1D had social media to their advantage. That's how they blew up fast.
Take That had to claw its way to the top of the US market. Then they broke up and they vanished from US consciousness.
Five came very close to breaking the US but Arista eventually screwed up and it allowed BSB and NSYNC to take advantage.
Westlife, Boyzone, and JLS completely bombed in America.
The Wanted were in their early-to-mid twenties (except for Nathan) when they went after the US market. They were too old to be teen idols. After the Christina Aguilera controversy, America's decreasing appetite for generic dance-pop, and an album flop, it's no wonder the Wanted flopped over there.
I can understand why groups like Take That and East 17 never got a look in America wise due to the times and opportunities but the groups you mentioned Westlife, Boyzone and JLS are interesting as they all had the Backstreet Boys/NSYNC formula to follow and retrace their steps in terms of promoting in the US as well as advanced media.
I know Westlife made a massive attempt early on appearing on TRL, Miss America pageant and radio tour/TV doing all the right things but still not making it given the massive push/drive they did. In America it really is all about the strength of the song or band and it just didn't happen.
Don't know about Boyzone but I think though they were like Take That and didn't make an effort and focussed on where they were wanted.
JLS made a half attempt they appeared on local TV in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia but nothing national and did a 6 flags theme park tour and radio but it still didn't happen. They would have been better building up a fanbase in Europe and having hype behind them instead of just the UK. That was in 2010 had it been 2012 it may have been a different story.
5ive had issues with their US and Asian record labels, I'm not sure if that was at the same time though. They also turned down 'Bye Bye Bye' which later went on to be a big hit for NSYNC. Simon Cowell has gone on record and said that was their biggest mistake. In the UK, they went out on a high but their last year was plagued with departures and injuries. Sean left, Ritchie pulled a muscle so had to pull out of a tour, Scott's heart wasn't in it and they called it a day.
The Wanted's problem was Glad You Came became bigger than they were and they had to fight hard to build a presence. It wasn't through lack of trying, they worked their arses off doing constant radio, TV and gigs for promotion. Tom and Max's continual foot in mouth moments made them look arrogant, even though in my experience, they aren't. The petty feud with 1D, for which some members of both groups were responsible for, sealed their fate I think.
They were constantly chasing Glad You Came. Some fans wanted GYC II, which in some respects they were given with Chasing The Sun and I Found You. Then other fans wanted anything but GYC II, they were given Show Me Love and fans didn't want that either. Their issue in the UK, they signed to a US manager who focused all of their attention on America that the UK fans who saw them grow from school tours got very little of them in 2012/2013. Scooter did very little for them IMO
The Wanted I think like you said only have themselves to blame. It's fine to have a laddy bad boy image (5ive had that to an extent) but when it strays into disrespect to others that's when it falls apart. Like you said they kept putting out GYC sequels dance pop over and over and their desperation to remain relevant in America was a shambles for releases and alienated the rest of the World and their UK fans. Like Max said afterwards they couldn't compete with 1D.
5ive went #86 to #10 to #53 on the singles chart in the US for single releases and all from the first album. That shows they made a small impact then capitalised on it and then fell into moderate success due to the top 10 single previously, so very similar to The Wanted in that respect.
Five however where created by Simon Cowell for the purpose of being a success in America following on from the Spice Girls and so had more edge/attitude than Brit boybands before them. Right from their debut single the US was given attention Slam Dunk was one of the official NBA anthems for that year. A song about basketball by a British group that clearly shows US tendencies. They appeared on TRL and a Disney channel kids movie called Smart House.
Their music videos looked American and were shot in America as did their clothes and sound. Five were the most American orientated pop Brit boyband that has come from the UK and fused rap in their pop which also appealed to the US.
Five however were truly international whereas The Wanted weren't album wise which shows a true reflection of a groups popularity. Five were huge in South America and Europe and Australia. So couldn't maintain their standing in the US juggling the workload.
