This was something I thought of earlier in the day. There are so many songs which were hits worldwide, but didn't even chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Here are a few examples that I can think of:

"Breathe" - The Prodigy (1997) - This song from the UK was a massive worldwide hit in 1997. It topped the UK charts, peaked at #2 on the Australian ARIA chart, #3 on the New Zealand chart, as well as peaked within the Top 10 on several European charts. It's amazing that this song didn't even chart on the Billboard Hot 100!

"Rock DJ" - Robbie Williams (2000) - I could have picked any Robbie Williams song as an example of this topic, but I decided to pick "Rock DJ", as it's one of his most well-known songs. Robbie Williams was the lead singer of the UK boy band, Take That. This song topped the UK, Irish and New Zealand charts, as well as peaking at #4 on the Australian ARIA chart and within the Top 20 in many European countries.

"Teenage Dirtbag" - Wheatus (2000) - It absolutely astounds me that this wasn't even a hit in the US. It didn't even chart on the Billlboard Hot 100! "Teenage Dirtbag" was an absolutely massive hit in Australia. It stayed at #1 for four consecutive weeks and it was certified 3x Platinum. The song was the second best-selling single of 2000, despite the fact that the single was only released in July.

"Murder on the Dancefloor" - Sophie Ellis-Baxtor (2001) - A UK single which achieved moderate worldwide success in 2002. It was successful in the UK, with the song peaking at #2 on their charts, however it achieved the most success in Australia. It peaked on our charts at #3, with the song staying on the charts for twenty weeks and being certified platinum by ARIA. It was the eleventh-highest selling single in 2002. The song also charted within the Top 20 in many European countries.

I don't understand why many songs simply don't make an impact on the US market, especially when you take into account that they are worldwide hits and chart in other western countries around the world. It's almost as if many Americans simply don't care about things from other countries. >:(

Yeah I'm not sure why so many songs which are successful worldwide yet don't even chart in the US ???

Both "Rock Dj" and "Murder on the Dancefloor" we're both very big in New Zealand, reaching number 1 and 2 respectively. I'm pretty sure "Teenage Dirtbag" did quite well, but wasn't as popular as was in Australia.

Don't know the first song though, maybe because I wasn't alive then ???

Sorry for the bump, but I never really noticed this thread until now, so I guess I'll list a few more "soccer" hits:

Wuthering Heights / Kate Bush - Topped the charts of numerous countries, but not a hit whatsoever in America.

Spaceman / Babyloon Zoo - A textbook example of a soccer hit. It shot up to #1 in several countries and even showed up on the Canadian alternative chart, but it was completely and utterly unknown in the United States. You can't even purchase it on iTunes here.

Love Is All Around / Wet Wet Wet - This is one of the best-selling singles of all time in the United Kingdom, and it peaked at either #1 or #2 in countless other territories, but it only went to a measly #41 in the United States, just barely missing the Top 40 and even being outperformed by the original version by The Troggs, who took the track to #7 here in 1968. Wet Wet Wet had already unsuccessfully attempted to crack the US market in the late 80s, when their song "Wishing I Was Lucky" flopped on the Billboard Hot 100, but even a change in sound couldn't propel them to the top here. Even in Canada, where the charts are extremely similar to the Billboard Hot 100, "Love Is All Around" at least made the top 20, peaking at #17.

Sorry for the bump, but I never really noticed this thread until now, so I guess I'll list a few more "soccer" hits:

Wuthering Heights / Kate Bush - Topped the charts of numerous countries, but not a hit whatsoever in America.

Spaceman / Babyloon Zoo - A textbook example of a soccer hit. It shot up to #1 in several countries and even showed up on the Canadian alternative chart, but it was completely and utterly unknown in the United States. You can't even purchase it on iTunes here.

Love Is All Around / Wet Wet Wet - This is one of the best-selling singles of all time in the United Kingdom, and it peaked at either #1 or #2 in countless other territories, but it only went to a measly #41 in the United States, just barely missing the Top 40 and even being outperformed by the original version by The Troggs, who took the track to #7 here in 1968. Wet Wet Wet had already unsuccessfully attempted to crack the US market in the late 80s, when their song "Wishing I Was Lucky" flopped on the Billboard Hot 100, but even a change in sound couldn't propel them to the top here. Even in Canada, where the charts are extremely similar to the Billboard Hot 100, "Love Is All Around" at least made the top 20, peaking at #17.


