SweetLittleBaby Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 I rolled my eyes and was tempted to sound off...but then I saw your age and gave it a pass due to your youth. I realize musical education is practically null and void today so it's not your fault. This topic of Led Zeppelin's popularity in America vs. Britain has been hashed out before. Of course, it helps to delineate whether you are talking about the band's popularity during its years of existence(1968-1980) or today. As someone already mentioned, the U.S. has a lot more people than England. I'm sure if you measured on a per capita basis, you'd find Led Zeppelin's popularity in England/UK was on a par with their U.S. success. Let's take a brief tally of notable English achievements by Led Zeppelin, shall we? 8 consecutive #1 albums, including Led Zeppelin IV, which never reached #1 in the Billboard charts. Knocked the Beatles from the top of the Melody Maker Poll after years of domination by the Fab Four. 1970 Bath Festival...5 Earl's Court sellouts in 1975...1979 Knebworth Festival...you don't draw these types of massive crowds without being popular. Now if you're talking about today, the single biggest reason for Led Zeppelin's lower profile in the UK compared to the U.S. is the beast that is "classic rock" radio. When punk rock hit in the '70s, Zeppelin on British radio was already not as heavy as on American radio, due to no single releases and other factors. By 1981 when the band ceased to exist, British radio pretty much was all New Wave, New Romantic, NWOHM, whatever was fresh and new. However, in the U.S., while there were stations like KROQ that played the punk-new wave sounds, there were still tons of FM rock stations that revolved around the Beatles-Stones-Zeppelin-Floyd-Who-Doors-Hendrix axis. The "classic rock" genre. So if you were a kid in the U.S., chances are you got exposed to Led Zeppelin at some point...it was practically a given that you went through a Led Zeppelin phase in high school, especially if you were a white male. Led Zeppelin never disappeared from the pop culture landscape in America, whilst in the UK post-1980, they pretty much vanished. So generations of kids grew up in the UK without the presence of Led Zeppelin that kids in the U.S. had. Unless you had an older sibling or a parent/family figure who had their albums, it was unlikely the post-80 UK youth would know about Led Zeppelin. I think because of the internet, this has changed a bit in recent years, as kids are discovering Led Zeppelin on their own more readily than they were in the past. So, Led Zeppelin's popularity might still be higher in the U.S. today compared to the U.K. But if we're talking about the years 1968-1980, I would say that the band was equally popular in both countries. It was a theory, however erroneous it may have been. The wording of my post probably wasn't the best, either. I agree with your post, though, Strider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorer714 Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 Thank you. I'm glad to find I'm not the only one here who is a fan of ABBA. Impeccable pop instincts. Chuck Klosterman wrote a great essay on Abba...it's been published in one of his books. When I get home tonight, I'll find out which one. It's an entertaining read. Did I give you the courage to say that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 ^^^ Depends...are you talking about all the permutations of the Cult? Because I was hearing The Southern Death Cult played on the radio here in the early 80s. Next thing I know, there's a band called The Cult and in 1985 "She Sells Sanctuary" is all over the radio. Did I give you the courage to say that? Ha, as many times I have made a fool of myself here, I don't need courage to admit to liking Abba. In fact, I've stated my fondness for Abba long ago on these forums. I'm listening to "The Winner Takes It All" as I write this. Oh, as I'm home now from being out, I found the answer: The Chuck Klosterman Abba essay is in his book "Eating the Dinosaur". It's titled ABBA 1, World 0. Fantastic stuff. Here's a link: http://books.google.com/books/about/Abba_1_World_0.html?id=BxqmfEjuGc8C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe (Liverpool) Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 During their tenure (68 - 80') the British press really slagged them. The reason I believe is because the British press loved the Stones, Cream, and the Jeff Beck Group as blues purists. Zep was taking the blues and twisting it into a brand new form and structure and I think it was this fact above any other why the British press hated them, they simply did not like it that they were not "blues purists." The fans got it, the press needed a few years to catch up. I have an article in my scrapbook entitled "The Zap In Zep". I which John Bonham says that... "People say we're too busy buying mansions and Rolls Royces. Everybody's out to knock us...........I remember reading a letter in which the writer moaned that we were neglecting British audiences and not playing the clubs. Then when we played the clubs - and remember we were the only big band to ever go back to the small clubs - people moaned because they couldn't get in.Look, we've just toured the states and done as well if not better than the Stones, but there was hardly anything about it in the British press. All we read was the Stones this, and the Stones that, and it really pissed us off"..............He goes on slagging the British press's handling of Led Zeppelin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTM Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 I think it's also interesting the number of starving American artists that went to England and then came BACK to the States to become famous.....Hendrix, Ian Astbury, Dio, to name a few. Ian Astbury is English. He was born in the same matternity Hospital as the late great DJ John Peel in Heswall Cheshire (now Merseyside)..as was I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverseas Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 IMO and clearly that of many others, they wrote impeccable pop music. Yes, a voice of sense and reason. At least ABBA wrote their immensely popular songs rather that have them written for them and selectively sampled, like the crap coming out of the states now ie.. Bieber, bitch gaga and all that crap. What's important is not who sold the most stuff, it's who is popular and has websites devoted to them LONG after they played their last note. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverseas Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 ". . .Next thing I know, there's a band called The Cult and in 1985 "She Sells Sanctuary" is all over the radio. Awww yes, I was just out of high-school at that time and the Cult hit like a bomb! Just a fantastic rocking band, it was so fresh as the '80s was all power pop crap like Duran Duran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 ". . .Next thing I know, there's a band called The Cult and in 1985 "She Sells Sanctuary" is all over the radio. Awww yes, I was just out of high-school at that time and the Cult hit like a bomb! Just a fantastic rocking band, it was so fresh as the '80s was all power pop crap like Duran Duran. Can't say that I've ever thought of Duran Duran as "power pop". Then again, I don't believe the 80's were comprised of nothing but artists like Duran Duran either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomoonbeam Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 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. :--O That is depressing!