This leads me to my next question. Why exactly were 1D able to make it big in the US when prior UK boybands failed?
Honestly, I don't know. Until JLS, there wasn't really a 'boyband' boyband after Blue split. By that time, Westlife were already starting to get the mum market cornered, rather than the teenage girl market. As far as I can tell, Blue never tried. Westlife, Take That did but probably realised quickly they weren't going to make it and Westlife stuck with the lucrative Asian market.
JLS had the opportunity, Everybody In Love did alright on radio but when it failed to chart on the Hot 100, they never tried again. Any boyband attempting it in the late 90s would have been swallowed up by the NSYNC/BSB situation who had the boyband market well and truly covered between them.
It's the same with British girl groups, when was the last time a UK girl group got a top ten album on Billboard before Little Mix did it? Id say Eternal and Sugababes are vocally better than Little Mix but LM, possibly thrown into the spotlight thanks to Zayn and Perrie, have taken the ball and run with it.
Was it right place right time, was it Cowell's millions, was it YouTube/Twitter? I doubt it's down to their vocal ability if I'm honest. One thing is for sure, if I knew how id be replicating it myself lol
Talking about NSYNC and BSB having monopoly, this brings up something related to 1D's own rise. While there's more room in the UK for multiple teen idols, the US teen market was pretty much all in Bieber's hands. People said that 1D wouldn't crack America as they'd be stuck in Bieber's shadow and have to stay domestically popular. Instead the inverse happened and 1D nearly ended Bieber's career. What happened in that situation?
I think that is simply a case of, Bieber f*cked up big time, or rather Bieber is f*cked up.
I don't think 1D are necessarily to blame for his downfall, growing up is what has ended Bieber. The boy he was when he started, the boy all these girls fell in love with seemingly overnight has long gone. His music, his style, his attitude, none of it is the same as who they initially wanted.
And in a few years, 1D will be the once popular pop stars with another younger, attractive, fresher boy/boyband nipping at their heels. It happened to JLS and Bieber, it will happen to them.
This leads me to my next question. Why exactly were 1D able to make it big in the US when prior UK boybands failed?
Personally I think their personalities have a part to play for their success. If you watch their interviews you realise that they have very fun and infectious personalities. This makes you want to watch another video and another and another. Soon enough you've watched tons of One Direction YouTube vids and realise that you actually really like all 5 of them. Then BAM you're a directioner for life.
Personally I think their personalities have a part to play for their success. If you watch their interviews you realise that they have very fun and infectious personalities. This makes you want to watch another video and another and another. Soon enough you've watched tons of One Direction YouTube vids and realise that you actually really like all 5 of them. Then BAM you're a directioner for life.
I think that is simply a case of, Bieber f*cked up big time, or rather Bieber is f*cked up.
I don't think 1D are necessarily to blame for his downfall, growing up is what has ended Bieber. The boy he was when he started, the boy all these girls fell in love with seemingly overnight has long gone. His music, his style, his attitude, none of it is the same as who they initially wanted.
And in a few years, 1D will be the once popular pop stars with another younger, attractive, fresher boy/boyband nipping at their heels. It happened to JLS and Bieber, it will happen to them.
He started showing maturity in "Under the Mistletoe". That alienated some of his fanbase. Although he's younger than any of 1D, they stayed "children at heart."
The jump from "My World 2.0" to "Believe" was too extreme for many Beliebers. It would be like if 1D jumped from UAN to MM without TMH. That was a necessary step for 1D. Add the Brit factor (that made Elvis seem dated when the Beatles arrived) and the 5-on-1 factor and that pretty much explains why Bieber couldn't hold 1D back.
Nah I've gone past all that and I still think they're brill. I was joking about the 'for life' though, I'm not deluded enough to think One Direction will go on forever.
The Beatles will never be outdone, especially music wise, the last 40 years many have come and gone, but I think in the last 25 to 30 years Take That still have the edge on One Direction, lasting loyalty by their fans and especially in music content and input they're streets ahead of 1D.
