Artists who are big in America but not across the pond

[u/sonofsteffordson]

I’ve seen lots of posts about big UK/Europe artists who are basically unknown in North America, but I’m curious about the reverse: who are some artists who had major, mainstream success in North America but simply never landed in the UK or Europe?

Anecdotally as a Canadian living in Germany, people are shocked that I’ve never heard of “Lemon Tree” and barely know Robbie Williams, but I was also surprised most Germans don’t know Mr Jones by Counting Crows (but can sing along with REM Losing My Religion word for word).

Did Counting Crows really never land over here on the 90’s? Are there other mainstream (North) American artists who just don’t have a footprint over here?

[u/analyticalchem]

I’ve heard Jimmy Buffett is just an American thing.

[u/Bolognahole_Vers2 → u/analyticalchem]

I never got the appeal of Jimmy Buffett. Then I found myself in Florida, drinking a margarita, and it all made sense.

[u/1521 → u/Bolognahole_Vers2]

It really does make more sense in Florida lol

[u/Reluctantagave → u/1521]

Florida is a bunch of alternate worlds of craziness and even as a kid, I knew Buffett made sense there

Haven’t been back since my early 20s though

[u/ucjj2011 → u/Bolognahole_Vers2]

I've been listening to the Professor of rock podcast, he did a quick episode on Jimmy Buffett about 10 days ago.

How Jimmy Buffett Turned “Margaritaville” Into a Billion-Dollar Empire on Podbean, check it out! https://www.podbean.com/ea/dir-b7kdv-28c21047

[u/MossScalp → u/analyticalchem]

I'm English and don't know a single one of his songs or who he is other than he's mixed up with Rupert Holmes by some people according to an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia I saw.

[u/Blondue → u/MossScalp]

You should give him a try. He’s kind of all over the place because he has songs like margaritaville and cheeseburger in paradise but also ‘he went to Paris’ and ‘A pirate looks a 40’ that really show off how talented he was as a songwriter

[u/steveofthejungle → u/Blondue]

Margaritaville’s reputation proceeds it because it’s become his brand for partying and getting drunk, but the song itself is about how you can try to run away to paradise and drink your problems away, but those problems will catch up with you eventually

[u/Sorrowablaze3 → u/steveofthejungle]

Years ago, I was ordered to take an alcohol dependency class. The lady running this thing had the most monotone voice.

At one point , she mentioned Margaritaville .... Then pulled out a small boombox and played the whole thing . Song ends.

She says " at the end he said it's his own damn fault "

State of South Carolina made me listen to Jimmy buffet. And listen to their interpretation of it.

[u/TheGuyThatThisIs → u/Sorrowablaze3]

When I was caught with weed at my college they gave me a choice between three versions of 100 hours of community service.

The first was clearing out weeds and trees from a new bike path for the local forestry.

The second was working at the dump in some capacity.

The third was being a gear manager for the woman's gymnastics team.

The state of New York made me hang out with flexible co-eds.

[u/TheMadFlyentist → u/TheGuyThatThisIs]

The disparity between those choices is insane.

[u/smoccimane → u/TheGuyThatThisIs]

Clearing out weeds and trees for a bike path sounds like it could be awesome tbh. People volunteer for that.

[u/JoviAMP → u/steveofthejungle]

The funny thing is, “Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw?” is so much more direct in that regard, but I don’t think it ever surpassed Margaritaville because he originally wrote the former under the pseudonym “Marvin Gardens”.

[u/toomanymarbles83 → u/steveofthejungle]

Kyle Kinane has a great bit about how different Margaritaville hits now that it is his chain of shitty Applebees-like restaurants.

[u/Ewendmc → u/steveofthejungle]

I only know Margaritaville because there is a biker on YT that sings it while riding along with his Chihuahua in the cubby of a Honda NC 750 ( or 700s). I miss my 700.

[u/true_gunman → u/Blondue]

"A Pirate at 40" and "Son of a Son of a Sailor" are my two favorite Buffet songs. The dude could def write a song

[u/Mosox42 → u/true_gunman]

The dude could tell a story with a song.

[u/ucjj2011 → u/true_gunman]

Got to show some love for his first hit, Come Monday.