"Spaceman" is a great song and if there was a song which really epitomizes 1996, it would be it. I know I have said this before, but I get the impression that America simply isn't as accepting of overseas bands/artists compared to other countries. Of course, that's not to say that overseas bands/artists never achieve success in the US. However, in many cases, it seems as though radio stations and the general population are simply reluctant to accept those artists/bands, which is a real shame. Here are a few more:

"Hey Little Girl" - Icehouse (1982) - Icehouse would achieve success in the US in the Late '80s with "Electric Blue" and "Crazy", however they had achieved success since the start of the decade. "Hey Little Girl" peaked at #7 in their native Australia, #9 in Austria, #5 in Germany, #9 in New Zealand, #2 in Switzerland and #17 in the UK. It didn't even chart in the US.

"Dakota" - Stereophonics (2005) - This UK single was successful in several countries around the world, however it didn't chart in the US. It topped the charts in the UK, reached #22 in Australia, #8 in Ireland, #20 in New Zealand, #1 in Scotland and it also charted within the Top 100 in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Sorry for the bump, but I never really noticed this thread until now, so I guess I'll list a few more "soccer" hits:

I had not previously noticed it either, so I thought I'd check it out. ;) It's amazing how many songs were popular all over the world except for the US.



Wuthering Heights / Kate Bush - Topped the charts of numerous countries, but not a hit whatsoever in America.

yeah, I have heard/seen lots of rave reviews on this one, but haven't really heard it much in the US, if at all. The only big hit that Kate Bush has had in the U.S. is "Running Up That Hill" in 1986; I know that one quite well.

"Wuthering Heights" was not technically a hit here in the US, but it received pretty extensive airplay on FM album stations when it came out in 1978 and I knew it well. For many of us in the US it was our introduction to Kate Bush.

Here are some more:

Stay Another Day / East 17 - This was an absolute monster hit all over the world around the turn of 1995, but since teen pop boy bands were so unpopular in America in the mid-90s, people from the States have absolutely no clue it existed, with Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee" being the huge male vocal group hit at the time instead. I only discovered this track upon purchasing the British Now 30 a couple years ago.

Boys (Summertime Love) / Sabrina - This was the definitive italo disco song for a lot of people worldwide, but it never made any splash in the United States except maybe at some gay clubs. Americans only really had "Tarzan Boy" to represent italo disco, although Bananarama's "I Heard a Rumour" heavily mimics the song "Give Me Up" by Michael Fortunati.

Wouldn't It Be Good / Nik Kershaw - Now this one really pisses me off because it's one of my favourite songs of already one of my favourite years in music, 1984 (though actually, I'm totally in love with the above two songs as well) It did moderately to extremely well in almost all First World markets, even placing in the Top 10 in Canada, but it totally flopped in the United States, ruining this excellent new wave singer's chances at a career over here. Fortunately, more Americans were at least introduced to the song when it was covered two years later for John Hughes' Pretty in Pink.

Wouldn't It Be Good / Nik Kershaw - Now this one really pisses me off because it's one of my favourite songs of already one of my favourite years in music, 1984 (though actually, I'm totally in love with the above two songs as well) It did moderately to extremely well in almost all First World markets, even placing in the Top 10 in Canada, but it totally flopped in the United States, ruining this excellent new wave singer's chances at a career over here. Fortunately, more Americans were at least introduced to the song when it was covered two years later for John Hughes' Pretty in Pink.


I heard "Wouldn't It be Good" on FM radio here in the US (although they  didn't play it a whole lot) and really liked I so I went out and bought the album. Which is what you did in those days. The video also got some play on MTV. When Live Aid happened in 1985 Nik Kershaw was basically the only 80s person I was excited to see. The rest of the people I was really excited for were my favorites from the 60s and 70s who appeared, many of whom were still very popular in the 80s. Discussing Live Aid the next week with a guy from work, he said he thought Nik Kershaw "went over the heads" of people because he was "too cerebral".  He may have had a point. "Cerebral" was not big in the 80s.

"Wuthering Heights" was not technically a hit here in the US, but it received pretty extensive airplay on FM album stations when it came out in 1978 and I knew it well. For many of us in the US it was our introduction to Kate Bush.