For 1D, made up Brit awards and fan voted awards are easily garnered as their fanbase is huge.
Take That and The Beatles have achieved greatness on their own merit.
^^^
We all know The Beatles will never be toppled, well in the near future as records are meant to be broken, they actually were the 2nd best selling artist of the 00s following Britney, says something right there and I wouldn't be surprised if they do that again this decade
Personally I think their personalities have a part to play for their success. If you watch their interviews you realise that they have very fun and infectious personalities. This makes you want to watch another video and another and another. Soon enough you've watched tons of One Direction YouTube vids and realise that you actually really like all 5 of them. Then BAM you're a directioner for life.
Really? They have the opposite effect on me. They are all so monotone.
Who are more successful: Take That or One Direction?
Robbie Williams has made a fortune of 100 Mio pounds and Gary Barlow is worth 70 Mio pounds alone. Talentless One Driection can only ever dream of such a fortune, their money is in the pockets of Simon Cowell because they are too stupid do do anything on their own.
Really? They have the opposite effect on me. They are all so monotone.
Really. That's how I become a big fan of theirs. I knew about them, watched them on TXF and enjoyed their songs but after stumbling across an interview on YouTube I was pulled into their massive fanbase and I got 'it'. And I'm sure I'm not the only person who has done this though maybe on here as DS is very anti-One Direction.
Westlife in their time were the BEST BOYBAND in the world EXCEPT AMERICA
that's the fact, the hype that one direction is having right now was similarly experienced by WESTLIFE during 1999 - 2003, considering there are no social media factors, a lot of competitor boybands back then, compare to today's with 1D with a lot of advantage being gotten from the social media and of course the monolopoly that they got in the market.
WESTLIFE is just too late to crack america, when they came in the industry, market is starting to get rid of boybands in America. it is just the PERFECT WRONG TIMING FOR THEM, as in contrast to 1D.
take that is popular, i understand that now... but very short time in Asia. and one hit wonder in America. Europe must have been their major market...
to sum up it all... WORLDWIDE POPULARITY WISE - IT IS 1D
Take That had to claw its way to the top of the US market. Then they broke up and they vanished from US consciousness.
Not sure Take That completely vanished from US consciousness as they ranked #9 in US Billboard magazine poll of greatest boy bands of all time in 2012 and E! Channel ranked them #10 in Most Awesomest boybands of all time also in 2012. Lists both voted for by US only readers/residents.
In the Billboard poll only One Direction were the other Brit boyband and higher and also in the E! Channel poll The Wanted were #15 and One Direction were #6 so four places up from Take That who were ranked #10.
It seems 5ive who as the only other Brit/Irish boyband to have a top ten aside from TT/The Wanted/1D have slipped more from US consciousness.
When Take That performed at the Olympics in 2012 I know a lot of twitter activity came from the US for trending and a lot of comments reminiscing about high school and Back For Good/Robbie Williams and the old Greatest Hits album from 1996 was just outside the top 100 on US iTunes but fell and BFG was in the pop section of US iTunes quite high.
You're right though they definitely had to claw all the way to the top in the US and at a time when their most charismatic member possibly had already gone also.
TT also did it remaining true to themselves as British both in style and sound, finally being accepted for who they are unlike say 5ive. I like 5ive and their music but as I mentioned in earlier post they were practically US camouflaged for the US audience.
However I don't think anyone is under any illusions that now it's a different story and 1D are a true global success. Take That had their time now 1D are experiencing it for themselves and with opportunities Take That didn't have.
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Take That had to claw its way to the top of the US market. Then they broke up and they vanished from US consciousness.
Five came very close to breaking the US but Arista eventually screwed up and it allowed BSB and NSYNC to take advantage.
Westlife, Boyzone, and JLS completely bombed in America.
