cleptosid wrote:A topic I have debated and debated over the years. For some reason British bands were more apt to be successful Beatles, Stones,Led Zep, Purple, Sabbath, Queen I could go on for days. American Bands didn't quite measure up to the same standards. Two exceptions are Aerosmith and the other is KISS who both I can boast of having seen live over 20 times along with Macca. Then you have the southern rock experience. That whole southern rock thing just gags me to the point of not allowing anything past Washington DC heading south to be played on my system. I like musicians who have a vision or an interpretation not red necks who like breaking law's and telling everyone how bad they are and how cold their beer is. Now in a totally different direction take the beach boy's for instance they were so big that their sound is recognizable anywhere in the world. But there is more to life than Red cars and surfing which made up practically all of their E A B chord progressions. But you would have to search far and wide to find another iconic American band that held the attention of young audiences for a period of more than a few weeks. British bands just seemed more polished and professional from 1964-1984. After the mid 80's I believe it fell to hell. Most acts were far more popular in the police blotters of any towns local newspapers. G n R was a better than average band but Axel was a lunatic as well as Slash and those awful "Hair" bands were the epitome of imbeciles everywhere. And all these bands lasted all of what 3 albums each before their act stunk up the joint? it could be argued but I feel that one of the most talented groups of this present time is nickleback I believe that the singer (Chad Kroeger) will be someone big ala Rob Thomas. I do not however care for their latest single "Rockstar". Today I feel that the battlefield is equal in the Rock n Roll dept. England is producing more techno type acts which are extremely popular with the young crowd where as America is getting back to the 2 guitar, bass and drum combos that we all fell in love with way back when. My vote for all time not just now would be for the British Bands.
Stereotype for a living clepto ? I'm just gonna say that Southern Rock is fantastic live and we drink cold beer because its so damn hot in The South. As for you Northerners, you'd be hard pressed as a State (New York) to produce the likes of B.B.King, Bo Diddley, Robert Johnson or Elvis Presley, to name just a few, that Mississippians call their own...Or other Southerners like Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, or Fats Domino who played rock-a-billy and rhythym and blues which soon morphed into rock-n-roll during the mid 1950's and was the complete foundation for all of the music from both sides of the pond that we are talking about in this thread.
By listing the above founding fathers of American music, I never had to look North of Macon, Georgia (home of Little Richard-the Allman Brothers also) while all of the others were from south of Tupelo, Mississippi. So, for me and a few others on this board, I'll just take your comments as "typical" from folks in your "neck" of the woods.
Now for the answer to Eddie's question...Since I was so influenced by rock-n-roll (first) and then The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion, I'd have to say its a tie...but The Beatles were The Rock and the rest were just the scissors so I'm gonna break the tie and say it was The Beatles and The Brits.
Seriously, they make me ashamed to be Canadian....you can have Celine Dion too if you want...no charge. 