I suppose that's not terrible then, but still it was not at all the ubiquitous smash that it was everywhere else. It sounds like it would have performed decently on the Modern Rock Tracks chart had it existed in the late 70s – Bush's own "Love and Anger" topped that chart around the turn of the 1990s – and therefore would've been comparable to "Teenage Dirtbag," which also only made an impact on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in America and not the Billboard Hot 100.


I heard "Wouldn't It be Good" on FM radio here in the US (although they  didn't play it a whole lot) and really liked I so I went out and bought the album. Which is what you did in those days. The video also got some play on MTV. When Live Aid happened in 1985 Nik Kershaw was basically the only 80s person I was excited to see. The rest of the people I was really excited for were my favorites from the 60s and 70s who appeared, many of whom were still very popular in the 80s. Discussing Live Aid the next week with a guy from work, he said he thought Nik Kershaw "went over the heads" of people because he was "too cerebral".  He may have had a point. "Cerebral" was not big in the 80s.


The thing about Nik Kershaw is that his songs were cerebral, but they also had quite a humourous edge to them as well. Reading his introduction in the booklet for the 2011 CD reissue of Human Racing made it clear what a funny guy he is, and unlike, say Morrissey, whose sense of comedy is bitter and cynical, Kershaw seems to take all sorts of pleasure in teasing matters that others would confront more seriously. "Wouldn't It Be Good," for example, is about trying to bargain with the Man, but it's told in a really quirky way, both going into extreme detail about the narrator's struggle, as well as mocking the subject in a rather playful manner, with lyrics such as "You have no problem, I'd stay right there if I were you." Other Kershaw songs also tackle serious stakes with a lighthearted charm, like "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" satirizing the Cold War, "Human Racing" illustrating what a pathetic rat race attention-mongerers are really a part of, "Wide Boy" bluntly exposing how purely luck-based celebrity status is, "Dancing Girls" toying with the absurdity of male lust, and "The Riddle" apparently being about absolutely nothing at all, despite my own isegesis of it being an epic story compressed into a 4-minute pop song.

Another song that was huge elsewhere but not in the US was "Where Do You Go To My Lovely" by Peter Sarstedt. It was #1 in the UK for four weeks in 1969 and won an Ivor Novello award. It was not a hit in the US at all and I never heard it one single time on the radio, AM, FM or otherwise nor knew of it's existence until just a few years ago when they played it on a quirky college station. An intriguing song, almost American Pie-like in it's scope, jammed full of cultural references of the time-mostly French ones-including Zizi Jeanmaire, Pierre Belmond, Sascha Distel, the Sorbonne, Aga Kahn, The Rolling Stones, Marlene Dietrich and many more. Adding to it's mystique was the urban legend that circulated for years that it was about famed Italian actress Sophia Loren, which Sarstedt, now deceased, later admitted was a hoax he had told one time just to mess with an interviewer. It's quite an interesting song, but in my opinion it wears a bit thin upon repeated listenings.

Where Do You o To My Lovely
Peter Sarstedt

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYx1qhnaaQ0

Lots of Robbie Williams' songs

I have always asked this question, but not received a good answer.

How popular is the British singer Cliff Richard in the USA? He is popular around other areas of the world.

How popular is the British singer Cliff Richard in the USA? He is popular around other areas of the world.


He failed to really break into the American market in the early 60s, when he was at his most popular. He did, however, finally score a legitimate hit in 1976 with "Devil Woman" and then a few more in 1980. That's at least more than can be said about somebody like Robbie Williams, who had no Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and whose height of popularity here was "Millennium" and "Angels" doing decently on the Mainstream Top 40 around the turn of the century.

Wouldn't It Be Good / Nik Kershaw - Now this one really pisses me off because it's one of my favourite songs of already one of my favourite years in music, 1984 (though actually, I'm totally in love with the above two songs as well) It did moderately to extremely well in almost all First World markets, even placing in the Top 10 in Canada, but it totally flopped in the United States, ruining this excellent new wave singer's chances at a career over here. Fortunately, more Americans were at least introduced to the song when it was covered two years later for John Hughes' Pretty in Pink.

I know this one well; it is actually one of my personal favorites. Also it's the only song I know by this guy, although he did have other hits in his native UK.

Lots of Robbie Williams' songs

Oh yes...although they did get airplay on US stations. Also he was a member of the band Take That (US hit "Back For Good" in 1995) before he went solo.

Oh yes...although they did get airplay on US stations. Also he was a member of the band Take That (US hit "Back For Good" in 1995) before he went solo.


