Top 10 British Bands Who Never Cracked America
Added 2025-02-19 15:00:14 +0000 UTCComments
A little trivia nugget: William Shatner covered the Pulp song “Common People” with a US punk band in 2004. He did it in his own deadpan style, but it strangely works. The way he delivers the lyrics is spot on and it’s a gem of a cover! I stumbled across it probably only five years ago.
Stevie C
2025-03-30 22:08:09 +0000 UTCYou guys are currently reacting to The Office. Stereophonics made a great cover of the intro song Handbags and gladrags
Akmal M
2025-03-20 07:49:01 +0000 UTCSeen Stereophonics numerous times, great band live. Definitely listen to ‘Dakota’ think you’ll love that
phil b
2025-03-16 23:10:11 +0000 UTCIf you listen to any of these please let it be the stereophonics, Kelly jones is a great songwriter with a voice that’s unmatched
Chris Harding
2025-03-06 00:39:52 +0000 UTCWatch your back!
Dave Henshall
2025-02-24 12:34:35 +0000 UTCYou should do a reaction to at least one song from each of these bands. For Pulp do Common People 👍
Andy McCann
2025-02-22 11:49:19 +0000 UTCI didn’t say Madness started it, I said Madness were part of the anti-racist skinheads - half my family are Jamaican who came here in the 1940s so I’m very familiar with the history 😄 Any white power skinheads in the 60s would be very much the minority.
Kieran B
2025-02-21 09:32:05 +0000 UTCIn the 'Dont Speak' vid, the drummer wears a Madness tee
Stu T
2025-02-21 02:41:32 +0000 UTCI was gonna say they should react to This is England but maybe Jess would find it too much even though it is a masterpiece
Nichole Hutchison
2025-02-21 01:44:19 +0000 UTCWatch Mojo have been caught several times using other people's "Top 10s" and claiming it as their own content. They are kings of low effort content and plagiarism.
Tass
2025-02-20 05:25:27 +0000 UTCWhilst the mojo way of doing things is intensely annoying, hopefully its given you a tiny flavour of some of the stuff that never got to the US. I've put a few of the best tracks for most of the bands onto the playlist so hopefully you get to hear more if they get the votes!
Richard Stokes
2025-02-20 02:44:46 +0000 UTCIt's more complex than that and pre-dated Madness etc by a couple of decades. There were white-power skinheads right from the start of the skinhead movement in the 60s.
Eddy
2025-02-20 02:44:26 +0000 UTCStrangely i seen Oasis live long before they were famous and they were offensively shit lol so i was never a huge fan when they made it big but thankfully i was a dabbler of modern chemistry teen when the stone roses were around and really really got into their music, and the Mondays of course.
Brucey Mitchell (Cheeky)
2025-02-20 02:22:15 +0000 UTCPeter Kay playlist on RNTV Youtube, really good reaction, pretty sure it was their 1st introduction to Peter Kay :)
Brucey Mitchell (Cheeky)
2025-02-20 02:15:09 +0000 UTCHappy Mondays are the only band I could be bothered with out of all these. I have vivid memories of seeing them alongside The Cure at Glastonbury in 1990 while on mushrooms with my close American surgeon friend 🤪
Eddy
2025-02-20 02:14:54 +0000 UTCYeah, never got it! I guess I'd moved on to house and grunge by then, so found both utterly boring and far too 'safe'.
Eddy
2025-02-20 02:11:05 +0000 UTCSame with The Specials, who I thought were head and shoulders the most talented band of that movement. That whole skinhead/ska culture was odd: have you seen 'This Is England'? Utterly brilliant.
Eddy
2025-02-20 02:08:45 +0000 UTCTake That were around from 90-96 primarily so definitely 90s apart from the reunion - there’s a documentary online you might enjoy Jess, I’ll see if I can add it to the playlist
Kieran B
2025-02-20 01:07:06 +0000 UTCYeah I’ve tried to explain to American friends just what a cultural phenomenon Blur vs Oasis was in the 90s
Kieran B
2025-02-20 00:59:48 +0000 UTCYeah all early skinhead stuff was based on Jamaican ska, the movement / trend split and got hijacked by the far right element
Kieran B
2025-02-20 00:58:53 +0000 UTCAlso, for a music reaction you could maybe try a reaction to one of these artists :) maniac street preachers and stereophonics are both full of awesome songs
Mark Rudd
2025-02-19 23:25:30 +0000 UTCJess, because you knew the take that song “want you back”. You should 100% check out Peter kayes misheard lyrics if you’re not already done so 😆😆
Mark Rudd
2025-02-19 23:16:54 +0000 UTCMike suits The Jam
emu cat
2025-02-19 22:34:53 +0000 UTCYeah yous need to listen to each bands songs in full without the guy talking to truly get them there 90s golddust!