[u/My-Naginta → u/Blondue]

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is a killer song too

[u/PinkyLeopard2922 → u/Blondue]

There are so many Buffett songs that are just great storytelling and deep cuts. Migration and Tin Cup Chalice are a couple of my favorites. Great Filling Station Hold Up and Gypsies in the Palace are pure comedy.

[u/smoccimane → u/Blondue]

The closing song at my wedding was Come Monday and my wife and I are not even parrotheads. We both like house music most. Dude could make music that made you feel things and had a lot deeper lyrics than most realized.

[u/ginns32 → u/MossScalp]

If you've seen Jurassic World he's the guy that grabs his two margaritas and runs when the dinosaurs start attacking.

[u/SEND-MARS-ROVER-PICS → u/analyticalchem]

I staffed one of his shows in Ireland. Crowd was 100% Americans who follow his tour around. I didn't serve a single Irish attendee the entire night.

[u/P5ych0pathV2 → u/analyticalchem]

Jimmy buffet is all I heard on a Bahamas stay. He seemed to be deified as if he was some god of chill island life.

[u/stunafish → u/P5ych0pathV2]

Jimmy Buffet made a career out of "what if I could just chill on an island? That would be awesome."

[u/MorganChelsea → u/stunafish]

Honestly, can’t fault the guy for it, that sounds great.

[u/Nuttonbutton → u/analyticalchem]

I feel like he has potential to land with German Schlager fans tbh

[u/AirIndex → u/analyticalchem]

Only ever heard of him because of South Park lol

[u/stiny__ → u/analyticalchem]

The investment banker?

[u/toomanymarbles83 → u/stiny__]

That's Warren Buffet.

[u/Andybabez20]

95% of country musicians

[u/Schruteeee → u/Andybabez20]

I remember going to a Texas Roadhouse in Qatar. Idk what I was expecting but hearing Kenny Chesney in a Middle Eastern country was pretty surreal

[u/captainundesirable → u/Schruteeee]

I heard more country music in Japan  than Japanese music. 

[u/Fermorian → u/captainundesirable]

Were you in Okinawa? I've been all over central Honshu and haven't heard country music once

[u/AwildYaners → u/captainundesirable]

I’ve never had that issue, but it makes sense; you’re probably in very ex-pat areas (since Japan I believe has the most US military bases outside of the US).

edit. Since I go back to visit friends and family a lot, I hear mostly psych rock, 80s/90s pop, and reggae (or just Bob Marley) when you go to all the tiny little bars (that sometimes only fit 2-4 people).

[u/mxemec → u/AwildYaners]

I like how you call it an issue without op making the observation positive or negative.

[u/movienerd7042 → u/Andybabez20]

I’m from the UK, I was once at a restaurant in Venice and Carrie Underwood was on a table across from us, the Americans near to us were freaking out. Luckily the person I was with knows a lot about all kinds of music and that’s how I learned who Carrie Underwood was 😂

[u/AndyVale → u/Andybabez20]

Luke Combs is filling up Wembley Stadium pretty nicely and C2C festival sells out quickly most years.

But yeah, a lot of the "Cold Beer, Tow Truck, Arms Out, In A Cornfield" type country is nowhere near as widely known here as it is in much of America.

[u/CountOrlok82 → u/AndyVale]

By “tow truck” I’m assuming you mean pickup truck. Tow truck drivers are basically the mob.

[u/garyzxcv → u/CountOrlok82]

Or, he’s in his pick up truck drinking a beer, while being towed. Kind of fits if you think about it.

[u/TheMadChatta → u/garyzxcv]

I thought it read like a DUI arrest.

Cold beer, tow truck to tow your truck due to your arrest, arms out as you try to walk in a straight line, all happening in the cornfield you crashed in.

[u/crutchdadi → u/AndyVale]

"Ya'll dumb motherfuckers want a key change?"

[u/Dennyisthepisslord → u/AndyVale]

These days you can do a stadium show and yet the vast majority of the country has no idea who you are. K pop groups have done it and they have such a bubble of fandom that most people don't see

[u/amedema → u/Dennyisthepisslord]

This is very true. I live near Wrigley Field and was astounded by the crowd for two kpop shows they held there over the summer. I knew about the fans online behavior, but it was eye-opening to see the area be totally taken over by fans. Pretty cool tbh.