Though "Back for Good" only featured Gary Barlow on vocals, with Williams being completely indistinguishable except in the music video. Barlow himself had a minor hit in the United States in 1997 with "So Help Me Girl," but again was far more popular everywhere else.

Though "Back for Good" only featured Gary Barlow on vocals, with Williams being completely indistinguishable except in the music video. Barlow himself had a minor hit in the United States in 1997 with "So Help Me Girl," but again was far more popular everywhere else.

Yes, Gary Barlow sang lead on that song, but the other members had to be involved somehow. Apparently they were strictly a vocal group (none of them supposedly played any instruments). Also the band had gone on hiatus for about 10 years (1996-2006) before reuniting with all members except for Robbie. However, Robbie rejoined briefly in the 2010s but his second stint was short-lived.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ernVvrYH9vg

Here's a more recent example. This German song was really popular here at the start of this year, however it didn't even chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK Charts. It did, however, chart in several European countries. Interestingly enough, it was actually more successful here than it was in Germany. It peaked at #10 on our chart, but only #34 on the German charts.

I can list a whole bunch from the 80s ...

A Good Heart - Feargal Sharkey
This only made it to #74 in the US, but it was #1 in the UK, #4 in Canada and also Top 5 in many other countries

Spirit in the Sky - Doctor and the Medics
Like the Norman Greenbaum original, this also topped the charts in the UK and Canada, and was also Top 20 in many other countries, but for some reason, it only made #69 in the US

Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - Paul Young
It only made it to #70 in the US, but it was #1 in the UK, #26 in Canada and Top 40 in many other countries

All of My Heart - ABC
This one missed the US chart completely, but was #5 in the UK, #13 in Canada and Top 40 in other countries

Sexcrime (1984) - Eurythmics
It was their first Non-Top 40 single since charting in the US, where it peaked at #81.  It made it to #4 in the UK, #18 in Canada and was Top 20 in most other major countries where it charted

The Power of Love - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Somehow this one missed the US chart completely, but it was #1 in the UK, #7 in Canada and Top 20 in a lot of other countries

Maid of Orleans (The Waltz of Joan of Arc) - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
This one missed the US chart completely.  It was #4 in the UK and Top 10 in a lot of countries.  It was also a #32 hit in Canada, which isn't that big compared to the aforementioned, but I can tell you from personal experience it was very popular.  I was only 4 when this came out, and I have fond memories of hearing it

I Don't Wanna Dance - Eddy Grant
A #1 hit in several countries including the UK, and Top 20 in many others including #15 in Canada.  It only reached #53 in the US

Everything I Own - Boy George
This one missed the US chart completely, and it is a big mystery to me how.  It was #1 in the UK, #13 in Canada and Top 20 in a lot of other countries

Johnny Come Home - Fine Young Cannibals
#8 in the UK, #16 in Canada, Top 20 in other parts of the world, but the US didn't quite catch on, where it only made #76

Suspicious Minds - Fine Young Cannibals
#8 in the UK, #21 in Canada, Top 40 in other parts of the world, yet it somehow missed the US chart completely.  I guess the Americans are picky about their Elvis covers?

If I Was - Midge Ure
This one missed the US chart completely.  It was #1 in the UK, Top 10 in a lot of other countries and even made #13 in Canada

I.O.U. - Freeez
This one missed the US Hot 100, but to be fair, it was #1 in the US Dance chart.  in the mainstream, it was #2 in the UK, #38 in Canada and Top 40 in several other countries

Twisting By the Pool - Dire Straits
Missed the US chart completely.  Reached #14 in the UK #18 in Canada and was Top 40 in many other countries

Only You - The Flying Pickets
This topped the charts in the UK and a few other countries and even made #17 in Canada.  It missed the US chart completely.

Peter Gunn - The Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy
To be fair, this reached #2 on the US Dance chart, but only made #50 on the US Hot 100.  It was #8 in the UK, #14 in Canada and saw the Top 20 in many other countries

You're the Voice - John Farnham
This one initially never charted in the us, but a 1990 re-issue charted at US #90.  The 80s original was an Australian chart topper, and saw the Top 20 in many countries including #6 in the UK and #12 in Canada

Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
This one made it to #48 in the US.  It made #3 in the UK, #9 in Canada and was a solid Top 20 hit in many parts of the world

Why - Bronski Beat
This one did see the Top 30 on the US Dance chart but missed the US Hot 100 completely.  It made #6 in the UK, saw the Top 20 in many countries and even made #31 in Canada

The Holiday Rap - MC Miker G and Deejay Sven
#6 in the UK, #9 in Canada.  Top 10 almost every country it charted, but somehow it missed the US chart and I don't know how.  It is such a fun song!

Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
This made #43 in the US which is not terrible, but considered poor when compared to it's Top 10 placing in a lot of other countries it charted.  It was their 2nd #1 in the UK and also made #6 in Canada.

I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats
In the US and Canada, it peaked in 1980.  For nearly the rest of the world, it was a hit in late 1979.  It only made #73 in the us, but was a Top 5 hit in almost every other country where it charted including #1 in the UK and #4 in Canada

I know this one well; it is actually one of my personal favorites. Also it's the only song I know by this guy, although he did have other hits in his native UK.


He wrote a song called 'The One and Only' which in 1991 became a major hit in the UK and US for a singer named Chesney Hawkes.  In the UK, it was from a film called Buddy's Song, but in North America, it was released as a single from the Michael J. Fox comedy Doc Hollywood

Though "Back for Good" only featured Gary Barlow on vocals, with Williams being completely indistinguishable except in the music video. Barlow himself had a minor hit in the United States in 1997 with "So Help Me Girl," but again was far more popular everywhere else.


Speaking of Take That, when they reunited in 2006, they released a single called 'Patience' which became a major hit in many countries and to my surprise, even rose to #21 in Canada.  It never charted in the US, and was their last chart appearance in Canada (to date), but they are still together, and still charting songs in their native land

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=239vHrwt8Rs

This came as a surprise! I only found out about this a couple of minutes ago, but this Korn song actually charted on the Australian and UK charts in Mid 1997, over a year before the release of Follow The Leader! It didn't even chart on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Speaking of Take That, when they reunited in 2006, they released a single called 'Patience' which became a major hit in many countries and to my surprise, even rose to #21 in Canada.  It never charted in the US, and was their last chart appearance in Canada (to date), but they are still together, and still charting songs in their native land


Yeah, considering they were first huge in 1992 with Take That & Party, they're probably one of the eldest music acts to still be commercially relevant.

The Ketchup Song was huge everywhere but the U.S.

Which is good because it was horribly lame novelty crap.

The Ketchup Song was huge everywhere but the U.S.

Which is good because it was horribly lame novelty crap.

I've not heard that one (at least not to my knowledge) nor do I care to, based on the negative reviews I've read.

I've not heard that one (at least not to my knowledge) nor do I care to, based on the negative reviews I've read.


You're lucky.

It was played incessantly in other countries for awhile and reached #1 almost everywhere... but petered out at #54 on the U.S. chart and didn't even really make a slight dent on MTV at a time when it still played a bit of music. Novelty songs are really hit or miss, sometimes they do really enormously well in one spot but completely fail to strike a chord in another.

Spaceman / Babyloon Zoo - A textbook example of a soccer hit. It shot up to #1 in several countries and even showed up on the Canadian alternative chart, but it was completely and utterly unknown in the United States. You can't even purchase it on iTunes here.
Damn.

You're lucky.

It was played incessantly in other countries for awhile and reached #1 almost everywhere... but petered out at #54 on the U.S. chart and didn't even really make a slight dent on MTV at a time when it still played a bit of music. Novelty songs are really hit or miss, sometimes they do really enormously well in one spot but completely fail to strike a chord in another.


It was stupid. Why would name a song after a condiment? ::)

You're lucky.

It was played incessantly in other countries for awhile and reached #1 almost everywhere... but petered out at #54 on the U.S. chart and didn't even really make a slight dent on MTV at a time when it still played a bit of music. Novelty songs are really hit or miss, sometimes they do really enormously well in one spot but completely fail to strike a chord in another.


Bet you can still do the dance though

Bet you can still do the dance though


I can't even remember how the dance went, it's been 15 years.

I can't even remember how the dance went, it's been 15 years.


I can lol........ And I was only 2 when it was released :P

I've not heard that one (at least not to my knowledge) nor do I care to, based on the negative reviews I've read.


