With Will Young finishing fifth in World Idol does anybody else wonder why Britain has so few succesfull international singers. Look at how many American artists make it big in the British charts, can we actually say we've got any great talent?

Craig David is one of the few recent successes in the American chart, why can't Britain produce international successes like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake? What have they got what we haven't?

What are you talking about?

Will ooozes talent, he has more talent in his little finger than Justin.

We seem to judge success by how they do in the American charts.. the fact is americans dont like our singers? It doesnt mean we dont have talent, becuase we do!

If Will had sung like we know he can he would have walked away with the World Idol title. The thing is that he didn't want to do it and he said in an interview on ITV on 15 December that it was a very presumptuous thing to be called World Idol - "Prat Idol" more likely (talking about himself).

We used to do very well in America.

The 1980s are much maligned now but Brits did very well in the USA, regulars in the American top ten in those days.

Having said that, a lot of quality British acts never made much impact in the US (Smiths, Roxy Music, T-Rex, Kinks, Human League, Talk Talk and Marillion for instance). Americans have missed out on a lot of good British music over the years.

I said this in the Pop Idol forum, its relevant here.

Do we see Justin, Britney etc as superstars , purely because they are American?

It seems if you are an American artist, you are automatically "A" list here, even if they arn't fairing well in our charts.

It seems American "Superstars" are ten a penny, but British "Superstars" are much rarer, I think we see them as less famous, purely because they are British, if you see what I mean, (closer to home, more familiar)

I guess so. It just irritates me how artists that are big over here fail to get accepted by the American audience.

Although Britain has few 'international' singers that make it big, i think that the music that our artists produce is just as good as the music coming out of America. Take Robbie for instance. He's probably the most popular male artist in the UK, but why doesn't the Americans like him? Guess it's all down to tastes etc etc

I think Americans just love Americans, they think they are the best, and are reluctant to listen to foreign artists. The poor viewing figures for World Idol in the US says it all, they already think Kelly Clarkson won World Idol when she won American Idol .

I think what is sad, is that they've convinced the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, that they are the best too, we seem to have developed an inferiority complex. We and the rest of Europe fall over ourselves to play American stuff, and the average successful American artist finds it a breeze to break Europe. Where as our good artists have to slave like dogs to even get airplay in the US.

We need to respect our own artists more, and stop looking at American artists with such rose tinted spectacles - and that goes for our radio stations too, not just the public.

I certainly don't.

Thats just subjective. I dont like them but have to admit by any yardstick they are 'superstars'.
I thnik a few new artists could have success in the states.
'The Darkness' are promising, althought im not sure if the americans would 'get' them.
Alex Parks, depending on her next album and how its promoted, could be massive. Certainly has the potential.
A Brit who is on the verge of success in the Usa and the UK, is Joss Stone, great voice, and could be a big superstar, gorgoeus looks and an equally gorgeous voice.

British acts dominated the states for much of the sixties through to the eighties. Interesting how, since the advent of MTV, how American acts have regained the ground to such a point, that there are hardly any mega sucessfull new british acts in the states.

Including the yardstick of talent? I don't think so.

They are just hype. British people with the same musical talent wouldn't get anywhere in the States.

Thats whats so annoying! , we have alot of talent in this country

I think we have to make more of our own talented artists in Britain before we can expect Americans to take any notice of us.

Look how well the Spice Girls did in the states though five or so years ago.....and we all know about how much musical talent they had

They were quite an aberration, and a lot more effort than usual was made to promote them in America. It didn't last long though, did it? I suspect most Americans don't remember them now.

Spears, Aguilera etc. are still dominant in British pop.

Bush were big in the US a few years back, and years before them, so were Def Leppard. Mainly through sounding 'American'. I think the polished UK stuff probably has the best chance in the US, and let's face it, a lot of our polished stuff is over produced weak pop at the moment, and the States has plenty of it's own already. Though really I'm not too bothered where an artist is successful (or if they are successful, though obviously lack of success may cause people to quit), as long as they make great music.

Maybe the problem is that current UK youth culture seems to want to make your average Jo(e) Public famous, in as short a time frame as possible, milking it for all it's worth, until the rest of the public gets bored, gets wise, or moves on the next thing on the production line. Without talent being a requirement for the initial fame. It's hard not to sound cynical.......

Anyone know how Muse are doing in the States?

That's true.

Another band that sounded 'American' and did well over there were Level 42, and it was only recently I found out they weren't American.

Isn't a lot of it to do with exposure? Like an American artists can release a single and a video here, do a couple of weeks doing the round of the kids TV shows, This mornign etc and they've been exposed to basically their entire audience. In the Us it's much harder, I don't think there's any network Tv show which airs music videos, only a few have music stars performing (the talk show circuit), and the country is so damn huge you can be huge in New York and Alabahma will have never heard of you. A band is better off staying in the Uk keeping thier profile up rather than spending 6 mnoths in the Us TRYING to break it.

Whatever, hype, talentless, etc etc, they are still superstars. Yes, you can question whever they deserve the status, but they do HAVE that status.

You said by any yardstick, I'm saying by the yardstick of musical talent they cannot possibly be superstars.

Lemar should do very well In the states, he has the right style/attitude. I think hes already been approached by a number of US producers.

Good luck to him!

me neither. i always wondered how justin suddenly went from this crap boyband singer to supposed superstar . personally cant stand him. he can grab kylies arse as much as he wants - its not going to convince me hes a great singer.

not bothered about what america thinks of our singers. if people cant see how great Will Young is, thats their problem

I would class Coldplay as great....and evan Oasis. I certainly wouldn't class Will Young "great" by any stretch of the imagination.

David Bowie is one British artist that does well worldwide as his latest tour shows - he's not only done Europe & the UK but Canada, America Australia, New Zealand & Japan - not bad for someone in their late fifties

we all have different opinions, one persons great is another persons crap.
i personally cant see the attraction in coldplay or oasis. u cant see the attraction in will. arent differences what makes the world interesting?

Yeah definitely, and thats why we're having this discussion now! Sorry, didn't mean it to seem as though I was having a go earlier. Having a bad day that's all!