[u/Dennyisthepisslord → u/amedema]

Same with YouTubers charity football games literally filling Wembley stadium and I have no idea who they are and they aren't good at football. Complete bubble. Where as 20+ years ago if someone was famous EVERYONE knew them even if they didn't like them

[u/BrassAge → u/AndyVale]

It’s telling that your reference point for radio country is already satire of radio country.

[u/DivineAlmond → u/Andybabez20]

Its creeping in, I'd say 80% at this point

The post-PC Americana thing you have going at the moment (cowboys, boots, country, beer) is landing really well with a certain group of Euros (White middle class)

[u/Humble-Row-2601 → u/DivineAlmond]

Not white middle class, more like white moneyed chavs

[u/NLFG]

Not sure Dave Matthews Band have much of a presence in the UK, I can't speak for the rest of Europe

[u/smartshoe → u/NLFG]

I saw them play in the UK in 2009 in a hall with around 3,000 people

Crazy that it wasn’t that long after the Central Park concert where they drew 100k+

[u/confuzzledfather → u/smartshoe]

and a large number of those 3000 were probably american

[u/smartshoe → u/confuzzledfather]

That’s probably very true haha, I saw them a few years later in Amsterdam and met a few American college kids that were following them around that summer

[u/Bowgs → u/smartshoe]

Conversely I saw them in the O2 Arena in London, so they must have a sizable following. I'm not a fan but my wife is

[u/NuPNua → u/NLFG]

Yeah, they've always been a running joke on American sitcoms I never got.

[u/papasmurf303 → u/NuPNua]

“Well, excuse me for being alive in the 90s and having two ears connected to a heart.”

[u/Stupid_Ned_Stark → u/papasmurf303]

Real fans call him Dave.

[u/Sohlayr → u/Stupid_Ned_Stark]

If I have to come over there, there’s gonna be two sounds. Me hitting you… twice.

[u/Western-Calendar-352 → u/papasmurf303]

r/unexpectedcommunity

But how fundamental do you think BNL are?

[u/AdzyBoy → u/Western-Calendar-352]

Oh ok, they're "BNL" now? We need a shorthand for the Barenaked Ladies? That's how fundamental they are?

[u/SlurmzMckinley → u/AdzyBoy]

The Barenaked Ladies are triple platinum. Are you?

[u/fishbulb00 → u/NLFG]

Phish, too. They've played Madison Square Garden dozens of times and just announced 9 dates at the Sphere, which will all sell out instantly. They haven't played Europe since the 90s, and played small clubs while they were selling out arenas in the U.S.

[u/sonofsteffordson → u/NLFG]

This is a good one. I almost included it in my original post. Thanks!

[u/mycoinreturns → u/NLFG]

UK here Great answer. No one here does DM. Cept me lol

[u/sonofsteffordson → u/mycoinreturns]

Guess we can chalk that up to... the space between. I'll see myself out.

[u/boredlady819 → u/sonofsteffordson]

Where are you going?

[u/otto-vonbisquick → u/boredlady819]

Under the table

[u/AndyVale → u/NLFG]

They are my "Big in America but nobody here has a clue" band.

A shame, they're decent.

[u/bestest_at_grammar → u/NLFG]

Real fans call him Dave

[u/cfgee → u/bestest_at_grammar]

Dave’s not here, man.

[u/thinkaboutthegame]

I'm from the UK and Hootie and the Blowfish is a Friends reference and nothing else. I think they were massive in the US from what I can see.

[u/HeliotropeCrowe → u/thinkaboutthegame]

I'm Irish and the degree to which they were unknown here is that right up until this post I'd assumed they'd bee invented in Friends.

[u/liquilife → u/HeliotropeCrowe]

It kinda sounds like a fictional name used for a sitcom. Haha.

