Why does the UK produce the best musicians, poets, artists?

[thisiswater]

Was just reading a thread about possible influences of Wm Blake on LZ. It makes complete sense to me. My larger question, though, is *why* do so many great writers,

painters and musicians (with LZ at the very top of the mountain) come from Great Britain, especially England? Is it deep folk roots/mysticism? Opium and other substances over the centuries? How does one explain the contrast between the reserved English with what Our Men have put out into the world?

[butlerhunt2]

often thought this myself, Germany may be a powerful and economically strong country but it rarely gives us something with great art or expression starting from 1970 compared to England, who knows. national personality? maybe we're the most creative? However I must state that Americans go hand in hand with this as well, they've produced some fantastic creative forces and took Led Zeppelin in by the storm, Ireland also. I tend to ask this question by saying why is it people with English as their first language tend to be the most creative and artistic? Rock and roll was created by all of us for one. Very interesting point.

[SteveAJones]

Was just reading a thread about possible influences of Wm Blake on LZ. It makes complete sense to me. My larger question, though, is *why* do so many great writers, painters and musicians (with LZ at the very top of the mountain) come from Great Britain, especially England? Is it deep folk roots/mysticism? Opium and other substances over the centuries? How does one explain the contrast between the reserved English with what Our Men have put out into the world?

Led Zeppelin were great but I think it's a stretch to bestow "very top of the mountain" status upon them as musicians. That distinction is reserved for Wham! or perhaps The Beatles or The Rolling Stones.

As to why so many great writers, painters and musicians have come from GB I think there are many factors but the most prominent ones are the English language and history of the region.

[John Wilkinson]

Hi Steve......

Loving the "Wham" part of that answer ..... Good work sir.

Actually as a Scouser I would put Led Zeppelin WAY WAY WAY above both The Beatles and Stones.... All about personal taste I know but ....

Best wishes

John

[chillumpuffer]

Because we are great !

[jimjam]

I like this question, it's something I've thought about a lot. In terms of music, though the US has produced some really great talent over the years (a lot of which has inspired many of the great English groups), from a proportional point of view I think it's quite staggering that there's so many bands that have come from the UK (or England). We're a tiny country! Led Zep, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Who, Black Sabbath, Queen, Rolling Stones...

I shouldn't be, but I'm quite proud

[ScarletMacaw]

Although an American, I agree with the OP.

First, British literature far surpasses American literature. But that makes sense, because English is from...England. America has always been a melting pot, and although that has been good for creativity in some ways, it also leads to problems with language and education.

Because of their more homogenous society, England has had a sense of national pride and togetherness that is lacking in the US. The UK social welfare system has allowed people free time to pursue their interests. In the US, people are mostly scrambling to just get by and often viciously competing with each other. It brings us all down and leads to a focus on nothing but money and material wealth.

Although the US created the blues, jazz and rock, racism prevented their acceptance. Although the UK sometimes seems racist today, it hasn't had the institutionalized racism of the American South that prevented the blossoming of blues, jazz and rock into mainstream society, until they became seen as more white, which was helped by the British Invasion.

The only art form in which the US is still ahead of the rest of the world is cinema, which we created, and we are losing that edge fast.

The US educational system is two years behind the UK system. In other words, kids in the UK are two grades ahead of their American counterparts in age. I know this because of my patients who are from the UK and here on work visas. The US's atrocious educational system doesn't give kids skills in language, math, music or anything else that helps people become creative and also to appreciate creativity. Although Zep was hugely popular in the US in the 70s, today rock music is more popular in Britain. Which gives bands there more incentives.

The US has a hypermasculine identity and is intolerant of androgyny. But many creative types are bisexual or at least, if they are men, in touch with their feminine side. That's why most of the best male actors aren't American, even though we invented cinema. Acting involves being in touch with emotions, and so does music to some extent.

The US, for unknown reasons, has higher rates of autism and autistic spectrum people aren't known for making music or art or literature.

If I could live my life over, I would have applied to graduate school in the UK and today I would have residency there or even citizenship.

[jimjam]

^^ Good post.

The US educational system is two years behind the UK system. In other words, kids in the UK are two grades ahead of their American counterparts in age. I know this because of my patients who are from the UK and here on work visas. The US's atrocious educational system doesn't give kids skills in language, math, music or anything else that helps people become creative and also to appreciate creativity. Although Zep was hugely popular in the US in the 70s, today rock music is more popular in Britain. Which gives bands there more incentives.

This is interesting. What music do teenagers tend to listen to and/or play there if not rock music?

[tomloge]

says who?

[Anjin-san]

As to why so many great writers, painters and musicians have come from GB I think there are many factors but the most prominent ones are the English language and history of the region.

So true and a bit off topic:let's not forget the science and technology!

[ScarletMacaw]

^^ Good post.

The US educational system is two years behind the UK system. In other words, kids in the UK are two grades ahead of their American counterparts in age. I know this because of my patients who are from the UK and here on work visas. The US's atrocious educational system doesn't give kids skills in language, math, music or anything else that helps people become creative and also to appreciate creativity. Although Zep was hugely popular in the US in the 70s, today rock music is more popular in Britain. Which gives bands there more incentives.

This is interesting. What music do teenagers tend to listen to and/or play there if not rock music?

by "there," I'm assuming you mean here? They listen to rap/hip hop, mindless pop tunes. They listen to Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Katy Perry. If they're a bit more sophisticated they listen to Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys and Adele. Some people are into electronic dance music. Of course as you can see from this forum there are some young people into rock.

[jimjam]

by "there," I'm assuming you mean here? They listen to rap/hip hop, mindless pop tunes. They listen to Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Katy Perry. If they're a bit more sophisticated they listen to Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys and Adele. Some people are into electronic dance music. Of course as you can see from this forum there are some young people into rock.

Sorry, yeah. In the US, I meant.

You paint a pretty miserable picture of what young people there are listening to... Yes, they'll always be some people who are different.

[Charles J. White]

I have theory based off of what I see in Canada. In Canada for example you have pockets like Cape Breton Nova Scotia where my family is originally from, where the only option at one time was working in the gypsum mines, coal mines, fishing (cod, lobster, and crab), farming, or steel plants. So a sense of desperation happens among younger people who are looking for a way out and they think to themselves, hey, I can join the NHL and become a hockey player, or they take up music and that will get me out of here to something better. The same sort of happened in Southern Ontario (automotive industry) and the prairies (energy industry & farming)

I’m guessing that in England it’s the same organic process, only because the population is in much higher concentrations levels compared to the geographical size it creates a much greater number of artists in raw numbers.

But I will leave it to my fellow brothers and sisters in the motherland to confirm if I’m onto something or maybe it’s a phenomenon that happened only here in the Colony?

[Pagefan55]

I like this question, it's something I've thought about a lot. In terms of music, though the US has produced some really great talent over the years (a lot of which has inspired many of the great English groups), from a proportional point of view I think it's quite staggering that there's so many bands that have come from the UK (or England). We're a tiny country! Led Zep, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Who, Black Sabbath, Queen, Rolling Stones...

I shouldn't be, but I'm quite proud

As mentioned above, it's undeniably amazing how many great rock bands the U.K. has produced. The U.K. has obviously made stellar contributions in many other fields as well.

Also, it's important to remember the huge contributions the Germans and French have made in various fields -- (classical) music, literature, philosophy, art, science, cinema, etc, etc.