is an absolute smash... the major record companies have to feed their bottom line, and to do that they have to prioritize artists coming from the states and the UK.

In the US, however, it's the exact opposite. They don't need acts from other countries. In fact in most cases they've already got 5 successful artists to fill the demographic of one artist from overseas that may be on offer.

With someone like Robbie Williams... that speaks to a cultural divide between the US and the UK. In reality, Robbie Williams is taking the piss... he's making fun of himself. He is a cocky bastard but he's also trying to be ironic in his behaviour... that's part of why people love him. In the States, everyone takes everything so seriously that he just comes off as arrogant. That's why Craig David worked in the US and Robbie didn't. Craig David is sincere.

[pkwi]

There are foreign artists who do well in the U.S. like Fredsteve said, some like Celine Dion, Nelly Furtado, the Spice Girls () and Craig David have all had success in the U.S.

[Ragin]

The truth about Robbie Williams is that they never push the right songs for him over here. They assume what does well in England are the songs that should do well over here. His last album had no more than 3 singles that would do well on US radio. Those 3 were great though, and not one of them was promoted. They chose songs that to me just didn't make sense for him.

That's my opinion on that artist anyway.

[Deleted]

Ragin(was said:

The truth about Robbie Williams is that they never push the right songs for him over here. 

Which is exactly why most foreign songs don't do well here. It's not a bias. If an American artist recorded half these imports, they'd flop too.

[echarter]

The said:

Which is exactly why most foreign songs don't do well here.  It's not a bias.  If an American artist recorded half these imports, they'd flop too.

I think that Monica's verison of Eternal's "Angel Of Mine" show that that isn't true

"Angel Of Mine" was poorer than most of Robbie's flops.

[Ragin]

beauregard  said:

I think that Monica's verison of Eternal's "Angel Of Mine" show that that isn't true

"Angel Of Mine" was poorer than most of Robbie's flops.

Better, worse, it's a losing argument. It isn't what is BETTER, it's what fits well with a certain audience. Robbie's flops were not as well suited for the US audience as some of his other songs. There is some great music in GB that never makes it over here, but that goes vice versa too. It's not better or worse, it's just DIFFERENT.

[M]

Plus, the UK and the US are two totally different markets.

If you look at both of their charts, you'll notice the differences.

[KikiMets]

What's interesting is that some US acts do much better overseas than at home. Take the Black Eyed Peas, for example. They've had one big hit in the US and their latest album is platinum, but they're huge in Europe.

[M]

KikiMets said:

What's interesting is that some US acts do much better overseas than at home. Take the Black Eyed Peas, for example. They've had one big hit in the US and their latest album is platinum, but they're huge in Europe.

and Canada. ;)

[af18c]

IMO, international artists dont do well in the US simply because the majority of Americans are biased almost. IE..my sister says she hates Kylie, yets she only heard the singles...its like the phrase 'judging the book by its cover' we're just too set in our ways i guess..

[echarter]

What's interesting is that some US acts do much better overseas than at home. Take the Black Eyed Peas, for example. They've had one big hit in the US and their latest album is platinum, but they're huge in Europe.

Yeah VERY different markets  :o

  US Number Ones:    2004 
  "Hey Ya" Outkast    (EU: #1, UK: #3) 
  "The Way You Move" Outkast    (EU: #16, UK: #6) 
  "Slow Jamz" Twista Featuring Kanye West & Jamie Foxx    (EU: #14, UK: #3) 
  "Yeah" Usher Featuring Ludacris & Lil' Jon    (EU: #1, UK #1) 

[Keith3000]

I think this thread should be moved to Your Opinion Please.

[jimmy74747]

Robbie Williams' "Angels" not hitting #1 is still one of the great travesties in pop music chart history.

I have no idea why he never hit it big here. Some groups were just too cheesy or too over-produced (Steps, Atomic Kitten), but I can't figure out his lack of success. It can't be his ego. Oasis was far more over the top.