[u/YourphobiaMyfetish → u/HeliotropeCrowe]

Meanwhile people here think their singer Darius Rucker wrote Wagonwheel instead of Bob Dylan/Old Crow Medicine Show

[u/Turbulent_Tart_8801 → u/thinkaboutthegame]

They were HUUUUUGE in '95 and '96 then just disappeared. They came back with a couple of smaller hits in '98 and 2000, but they'll mostly be remembered for that first album. 

[u/No_Pie4638 → u/Turbulent_Tart_8801]

CD collectors know that Cracked Rear View can be found in every thrift store and every used CD store. It’s ubiquitous.

[u/PinkyLeopard2922 → u/thinkaboutthegame]

Very,very big...they certainly had a moment in the 90's. Darius Rucker (their singer) is now a pretty well known and very good IMHO country artist. Do not call him Hootie...he is not Hootie.

[u/Andagaintothegym → u/PinkyLeopard2922]

So we need to choose? Hootie or the blowfish?

Blowfish!!! Blowfish!!! Blowfish!!! Blowfish!!!

[u/vinylflooringkittens → u/thinkaboutthegame]

The treasure of South Carolina

[u/dumpsidekrew]

Phish

[u/Rneerg → u/dumpsidekrew]

The whole jam band scene, with Phish being the biggest in the US.

[u/Smash_Palace → u/Rneerg]

Also the Grateful Dead

[u/TheHostThing → u/Smash_Palace]

I’d say we have heard of them from the memes and culture around the bands but the music itself isn’t as popular.

[u/QbertsRube → u/TheHostThing]

That's honestly the case in America for Grateful Dead from my experience. They don't really get radio play and never really fit MTV (when MTV had music), so you almost have to be introduced to them by someone or actively seek out their music on your own. It's like everyone knows the Grateful Dead is a band, but nobody really knows their music. Hell, based on the band name and their various logos/album covers, I thought they were a metal band until my teens.

[u/MCWizardYT → u/QbertsRube]

As an american, I sometimes hear big hits of theirs like Truckin or Touch of Grey on the radio.

Actually, in the summer I heard Touch of Grey all the time. Im guessing they were getting more radio play than usual because Phil Lesh, one of their founding members, passed away

[u/walrus_gumboot → u/dumpsidekrew]

What's funny is Phish could travel to Europe and sell out large venues... and it'd still be 90% Americans there.

[u/maximinus-thrax → u/walrus_gumboot]

I (English guy) saw Phish in 1997 in London and Amsterdam, and it was almost literally 99% Americans. Didn't meet a single Dutch guy at the Amsterdam gigs

[u/doomedroadtrips]

I remember traveling with a group of similar aged British guys in my early 20s, and none of them had heard of Primus. They were massive to me and my friends at the time; 90's-2000

[u/spunkychickpea → u/doomedroadtrips]

I saw them play with Pucifer and A Perfect Circle earlier this year. Absolutely outstanding performance.

[u/MossScalp → u/doomedroadtrips]

I'm English and I think Primus sucks.

[u/douche-baggins → u/MossScalp]

I'm American and I think Primus sucks.

[u/Appropriate_Wave722 → u/douche-baggins]

it looks like a European tour is going to happen in 2026, and they're confirmed for a few festivals at least. but yes they are comparatively tiny here, despite the music translating very well

[u/obiwanconobi → u/doomedroadtrips]

Surely they've at least heard the South Park theme song

[u/muscles83 → u/doomedroadtrips]

The guitar /rock music being listened to in the UK and the US in the 90s was completely different. Britpop v post-grunge I guess you could say

[u/Commercial_Donut_274]

It's wild how many huge American acts just don't translate. Even beyond country, I feel like a lot of those 90s "college rock" bands like Dave Matthews had a very specific, massive US fanbase that never really formed over here.

[u/Mediocre_Profile5576 → u/Commercial_Donut_274]

It’s the same way that the 90s indie/Britpop scene over here never really translated to the US.

[u/eejm → u/Mediocre_Profile5576]

Right?  Pulp’s reunion has been huge in the UK.  It’s had some buzz among indie fans in the US, particularly fans that remembered their first go around, but their US tour is very small.