Theloyalmuppet
2025-02-19 22:23:38 +0000 UTConly ever heard of 5 of these bands.
Sibbo
2025-02-19 22:18:38 +0000 UTCMike and Jess, maybe dip in to each of the bands on that list, plus the honourable mentions, and do a reaction to a full song/video.
Fordy7169
2025-02-19 21:40:49 +0000 UTCMadness, Happy Mondays and Manic Street Preachers are all bands that I like the music of, Stereophonics though - I love all their stuff from that era. They also wrote the theme tune for "Long Way Round" - a program with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman - in which they travel from England to the USA on Motorbikes the "Long Way Round" Travelling from London to New York (20000 miles) through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America.
Liam Christie
2025-02-19 21:05:54 +0000 UTCYeah, it's a bit disingenuous but what can you say, it's WatchMojo.
Regular Viewer Bunty Hoven
2025-02-19 20:39:47 +0000 UTCYou released this on the day the drummer from The Jam, Rick Buckler died aged 69
Steven Leicester
2025-02-19 20:34:30 +0000 UTCAmazing album
Eoin573
2025-02-19 19:52:07 +0000 UTCThat was such an annoying top ten - didn’t play any choruses of songs, started with an obscure song from the band, couldn’t even get a good grip on any band
SimonNZ
2025-02-19 19:46:10 +0000 UTCYou should check out the origin of skinheads in the UK, they started out as anti-racists including Madness. But then elements of it went all the way the other way and that’s what skinheads became associated with
Kieran B
2025-02-19 19:09:06 +0000 UTCManic Street Preachers are an amazing live band, seen them a few times.
Julian T
2025-02-19 19:07:11 +0000 UTCLoving Jess fan girling over Robbie... I'm was/am a take that fan since the early days... yep one of the tragic ones who played truant from school to go to their houses 🤣 completely ruled my teen years!!
Gem Lou
2025-02-19 19:01:17 +0000 UTCI would highly recommend The Stone Roses’ first album. It was named the Greatest British Album Of All Time in this poll… https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jun/20/arts.artsnews
Thomas
2025-02-19 18:28:06 +0000 UTCSeen a few on here. Kasabian were great live, stereophonics fantastic as well. Need listen to oasis though guys.
Chris
2025-02-19 18:16:43 +0000 UTCNothing like slade lol
Theloyalmuppet
2025-02-19 18:10:39 +0000 UTCThe stone roses are well worth looking into.👌🏻
James
2025-02-19 18:10:17 +0000 UTCNo point watching (watchmojo) videos… constant talking over the video
Ricky
2025-02-19 18:07:29 +0000 UTCThe Stone Roses are probably my favourite band of all time. I was too young to be into them when they were together but, like most my age, we heard Noel Gallagher playing the Sally Cinnamon riff at the end of one their songs live at Maine Road, (probably their best live gig). After that, more people were listening to The Stone Roses than before. It still blows my mind that there are people out there that have never heard a Stone Roses song.
White Dwarf
2025-02-19 17:49:41 +0000 UTCI think the Skinhead thing with Madness had nothing to do with right-wing politics. It was more of a fashion thing for boys in the early 1970s. The fact that Madness’s early music was based on Jamaican Ska, underscores that they weren’t racists. They did attract a skinhead following but the band weren’t happy about that, and there were clashes between the band members and some of the crowd at gigs. They were even invited to perform Our House on the roof of Buckingham Palace to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. https://youtu.be/Q-6HDg7MT-M?si=RVw0P9SF-_Ky62ie
Thomas
2025-02-19 16:54:24 +0000 UTCThe Stereophonics do a brilliant version of Handbags and Gladrags, which is the closing title song on The (UK) Office.