It's really strange that the Ketchup song did so badly in the US. In every singly chart it was on, it reached no.1 apart from the U.S. Billboard hot 100. It was also the no.1 song for 2002 in many countries and is the no.8 song in Australia for the whole of the 2000s decade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaEPCsQ4608
Huge soccer hit here. It charted within the top 5 of several countries around the world, including Canada, and unsurprisingly also went to #1 in quite a few territories as well. It was one of 2007's biggest smashes everywhere...except for the United States, where it only reached a pathetic #57, despite receiving a gold certification by the RIAA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiMQRmECho
Although Nelly Furtado's Loose was certainly a mega success in the United States, its final single bombed here big time, peaking well below the Top 40 at #86. However, everywhere else, it was absolutely enormous, even rivaling "Promiscuous" and "Say It Right" in popularity. It made it to #1 in a whole bunch of territories, and even in the few that it didn't, like the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, it was still a big success, regardless. I suppose that by 2006/2007, light, melodious bubblegum pop was just too unpopular in the United States, where appalling junk like "Bossy," "Walk It Out," and "Wind It Up" was allowed to reign supreme. Had it been released in the late 90s or early 2000s instead, I think Americans would've embraced it a lot more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H5I6y1Qvz0
Apparently, the United States was the only place where this Bee Gees homage was aptly titled for most people. Plenty of countries worldwide, even Japan, just ate this thing up, but in America, ironically Scissor Sisters' home country, it was an insignificant Bubbling Under single.

I can lol........ And I was only 2 when it was released :P


Wasn't the dance about using hand movements? ???

It's really strange that the Ketchup song did so badly in the US. In every singly chart it was on, it reached no.1 apart from the U.S. Billboard hot 100. It was also the no.1 song for 2002 in many countries and is the no.8 song in Australia for the whole of the 2000s decade.



I was hoping the song would be about ketchup.

I was hoping the song would be about ketchup.
Not about Ketchup then, what is it all about?

Not about Ketchup then, what is it all about?



the song is mostly in Spanish.

the song is mostly in Spanish.
Can Google Translate be employed here?

Can Google Translate be employed here?


I would think so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMT698ArSfQ

Wasn't the dance about using hand movements? ???


Yeah haha  ;D, you Bascially just move your hands over eachother

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrlhLaNClgw

This song from 2005. It peaked at #3 in the UK, #4 in Australia, #7 in New Zealand and #15 in Ireland, however it did not chart at all in the US.

Yeah haha  ;D, you Bascially just move your hands over eachother
Minimalist hand jiving?

Yeah haha  ;D, you Bascially just move your hands over eachother


but not quite like The Macarena.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H5I6y1Qvz0
Apparently, the United States was the only place where this Bee Gees homage was aptly titled for most people. Plenty of countries worldwide, even Japan, just ate this thing up, but in America, ironically Scissor Sisters' home country, it was an insignificant Bubbling Under single.


This one made it to #61 in Canada.  Not a big hit by any means, but it was all over the radio

Up here Platinum Blonde was pretty successful in their homeland but in the US they bombed like a Russian air jet.  :-\\ :-\\ :-\\ Only had one song be successful on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles charts but it didn't even crack the top 20.  :o :o :o

B10rFFlLF3I

Add this to the list; courtesy of Shemp97 for introducing me to it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHoT4N43jK8

Apparently, it went to #1 in a buttload of countries and made at least some impact in others, but Americans were only barely exposed to it, simply in the middle of certain dance mixes rather than as a legitimate threat to "I Gotta Feeling" and "Poker Face."

Does this one count? I played this song on YouTube and on my PS3 years ago, but I don't remember hearing it on the radio here.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mVEG793G3N4

Does this one count? I played this song on YouTube and on my PS3 years ago, but I don't remember hearing it on the radio here.

Lady Gaga - Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)

It could be.

According to Wiki, it was a hit on charts in several different countries...but in the US it only hit the Dance/Electronic Digital Songs chart, on which it peaked at #31.

It could be.

According to Wiki, it was a hit on charts in several different countries...but in the US it only hit the Dance/Electronic Digital Songs chart, on which it peaked at #31.


There wasn’t really any time to promote it because “Bad Romance” came out immediately after “Paparazzi.”