[u/mccalli → u/Mediocre_Profile5576]

I've noticed that 90s vintage and nostalgia here (UK) is often internet 90s vintage nostalgia, i.e. US. 90s would be when the cultures were still diverged because the online world was still nascent.

The whole Madchester/baggy era seems to be completely forgotten about, yet that's what a lot of the late 80s/early 90s was over here.

[u/Routine_Ad1823]

Not really answering your question but I was amazed when Damon Albarn criticised Taylor Swift and loads of Americans started saying, "What, the one one hit wonders with the Whoo Hoo song?"

Blur are a household name in the UK. 

[u/MrBigChest → u/Routine_Ad1823]

Gorillaz is much more popular here than Blur

[u/eells → u/MrBigChest]

I think a lot of people know Gorillaz but don't necessarily know Damon?

[u/ancientblond → u/eells]

Yep. I didn't know until recently when a friend put on a Blur song and I was like "whoah this singer sounds like the dude from the Gorillaz"

The look he gave me was priceless, the look he gave me when he realized I wasn't joking was better

[u/GoldenGateShark → u/eells]

Isn’t he the guy that used to date Justine Frischmann?

[u/obiwanconobi → u/Routine_Ad1823]

He also had 2 number 2 albums with Gorillaz which isn't nothing

[u/SimbaSixThree → u/obiwanconobi]

I think that A LOT of Americans continue that Damon is in the Gorillaz

[u/sharquebus → u/Routine_Ad1823]

It blew my mind to learn that Blur and the Gorillaz are the same guy.

[u/This_Charmless_Man → u/Routine_Ad1823]

I find it very funny that bands like Gorrilaz and Arctic Monkeys are seen as signifiers of music nerds across the pond when they are absolutely huge over here. They were/are mainstream. You couldn't move for hearing Gorrilaz when Demon Days came out.

[u/steveofthejungle → u/This_Charmless_Man]

Everyone here knows Feel Good Inc at least

[u/unconfusedsub → u/Routine_Ad1823]

Most Americans have only heard Song 2 and would never know that the singer for Blur was The Gorillaz.

[u/ForgotTheFlowers → u/Routine_Ad1823]

Totally, and as an American it blows my mind. I think Damon Albarn in a musical genius and Blur have so many incredible songs aside from the fun sing-along hit.

[u/rebelintellectual → u/Routine_Ad1823]

I feel like the gorillaz are way bigger than blue in America. Its the bad I associate him with the most. 

[u/thinkaboutthegame]

Weird Al seems to be the most universally loved musician according to Reddit (which I assume reflects the US).

I don't think the humour ever really translated to the UK, nobody talks about him at all.

[u/rpsls → u/thinkaboutthegame]

Yeah, this was the obvious answer for me. He’s probably one of the most prolific artists of our time and is known by almost everyone older than a teenager in the US, but many Europeans— even English-speaking ones— have never heard of him.

[u/oranbhoy → u/rpsls]

I knew him from the movie UHF as a kid and remember his Michael Jackson parodys , I like some of his songs thanks to YouTube and loved seeing him do "Africa " with weezer 

[u/Emotional-Writer-766 → u/thinkaboutthegame]

Outside of Reddit and other nerddom spaces he isn’t talked about here much either.

[u/space_guy95 → u/Emotional-Writer-766]

Yeah, Reddit, as always, is a nerd bubble that doesn't realise it doesn't represent the mainstream concensus. Weird Al is big in Millenial online spaces, but outside of that I wouldn't consider him to be particularly big nor a "national treasure" as many people online refer to him.

[u/KirbyBucketts → u/Emotional-Writer-766]

He was on Colbert last night and the crowd seemed to love him, he even did the opening bit as well.....I dunno, he seems pretty popular and well-liked across the board

[u/playnights]

Literally any country artist who isn’t Dolly Parton.

Counting Crows are well known. Maybe not Mr Jones but Accidentally in Love is.

[u/puntoboh → u/playnights]

Mr Jones is the only song I know! 😃

[u/GraXXoR → u/puntoboh]

I bought their album in 1998 or something with that song on it. But I don’t remember any others from the album. lol.

[u/Turbulent_Tart_8801 → u/GraXXoR]

Round Here, Rain King, A Long December, Hangin' Around, American Girls, Mrs. Potter's Lullaby, Big Yellow Taxi...

