| I think your whole premise is flawed. The "best" and "most influential" bands are not easily definable. Certainly the entire rock'n'roll genesis of the 1950s was ENTIRELY American. And groups like the beach boys, three dog night, the four seasons, countless motown acts, and on, and on, have supplied britain with most of the sounds which then come back in a slightly varied form.
I think the truth is that americans like exotic novelty. Bands from Britain appeal to that, and thus become huge in the US provided they have real talent and skill. British artists generally aren't considered to have 'made it' until they make it in the US. Rightly or wrongly, it's true. |