Making Plans for Nigel - XTC (1979)
This one peaked at UK #17 and by 1980 had also become a hit in other countries including Canada where it reached #12.  It failed to reach the US chart at all

Relax (Take it Easy) - Mika (2006)
This one is beautifully based on the 80s hit (I Just) Died in Your Arms by Cutting Crew.  It was a Top 20 hit in the UK, Canada, and most of Europe.  Despite a Top 20 placing on the US Dance chart, this one failed to see the US Hot 100

Take a Chance With Me - Roxy Music
This one made the Top 30 in the UK and the Top 40 in Canada among a few other countries.  It reached #4 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Chart (which means it missed the Hot 100 by 4 spots).  The accompanying album titled Avalon hit #1 in many countries including the UK and Canada, and though it still reached Platinum sales in the US, its peak position there was #53.  It just goes to show that you can still be successful regardless of where your song or album places in the charts

There wasn’t really any time to promote it because “Bad Romance” came out immediately after “Paparazzi.”

However, the aforementioned song "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" was apparently released as a single before "Paparazzi"... and "Bad Romance" was the first single from her next album. Still, they were hits on the charts at roughly the same time, so... you're absolutely right. :)

It could be.

According to Wiki, it was a hit on charts in several different countries...but in the US it only hit the Dance/Electronic Digital Songs chart, on which it peaked at #31.
No wonder why. Although it wasn't on the radio at that time, I loved that song. Cherry, cherry boom boom :D ;D.


However, the aforementioned song "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" was apparently released as a single before "Paparazzi"... and "Bad Romance" was the first single from her next album. Still, they were hits on the charts at roughly the same time, so... you're absolutely right. :)
Yeah, that song was out a few months before Paparazzi. I remember listening to it on Youtube in early '09.

RF0HhrwIwp0
#1 in Australia and UK and several other countries but only #56 in the US

RF0HhrwIwp0
#1 in Australia and UK and several other countries but only #56 in the US


I was quite familiar with it back around 2009. Rock songs in general have tended to perform drastically better on the airplay charts in the United States than the Hot 100 since the 1990s.

In much of the world, this guy was the next Tom Jones, having produced an onslaught of massive hit singles throughout the early and mid 1980s. His most popular song here went to #1 all over Europe but didn't chart at all in the United States.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WueKcnAh6t4

Here's another big song of his (a cover of Rosemary Clooney's 1954 smash hit), which is also his only successful single in Canada, yet still didn't chart in America:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjm_tWY5NtM

In fact, the only Shakin' Stevens song to ever chart in the United States, "Cry Just a Little Bit," only made it to a dinky #67, well below the top 40. Considering America did embrace plenty of rockabilly revival back in the early 80s, from Stray Cats to Billy Joel's An Innocent Man album, it's rather surprising that Shakin' Stevens never got famous here as Tom Jones and even Bonnie Tyler did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSQjx79dR8s
Baccara- Yes Sir, I Can Boogie (1977)

Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
#1 in Australia and UK and several other countries but only #56 in the US

I did not know this one. The only song I know of theirs is "Use Somebody", which of course was a much bigger hit than this one.

However, I have come across the title a few times on Amiright.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy1LdAaGASw

I think I might have shared this in a thread once before, but this Garbage single was an absolutely massive hit in Australia, however it did not chart in the US at all. Not only did the song peak at #7 on the ARIA Top-40 in 2002, it peaked at #1 on the Alternative chart, #2 on the Airplay chart, #3 on the Club chart and the song was certified gold. It stayed in the ARIA Top-100 chart for over fifteen weeks and the song sold over 35,000 units in Australia alone. The album also topped the Australian album charts. "Cherry Lips" was actually Garbage's most successful single release in Australia!  :o

I think I might have shared this in a thread once before, but this Garbage single was an absolutely massive hit in Australia, however it did not chart in the US at all. Not only did the song peak at #7 on the ARIA Top-40 in 2002, it peaked at #1 on the Alternative chart, #2 on the Airplay chart, #3 on the Club chart and the song was certified gold. It stayed in the ARIA Top-100 chart for over fifteen weeks and the song sold over 35,000 units in Australia alone. The album also topped the Australian album charts. "Cherry Lips" was actually Garbage's most successful single release in Australia!  :o



Interesting to know. O0

One single of theirs that didn't seem to be all that successful, was "Androgyny", from 2001; it got some radio airplay in the States but its "success" if any was short-lived. IMO that's an underrated single of theirs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmZexg8sxyk

Here is another, from American band, MGMT. It was released in 2008. This did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, however it reached #22 in the UK, #7 in Australia, #10 in New Zealand and #21 in Ireland. It also charted in several European countries.

Interesting to know. O0

One single of theirs that didn't seem to be all that successful, was "Androgyny", from 2001; it got some radio airplay in the States but its "success" if any was short-lived. IMO that's an underrated single of theirs.