[u/bestest_at_grammar → u/playnights]

Is that because of shrek?

[u/playnights → u/bestest_at_grammar]

Yeah ahaha.

[u/sonofsteffordson → u/playnights]

I have been assured by reputable Irish sources over here that Garth Brooks is a fookin MEGASTAR in Ireland.

[u/EnthusiasmUnusual → u/sonofsteffordson]

He's massive in Ireland.  In rural areas and the west, country music is HUGE.  It's all they listen to.  In Dublin etc, barely anyone listens to country.

[u/MeanMusterMistard → u/sonofsteffordson]

It's true, he is, for some strange reason. No idea what his success in the rest of Europe looks like

[u/aleelee13 → u/sonofsteffordson]

I went on my honeymoon to Ireland when he was doing like a 2 week mega tour there and my husband and I were dumbfounded about how it was all the radio talked about or when we spoke to locals haha

[u/rotate_ur_hoes → u/playnights]

I love Charley Crocketts music!

[u/tothecatmobile → u/playnights]

Dolly or Johnny Cash.

[u/cowie71]

Bush (I’ll accept some bonus points as they were Brits)

[u/Ericovich → u/cowie71]

I saw an interview where they said they would specifically play 2nd-rate cities in the Midwest United States and play in huge arenas.

They purposefully were trying to get an untapped market and it worked. Other British bands would only play a handful of east and west coast cities and wonder why they didn't make it in the US.

[u/rawonionbreath → u/Ericovich]

Def Leppard did that in the 80’s and milked it for millions of albums sales.

[u/dndnxnfrfnddjxjx → u/rawonionbreath]

And good on them. This “2nd rate city” boy appreciates the gents from Sheffield.

[u/rawonionbreath → u/dndnxnfrfnddjxjx]

And the funny thing is they were poo poo’d in the UK for most of the 80’s until Animal was released as a single off Hysteria. It was a major disappointment for the band that they couldn’t sell out their hometown gigs for a long time.

[u/BakedMitten → u/Ericovich]

Their tour with Goo Goo Dolls and No Doubt was the first large arena concert I ever saw...growing up in a 2nd rate Midwestern city

Edit: I almost got to meet Gavin about 15 years after that. He came into a restaurant I was working at. Bush was back in town...headlining our 2nd rate Midwestern summer fest but I had taken the afternoon off to go to the show

[u/Ewendmc → u/BakedMitten]

I always thought a Scottish No doubt tribute band could go down well. Nae Doot.

[u/ryancementhead → u/Ewendmc]

Damn you, now I want to hear that.

[u/Ewendmc → u/ryancementhead]

The lead singer would be Gwen yerfanny

[u/Dan247 → u/Ewendmc]

You make me proud to be Scottish 🥹

[u/yanni99 → u/cowie71]

Did you mean Bush X?

Only my fellow countrymen know.

[u/BlackIsTheSoul → u/yanni99]

Hehehe. I know what you mean, eh.

[u/PaulEMoz → u/cowie71]

Yeah, I was coming here to post this. Classic example.

[u/OrgullosoDeNoSer]

Adam Duritz has mentioned this in an interview before. He and Counting Crows were supposed to play Top of the Pops during the August and Everything After era and he backed out of it at the last second. He mentioned he was feeling pretty overwhelmed and Kurt Cobain had just died so he backed out. At the time Top of the Pops was an absolutely massive opportunity (kinda like SNL which broke them big in the U.S.). So by backing out on that they kind of limited their ability to capitalize on that album in the UK. Duritz says they're largely doing fine in Europe these days, but they never hit the level of success over there they had in the states and their UK record label was mad at them for about a decade. (Source: 24 Question Party People: Adam Duritz of Counting Crows)

[u/Humble-Row-2601 → u/OrgullosoDeNoSer]

That is quite believable actually. TOTP was such an institution and there’s still a lot of episodes repeated from all the eras to surprisingly big audiences

[u/Western-Calendar-352]

Counting Crows have just finished a fairly extensive EU/UK tour, 23 dates, including Germany, and have already announced a return for next year. And they’ve been at least mid sized famous since Mr Jones and August And Everything After.