Thomas
2025-02-19 16:39:54 +0000 UTCThis video had a billion copyrights on our video I ended up giving up on fighting them all.
Stephen
2025-02-19 16:34:43 +0000 UTCWhich ones didn’t? It depends on what level of success we’re taking about I guess… none of them are up there with Elvis or The Beatles 🤣
Ianoo23
2025-02-19 16:21:26 +0000 UTC‘I’ve heard of Oasis’. Oh, Mike, you will have triggered a whole load of 40 somethings with that remark. Back in the mid 90s, the Blur v Oasis Brit pop battle was headline news, most days. I remember the BBC Evening News reporting on their tussle for No.1 in the charts. It was like The Beatles and The Stones in the 1960s (or so their record company marketing teams would have had us believe 😉).
Thomas
2025-02-19 16:19:36 +0000 UTCStereophonic would be great to see on the channel
Jay Lo
2025-02-19 16:15:39 +0000 UTCSuperGrass are fantastic, I've been listening to a bunch of their songs again recently. Mary, Alright, Richard III and Moving are iconic songs. Stereophonics, Bartender and the Thief, More Life in a Tramps Vest, and Thousand Trees were favourites of mine growing up. I know everyone likes Dakota, it never really got under my skin the way these three songs did. Manic Street Preachers, A Design for Life and If You Tolerate This are both fantastic songs, much of their lyrics in these songs are sort of protests in a way, erosion of rights or being forced down a path, but they're also very catchy sing at the top of your lungs kind of songs :D Take That also have some great songs new and old. Rule The World was a newer one I liked, but one of their older Take that titles A Million Love Songs was written by Gary when he was 15, I remember being so impressed by that.
Athan Immortal
2025-02-19 16:02:26 +0000 UTCKasabian are the best band Iv seen live
Corey
2025-02-19 15:57:38 +0000 UTCIt’s really funny that you’re just finding out Robbie Williams was a part of Take That, and that Jess knew at least a couple of their songs prior to this 😂 hopefully this will open up a whole new door for you guys! Great reaction as always, that video could have easily had maybe 50 or 100 different UK bands who never managed to make it in the US, but a good selection nonetheless 😊 Stereophonics in particular are a must on any playlist!
Jupiter
2025-02-19 15:41:51 +0000 UTCLove the Stereophonics, check out any of these tracks:- MAYBE TOMORROW (that was the main song playing on this video) DAKOTA (this is a massive massive anthem in the UK- almost everyone will sing along in a bar or at a festival if it’s played live, if you’re looking for a live music reaction this would fit the bill! P.S on the subject of Robbie Williams, I’ve seen the songs from the Knebworth gig you’ve already reacted to and there is one song that tops all of these for me- I’ve seen other American reactions to it and how impressed and shocked they were and it shows off so much of Robbie’s abilities… it’s quite apt with his Movie as it’s called “Me and my Monkey”… it’s basically about his alter ego and how he’s battled with inner demons that lead him astray whilst dealing with fame and relationships from a young age etc , the song is so clever, funny and his actions and acting out of the story is superb 👌 trust me it will knock your socks off If you want to do it- let me know and I’ll find the right version as I’ve seen two and one is miles better than the other ❤️❤️
Ianoo23
2025-02-19 15:36:00 +0000 UTCMadchester. 🔥
Terrahawk
2025-02-19 15:32:17 +0000 UTCStereophonics are one of my favourite bands. Their lead singer, Kelly Jones, is a huge Leeds United fan just like myself. So are The Kaiser Chiefs (the first band singing one of their songs Ruby that you listened to)
Daz Parker
2025-02-19 15:31:28 +0000 UTCSome of these bands didn't have that much success in the UK nevermind the US!
Andrew Ross
2025-02-19 15:29:05 +0000 UTCThe drummer of The Jam died just yesterday
Daz Parker
2025-02-19 15:26:22 +0000 UTCYou can ignore the skinhead thing re: Madness. From what I believe (before my time) that was more the group of people who listened to their stuff early on, and not a reflection of them as people or their beliefs Similar with Slade
Daz Parker
2025-02-19 15:15:26 +0000 UTC
