reckless Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Hi all, Would you say that Led Zeppelin were/are more popular in the USA than the UK? I'm 28 years old and growing up here in the UK I never really heard about them until 2003 when they released the DVD and live albums. They're not mentioned on TV as much as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and Queen. Looking at the sales as well I can see that Led Zep sold an insane amount of albums in America. Led Zeppelin iv is the third biggest selling album in america with 23 million copies sold. If you look at the top selling albums in the UK they don't have a single album in the top 50. Why do you think this was? Personally I think it's because the Americans like their rock music to be loud and in your face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chef free Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Because there are over 300 million Americans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Because there are over 300 million Americans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reckless Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 Yes obviously there are more Americans but I'm talking about relative popularity. Even one of Lady Gaga's album has sold more than any Led Zep album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarius Rising Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 And because we know good music when we hear it, that's why Oasis is huge in the UK but here...no way!!! Though I must apologize we have no excuse for Justin Beiber, oh wait, he is Canadian, forget it, not our fault there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazulike88 Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 (edited) Because there are over 300 million Americans! Good Point But however i got a theory about about the relative unpopularity of Zeppelin in different parts in the world, let's say compared to The beatles or the who, which are considerably worse bands ... it's the massive attack zeppelin faced in its start by the press and the critics ... the press was soooo overwhelmed by the sheer power and energy zeppelin offered and started bad-mouthing them ... which decreased the impact zeppelin made on people, and the infamous "Plagiarism" issue that a lot of people seem to have ... those two reasons were very enough to decrease the amount of following that zeppelin deserved all over the world ... and it genuinely upsets me when somebody mention GaGa or Bieber on such a lovely place ... mentioning their name in a zeppelin forum should be illegal as it is very dangerous for our health. Edited July 26, 2012 by tazulike88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 And because we know good music when we hear it, that's why Oasis is huge in the UK but here...no way!!! Though I must apologize we have no excuse for Justin Beiber, oh wait, he is Canadian, forget it, not our fault there. Yeah - you ALL know good music when you hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarius Rising Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Yeah - you ALL know good music when you hear it. Hey, just jokes. After all, we did bring the world such luminaries as Tiny Tim, Tiffany, The New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and my favorite hoser Vanilla Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reckless Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 And because we know good music when we hear it, that's why Oasis is huge in the UK but here...no way!!! Though I must apologize we have no excuse for Justin Beiber, oh wait, he is Canadian, forget it, not our fault there. You're right about that.i do think that Americans have a better taste in music, they don't just fall for hype or keep irrelevant artists popular long past their peak like they do in Europe i.e. Madonna. I much preferred the American grunge scene of the 90s to the loutish Brit Pop of Oasis and their kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Some American artists are more popular overseas such as Mother's Finest and R.E.M. (prior to their recent disbanding, obviously). Also, Steve Earle and Nanci Griffith are immensely popular in Ireland. Some alt.country artists also enjoy more popularity overseas as witnessed by the Blue Highways festival that's held every year in the Netherlands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeC Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 See pages 129-130: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Hey, just jokes. After all, we did bring the world such luminaries as Tiny Tim, Tiffany, The New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and my favorite hoser Vanilla Ice. Britain gave you Cliff Richard and the Spice Girls - that's as much as I'm owning up to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Different strokes for different folks.....why does everyone think we all have to listen to the same music and that their music is "the best" and everything else "sucks"? Diversity is the spice of life, IMO. Respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 When my parents went to London, my mom could hardly find any Zeppelin merchandise (per my request). It was mostly Beatles stuff. Damn wankers!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryder1978 Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Holy crap...I just realized that my Top 12 bands of all time are ALL BRITISH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryder1978 Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 ALSO...since Zeppelin are more popular in the States AND Ahmet was living and working in the US from the time he was 12 until his passing, they should have had the "Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert" in New York! Just sayin'......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeldd Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 (edited) Hi all, Would you say that Led Zeppelin were/are more popular in the USA than the UK? I'm 28 years old and growing up here in the UK I never really heard about them until 2003 when they released the DVD and live albums. They're not mentioned on TV as much as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and Queen. Looking at the sales as well I can see that Led Zep sold an insane amount of albums in America. Led Zeppelin iv is the third biggest selling album in america with 23 million copies sold. If you look at the top selling albums in the UK they don't have a single album in the top 50. Why do you think this was? Personally I think it's because the Americans like their rock music to be loud and in your face. Back when Zep were on the earth, the radio in England only really played singles, as Zeppelin didn't release singles when they were together, there wasn't any airplay, where as in America the start of FM radio, they were played all the time as they played album cuts etc. If you take Queen, they outsell Zep in UK, they had so many singles that were and still played, if you look at the stats for Queen and Zeppelin in America, Zeppelin outsell Queen by a huge amount....thats my take on it. Edited July 26, 2012 by yeldd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledded1 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 You're right about that.i do think that Americans have a better taste in music, they don't just fall for hype or keep irrelevant artists popular long past their peak like they do in Europe i.e. Madonna. I much preferred the American grunge scene of the 90s to the loutish Brit Pop of Oasis and their kind. Oh have to challenge your statement there about Americans having better taste. Your evidence for that is what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorer714 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Oh have to challenge your statement there about Americans having better taste. Your evidence for that is what? Sorry Charlie,only the best tasting tuna gets to be Starkissed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetLittleBaby Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Zeppelin's music, especially in the early days, was heavily influenced by American music, particularly from here in the South. Perhaps that sort of musical influence wasn't as palatable to folks in the UK as it was here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorer714 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Bush? Tony Blair liked him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe (Liverpool) Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Horses for courses, and to each their own, each individual has their own taste in music, I loved the sound of Led Zeppelin since I first heard their debut album. I don't like some other groups, I have thousands of albums in different formats, I bought them because I liked them, not because they were popular.As for americans having better taste in music, says who????, I can't stand Black Sabbath or Deep Purple yet I like Rock music. As was mentioned Led Zeppelin did not release a single in the UK, so their music was not played on mainstream radio (apart from late night album shows i.e. John Peel). Therefore that they sold so many albums over here is incredible. So I dispute the fact that they were more popular in america, for a long time Stairway To Heaven was the most requested record in the UK. Not bad for an album track. PS I don't have a single track of Lady Gaga in my collection (and my collection is extremely diverse to say the least.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Led Zeppelin had 8 consecutive number one albums in the UK. That's a record only equalled by ABBA. They were also voted the UK's best band in the Melody Maker polls way back in 1970, ending The Beatles run of winning it year after year. Not bad for a band that never released singles in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeldd Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Zeppelin's music, especially in the early days, was heavily influenced by American music, particularly from here in the South. Perhaps that sort of musical influence wasn't as palatable to folks in the UK as it was here. The first part of your comment I agree with but not the second as It was The Brits who took American Blues in the 60's, made it popular in UK where as it took that for alot of America to realise they had it on their doorstep because of that. I do think it was to do with airplay and also the press who seemed to have a distain for Zep in UK and also their meteoric rise to fame without much help from them and airplay ( biggest underground band), as Ady said in their post 8 straight number one albums in UK shows they were and are popular here, but it is without doubt America where they trampled (all) under foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reckless Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 To the average man on the street in the uk is more likely to have heard of the Beatles, rolling stones, the who, oasis than Led Zeppelin. Also if you look at bands who say they have been inspired by Led Zep, most of them are from America. I've noticed that the most popular form of rock in America is hard rock/metal whereas here it's Indie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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