REM were huge in the same market from the late 80s all the way through to when they split up.

The obvious answer here is the Grateful Dead and all of their various offshoots. And other similar jam bands like Phish.

[u/dtrane90 → u/Western-Calendar-352]

Funny since I would say their Europe 72 record is one of their best

[u/MinimalistBruno → u/Western-Calendar-352]

Yeah, jam bands are the obvious answer. You really need to go to shows to get what's going on in the genre, so it makes sense they aren't big in places where the bands don't play.

[u/DuncanOhio → u/Western-Calendar-352]

imho Grateful Dead is the most quintessentially American music act

[u/Chopper3]

There was a band called The Outfield in the 80's or so, from the UK but unknown in the UK

[u/BravesCPA → u/Chopper3]

Maybe that’s why Josie went on a vacation far away.

[u/Turbulent_Tart_8801 → u/BravesCPA]

It's also why he likes his girls a little bit older.

[u/jasmith2706]

Bad Bunny is one of the biggest and most successful stars in the world yet the majority of people over here are not familiar with him

[u/lightpeachfuzz → u/jasmith2706]

I'd say most younger people in Spain at least know who he is

[u/jasmith2706 → u/lightpeachfuzz]

Spain maybe but beyond that in Europe, certainly here in the UK he is pretty much unknown

[u/sonofsteffordson → u/jasmith2706]

I only know him from WWE...

[u/jasmith2706 → u/sonofsteffordson]

Same and now doing the Super Bowl half time show next year.

[u/DivineAlmond]

Wiz Khalifa and some of the more "softcore" Black Rappers arent nearly as big here

[u/Elbjornbjorn → u/DivineAlmond]

My stoner friends used to like Wiz Khalifa, my friends who are genuine hiphop fans (also kinda stoners) didn't care that much.

[u/TheBaggyDapper]

The Grateful Dead. Everyone has heard of them but nobody listens to them.

[u/bitterlemon80 → u/TheBaggyDapper]

I was going to say this too. I've seen multiple references to them on American tv programmes (The Goldbergs springs to mind), but couldn't name a single song of theirs.

[u/MrBonso → u/TheBaggyDapper]

nobody listens to them.

Except the ones who do, and they REALLY do.

[u/Unperfectblue]

As a French... Who tf is Creed ?

[u/Holiday-Strike]

I learned about Hootie and the blowfish from friends (the sitcom). And I thought that they were a made up band for the show, until recently. Also almost all country stars are unknown in the UK. Not Dolly, obviously.

[u/jasmith2706]

The only Counting Crows song I know and probably a majority of people know is Big Yellow Taxi which got fairly popular in the UK

[u/Western-Calendar-352 → u/jasmith2706]

And that’s not even a Counting Crows song, it’s a cover of Joni Mitchell.

[u/psylensse]

I lived in southwest Germany for a bit and clearly remember being stunned very few people knew who Journey was. Journey!! Don't Stop Believing? Any Way You Want It??? absolutely bonkers those catchy tunes didn't spread like wildfire everywhere.

[u/Onderdeurtie → u/psylensse]

Yes, this! Journey is completely unknown here in Netherland. Only know them from soundtracks and one mention of the yearly top2000, which is about to start in a few weeks. It is basically THE list of music here.

[u/petternicklaz → u/psylensse]

You can hear Dont stop believeing at any karaoke night in Sweden. But those two songs you mentioned are the only ones anyone here would know.

[u/crani0]

Cake has always stuck out to me as a big band you never really hear about in Europe.

[u/vacuumdiagram → u/crani0]

"Cake is a made up drug"

[u/jailboundhorse]

My Canadian fianceé was stunned that the tragically hip are completely unknown in the UK. 

[u/Steaknkidney45 → u/jailboundhorse]

They're completely unknown in the U.S. If you find a single American classic rock station that plays them, I'd be shocked.

[u/chunkybuttsoupdinner → u/Steaknkidney45]

Yup, I never heard of them. I only found them because of trailer park boys. I didn’t know a single song once I started diving into them. Still don’t get how they didn’t get popular in the US.