The Wanted were in their early-to-mid twenties (except for Nathan) when they went after the US market. They were too old to be teen idols. After the Christina Aguilera controversy, America's decreasing appetite for generic dance-pop, and an album flop, it's no wonder the Wanted flopped over there.
I know Westlife made a massive attempt early on appearing on TRL, Miss America pageant and radio tour/TV doing all the right things but still not making it given the massive push/drive they did. In America it really is all about the strength of the song or band and it just didn't happen.
Don't know about Boyzone but I think though they were like Take That and didn't make an effort and focussed on where they were wanted.
JLS made a half attempt they appeared on local TV in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia but nothing national and did a 6 flags theme park tour and radio but it still didn't happen. They would have been better building up a fanbase in Europe and having hype behind them instead of just the UK. That was in 2010 had it been 2012 it may have been a different story.
The Wanted's problem was Glad You Came became bigger than they were and they had to fight hard to build a presence. It wasn't through lack of trying, they worked their arses off doing constant radio, TV and gigs for promotion. Tom and Max's continual foot in mouth moments made them look arrogant, even though in my experience, they aren't. The petty feud with 1D, for which some members of both groups were responsible for, sealed their fate I think.
They were constantly chasing Glad You Came. Some fans wanted GYC II, which in some respects they were given with Chasing The Sun and I Found You. Then other fans wanted anything but GYC II, they were given Show Me Love and fans didn't want that either. Their issue in the UK, they signed to a US manager who focused all of their attention on America that the UK fans who saw them grow from school tours got very little of them in 2012/2013. Scooter did very little for them IMO
5ive went #86 to #10 to #53 on the singles chart in the US for single releases and all from the first album. That shows they made a small impact then capitalised on it and then fell into moderate success due to the top 10 single previously, so very similar to The Wanted in that respect.
Five however where created by Simon Cowell for the purpose of being a success in America following on from the Spice Girls and so had more edge/attitude than Brit boybands before them. Right from their debut single the US was given attention Slam Dunk was one of the official NBA anthems for that year. A song about basketball by a British group that clearly shows US tendencies. They appeared on TRL and a Disney channel kids movie called Smart House.
Their music videos looked American and were shot in America as did their clothes and sound. Five were the most American orientated pop Brit boyband that has come from the UK and fused rap in their pop which also appealed to the US.
Five however were truly international whereas The Wanted weren't album wise which shows a true reflection of a groups popularity. Five were huge in South America and Europe and Australia. So couldn't maintain their standing in the US juggling the workload.
Honestly, I don't know. Until JLS, there wasn't really a 'boyband' boyband after Blue split. By that time, Westlife were already starting to get the mum market cornered, rather than the teenage girl market. As far as I can tell, Blue never tried. Westlife, Take That did but probably realised quickly they weren't going to make it and Westlife stuck with the lucrative Asian market.
JLS had the opportunity, Everybody In Love did alright on radio but when it failed to chart on the Hot 100, they never tried again. Any boyband attempting it in the late 90s would have been swallowed up by the NSYNC/BSB situation who had the boyband market well and truly covered between them.
It's the same with British girl groups, when was the last time a UK girl group got a top ten album on Billboard before Little Mix did it? Id say Eternal and Sugababes are vocally better than Little Mix but LM, possibly thrown into the spotlight thanks to Zayn and Perrie, have taken the ball and run with it.
Was it right place right time, was it Cowell's millions, was it YouTube/Twitter? I doubt it's down to their vocal ability if I'm honest. One thing is for sure, if I knew how id be replicating it myself lol
I don't think 1D are necessarily to blame for his downfall, growing up is what has ended Bieber. The boy he was when he started, the boy all these girls fell in love with seemingly overnight has long gone. His music, his style, his attitude, none of it is the same as who they initially wanted.
And in a few years, 1D will be the once popular pop stars with another younger, attractive, fresher boy/boyband nipping at their heels. It happened to JLS and Bieber, it will happen to them.