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 :--O That is depressing!!!! Not really. Especially when you're comparing what's popular on the Top 40 charts to what's popular on the Rock charts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Yes, a voice of sense and reason. At least ABBA wrote their immensely popular songs rather that have them written for them and selectively sampled, like the crap coming out of the states now ie.. Bieber, bitch gaga and all that crap. What's important is not who sold the most stuff, it's who is popular and has websites devoted to them LONG after they played their last note. "bitch gaga" writes her own songs, with limited outside help. You're bitching about others putting ABBA down the same way you're putting her down. Get your facts straight at least.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverseas Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 If you knew anything at all about music. . . Please enlighten me, you seem to be a "know it all." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe (Liverpool) Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Please enlighten me, you seem to be a "know it all." MM seems to know a lot in my opinion, and no, I am not a sycophant . I'm just making an observation, he is one of the few people on this forum that seems to make a speedy response rather than a lot of people who trawl the internet for their "knowledge" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zed lep Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I can see your point but if you consider that Zep had 7 consecutive number 1 albums in the UK and all but one went at least platignum I think it's fair to say they were pretty popular in their homeland.I reckom IF they were to tour the UK the ticket sales would be massive.I think relatively speaking they are more popular in the US but are in no way small fry here at home,and besides I think we should just be proud of the fact that they're a very English band are so huge in the US and around the globe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbass Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I got in everyone's hostile little face. Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I'm comfortable with that. I am enlightened. i am jack's smirking revenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverseas Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I got in everyone's hostile little face. Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I'm comfortable with that. I am enlightened. I'm not hostile, and additionally, I'm not an "internet forum thug." I have a "real", productive and successful life, and I don't seek to develop falsely intelligent alter-egos on Internet forums. I feel sorry you. Please kindly piss off, and no longer add your senseless, and unwanted replies to my posts? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Historian Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 i am jack's smirking revenge. I am Jack's raging bile duct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTM Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I'm not hostile, and additionally, I'm not an "internet forum thug." I have a "real", productive and successful life, and I don't seek to develop falsely intelligent alter-egos on Internet forums. I feel sorry you. Please kindly piss off, and no longer add your senseless, and unwanted replies to my posts? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbass Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Strangers with this kind of honesty make me grow a big rubbery one. the famous quote was from fight club.the same movie you cleverly threw in to the mix. come on keep it going. i wanna see a full rubbery one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MollyHendrix Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 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. I am an American and I disagree that he have better tastes in music. Only a fortunate handful of us have the love of rock. The rest of the losers somehow dislike it and would rather listen to the overrated pop music of today. It is played EVERYWHERE! D: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeldd Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 ". . .Next thing I know, there's a band called The Cult and in 1985 "She Sells Sanctuary" is all over the radio. Awww yes, I was just out of high-school at that time and the Cult hit like a bomb! Just a fantastic rocking band, it was so fresh as the '80s was all power pop crap like Duran Duran. Gee we have had pops (excuse the puns) at Abba and now Duran Duran...thats just sacrilege. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOpal Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I can see your point but if you consider that Zep had 7 consecutive number 1 albums in the UK and all but one went at least platignum I think it's fair to say they were pretty popular in their homeland.I reckom IF they were to tour the UK the ticket sales would be massive.I think relatively speaking they are more popular in the US but are in no way small fry here at home,and besides I think we should just be proud of the fact that they're a very English band are so huge in the US and around the globe. Thank you! Good information, and I was hoping someone would get back to the thread subject. Who knew it was such a sensitive topic? Britain - England in particular - has made awesome contributions to rock music. I didn't get the sense that the original OP had any sort of negative agenda or was trying to imply that one country is better than the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr E Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I wasn't alive in the 70s but I get the impression that Zeppelin somehow managed to be quietly massive in their homeland. They didn't get the media attention of other bands such as Stones, The Who etc but looking at album charts and concert attendances it's quite easy to see they had a very large following of fans in the UK that easily rivalled or even bettered other big bands of the time. Here's some British chart stats of their first four albums just to demonstrate how they compared to two other big bands of the time: Led Zeppelin - Chart Peak = 6 Weeks in chart = 79 Led Zeppelin II - Chart Peak = 1 Weeks in chart = 138 Led Zeppeliin III - Chart Peak = 1 Weeks in chart = 40 Led Zeppelin IV - Chart Peak = 1 Weeks in chart = 77 The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet - Chart Peak = 3 Weeks in chart = 12 Let It Bleed - Chart Peak = 1 Weeks in chart = 29 Sticky Fingers - Chart Peak = 1 Weeks in chart = 25 Exile In main Street - Chart Peak = 1 Weeks in chart = 16 The Who: Tommy - Chart Peak = 2 Weeks in chart = 9 Live At Leeds - Chart Peak = 3 Weeks in chart = 21 Who's Next - Chart peak = 1 Weeks in chart = 13 Quadrophenia - Chart Peak = 2 Weeks in chart = 13 http://www.officialc...led%20zeppelin/ Having said all that they probably are bigger in America. Their sales rival Beatles and Elvis in the States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reckless Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Yes in America Led Zeppelin iv has outsold any album by the Beatles and Elvis. Like I said it's the third biggest selling album ever in the states. I know Led Zep were big in the UK but it seems to me that they were even bigger in america. And yes the rolling stones and the who get more media attention here in the UK, maybe that could be due to the fact that both groups are still performing even though half their original line up has changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe (Liverpool) Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Let's just face it thay were massive all over the world, unfortunately the UK media gave them very little coverage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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