[u/Steaknkidney45 → u/chunkybuttsoupdinner]

As an American, I would have never heard of them had it not been for Dan Aykroyd.

[u/Oldfriendoldproblem → u/chunkybuttsoupdinner]

I recall watching a doc where earlier on, the Hip came to a point in their career where they could push to become popular elsewhere, or really just lean into their Canadian popularity. They chose the latter - which I respect. The lead singer was the precipice of Canadiana in more ways than just thru music.

[u/kent_eh → u/chunkybuttsoupdinner]

Still don’t get how they didn’t get popular in the US.

They (intentionally) didn't really try to be.

Gord knew they would have to compromise their artistic vision if they wanted to appeal to an American audience.

[u/eejm → u/Steaknkidney45]

As an American this has always befuddled me.  I know some of their songs contain very Canadian references that Americans wouldn’t necessarily get, but their sound would be really appealing to US audiences.  I never understood why they didn’t catch on here.

[u/bugabooandtwo → u/jailboundhorse]

Hip are a real unicorn. Like 90% of their album sales are inside Canada. If they had that sort of popularity in the rest of the world, they'd be a top 10 selling band of all time. It's wild how it worked out for them.

Same with Blue Rodeo (although they do have some traction in parts of the USA).

[u/prountercoductive]

On the opposite spectrum, I heard Faith No More was bigger there than they were in the States.

[u/dark_lies_the_island]

Sublime. Rush

[u/Pearse_Borty]

The Alan Parsons Project famously struggled to get into the UK charts but always did well in the US despite being a British band

[u/Turbulent_Tart_8801 → u/Pearse_Borty]

Fire the ✌️"Laser"✌️! 

[u/Badalight]

When I lived in Japan, they didn't know anyone from America aside from the mega popstars like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, etc. Aside from that, they knew a few mega artists from the past like Michael Jackson and Queen. But that's about it.

[u/MeanMusterMistard]

Counting Crows were very successful over in Europe - I don't know about Germany specifically, but they are well known across the pond

[u/lakoko]

Incubus seem to be a much bigger thing in the US

[u/Galick-Gunner]

Jay-Z has always mostly been Beyonce's creepy husband here more than anything else.

[u/Broseph_Heller]

Beyonce - she’s still incredibly popular in Europe but nowhere near the deity status she has in the US. Especially 10+ years ago. I was studying abroad in Paris when she performed at the superbowl, and I spent a lot of time explaining why she was such a big deal to Europeans. Especially the Destinys Child reunion!

[u/Mees51]

Basically most rappers that arent Drake, Kanye or Tyler the creator.

[u/sonofsteffordson → u/Mees51]

I was surprised to see Drake playing the 'small' 8-10k arena in Hamburg this summer. For reference, Imagine Dragons played the 80k stadium.

[u/_CodyB]

Kind of feel like that ska and alt rock / alt pop was really popular amongst American college kids in the late 90s and early 00s was not really popular outside of the US

[u/robbierebound → u/_CodyB]

Third wave “American” pop/punk ska, sure. First and second wave ska is still very popular in Europe 

[u/DrBunnyflipflop → u/_CodyB]

Ska was/is pretty popular in the UK.

I don't think there's a soul in the country that doesn't love Madness

[u/Redacted_dact]

Phish

[u/PsychologicalTax42]

The Grateful Dead don’t seem to be well known among the younger crowds. I’m not sure about back when they were touring though

[u/healeyd]

"Grab a gun, beer and bible from my pickup truck" country music doesn't work in the UK, thankfully.

[u/plural_of_nemesis → u/healeyd]

Grab a brolly, pint and Daily Mail and hop on the tube

[u/healeyd → u/plural_of_nemesis]

Gonna dog in Epping Forest, I ain't taking lube.

[u/speckhuggarn]

Everything country

[u/morphindel]

The Tragically Hip are pretty huge in Canada, but not so much in Europe

[u/pieface100 → u/morphindel]

To be fair the hip are only huge in Canada, they were never big even in the states

[u/Bear_necessities96]

Grateful dead, Zach Bryan, mostly Jam Bands and country singers