Personally I think their personalities have a part to play for their success. If you watch their interviews you realise that they have very fun and infectious personalities. This makes you want to watch another video and another and another. Soon enough you've watched tons of One Direction YouTube vids and realise that you actually really like all 5 of them. Then BAM you're a directioner for life.
Or till puberty.
He started showing maturity in "Under the Mistletoe". That alienated some of his fanbase. Although he's younger than any of 1D, they stayed "children at heart."
The jump from "My World 2.0" to "Believe" was too extreme for many Beliebers. It would be like if 1D jumped from UAN to MM without TMH. That was a necessary step for 1D. Add the Brit factor (that made Elvis seem dated when the Beatles arrived) and the 5-on-1 factor and that pretty much explains why Bieber couldn't hold 1D back.
Nah I've gone past all that and I still think they're brill. I was joking about the 'for life' though, I'm not deluded enough to think One Direction will go on forever.
For 1D, made up Brit awards and fan voted awards are easily garnered as their fanbase is huge.
Take That and The Beatles have achieved greatness on their own merit.
We all know The Beatles will never be toppled, well in the near future as records are meant to be broken, they actually were the 2nd best selling artist of the 00s following Britney, says something right there and I wouldn't be surprised if they do that again this decade
Really? They have the opposite effect on me. They are all so monotone.
Robbie Williams has made a fortune of 100 Mio pounds and Gary Barlow is worth 70 Mio pounds alone. Talentless One Driection can only ever dream of such a fortune, their money is in the pockets of Simon Cowell because they are too stupid do do anything on their own.
Really. That's how I become a big fan of theirs. I knew about them, watched them on TXF and enjoyed their songs but after stumbling across an interview on YouTube I was pulled into their massive fanbase and I got 'it'. And I'm sure I'm not the only person who has done this though maybe on here as DS is very anti-One Direction.
that's the fact, the hype that one direction is having right now was similarly experienced by WESTLIFE during 1999 - 2003, considering there are no social media factors, a lot of competitor boybands back then, compare to today's with 1D with a lot of advantage being gotten from the social media and of course the monolopoly that they got in the market.
WESTLIFE is just too late to crack america, when they came in the industry, market is starting to get rid of boybands in America. it is just the PERFECT WRONG TIMING FOR THEM, as in contrast to 1D.
take that is popular, i understand that now... but very short time in Asia. and one hit wonder in America. Europe must have been their major market...
to sum up it all... WORLDWIDE POPULARITY WISE - IT IS 1D
Not sure Take That completely vanished from US consciousness as they ranked #9 in US Billboard magazine poll of greatest boy bands of all time in 2012 and E! Channel ranked them #10 in Most Awesomest boybands of all time also in 2012. Lists both voted for by US only readers/residents.
In the Billboard poll only One Direction were the other Brit boyband and higher and also in the E! Channel poll The Wanted were #15 and One Direction were #6 so four places up from Take That who were ranked #10.
It seems 5ive who as the only other Brit/Irish boyband to have a top ten aside from TT/The Wanted/1D have slipped more from US consciousness.
When Take That performed at the Olympics in 2012 I know a lot of twitter activity came from the US for trending and a lot of comments reminiscing about high school and Back For Good/Robbie Williams and the old Greatest Hits album from 1996 was just outside the top 100 on US iTunes but fell and BFG was in the pop section of US iTunes quite high.
You're right though they definitely had to claw all the way to the top in the US and at a time when their most charismatic member possibly had already gone also.
TT also did it remaining true to themselves as British both in style and sound, finally being accepted for who they are unlike say 5ive. I like 5ive and their music but as I mentioned in earlier post they were practically US camouflaged for the US audience.
However I don't think anyone is under any illusions that now it's a different story and 1D are a true global success. Take That had their time now 1D are experiencing it for themselves and with opportunities Take That didn't have.
1D may not be nearly as big as Take That were in the UK, but they make up for that through their international success.