I agree, it is pretty underrated. "Androgyny" is another example of this topic actually. It reached #17 in New Zealand, #19 in Canada, #21 in Australia and #23 in the UK, yet it didn't chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at all!  :o

In much of the world, this guy was the next Tom Jones, having produced an onslaught of massive hit singles throughout the early and mid 1980s. His most popular song here went to #1 all over Europe but didn't chart at all in the United States.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WueKcnAh6t4

Here's another big song of his (a cover of Rosemary Clooney's 1954 smash hit), which is also his only successful single in Canada, yet still didn't chart in America:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjm_tWY5NtM

In fact, the only Shakin' Stevens song to ever chart in the United States, "Cry Just a Little Bit," only made it to a dinky #67, well below the top 40. Considering America did embrace plenty of rockabilly revival back in the early 80s, from Stray Cats to Billy Joel's An Innocent Man album, it's rather surprising that Shakin' Stevens never got famous here as Tom Jones and even Bonnie Tyler did.


Shaky never saw the Top 40 in Canada in the mainstream, but on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart, This Ole House made it to #17 in 1982 and 'Cry Just A Little Bit' made it to #30 in 1984

He did technically see the Top 40 in the US.  Oh Julie was one of the few songs he wrote, and Barry Manilow hit the Top 40 with it in 1982

'New york city boy' and 'I don't know what you want but I can't give it anymore' are 2 singles from the 1999 Pet Shop Boys album 'Nightlife'.  They both made the Top 40 in many countries including the UK and Canada, but they both missed the US Hot 100 completely.

To be fair, both songs were big hits on the US dance chart.

This exact same thing can also be said for their 1993 hits 'Can you forgive her?' and 'Go West'.

I agree, it is pretty underrated. "Androgyny" is another example of this topic actually. It reached #17 in New Zealand, #19 in Canada, #21 in Australia and #23 in the UK, yet it didn't chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at all!  :o

What a shame! :o

Here’s another one of the biggest soccer hits of the 80s, a track which hit #1 in numerous countries, including Canada, but only made it to #57 in the United States. Like Scissor Sisters, the artist is from the American city of New York, making the track’s native failure even more ironic.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=b_zHQ6kFuQ0

Jennifer Rush’s “The Power of Love” is in my top 10 best songs of the 1980s, so I’m quite displeased that the United States was really the only country where it utterly flopped, aside maybe from France. Laura Branigan did turn it into a minor top 40 hit here in 1987, and Celine Dion even brought it to the top of the Hot 100 in 1994, but the original by Jennifer Rush is still easily the best, in my opinion.

By the way, on the topic of Robbie Williams, who’s been mentioned several times in this thread, I have to say it’s hilariously ironic that this is the cover to one of his more famous albums:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Sing_When_You%27re_Winning_cover.png

If you somehow recoloured the Robbie clones’ shirts red and measured the field in meters, this would be the most un-American popular picture in modern history.

Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love" is in my top 10 best songs of the 1980s, so I'm quite displeased that the United States was really the only country where it utterly flopped, aside maybe from France. Laura Branigan did turn it into a minor top 40 hit here in 1987, and Celine Dion even brought it to the top of the Hot 100 in 1994, but the original by Jennifer Rush is still easily the best, in my opinion.


Good choice. I sorta knew her version of that song myself, but not until AFTER Celine Dion took her version to the top of the U.S. charts.

Quite devastatingly, the two most famous songs by my favourite musical act of the Y2K era were never hit singles in the United States.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfcAvS4QbDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIGv23PvfMo

Both of these songs were top 10 hits in the majority of First World European countries, as well as the grunge/punk-oriented Australia and hip hop-leaning New Zealand. They apparently weren't released as singles in the United States or Canada, where the group was instead promoted primarily through their television show. Luckily for me, I did grow up fondly with both of these tracks because my sister was obsessed with S Club around 2003 and would frequently have their CD's playing in our car.

Strangely, it was only "Never Had a Dream Come True" that got released and promoted in the United States, and it was a huge hit, having made it to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #8 on the Mainstream Top 40, and staying on the Adult Contemporary chart for almost an entire year. That wasn't even nearly their most famous song; even though it made it to #1 in the UK, it didn't achieve the same international appeal as "Bring It All Back" and "Don't Stop Movin'."

S Club 7 are one of many pop acts from the UK who were one-hit wonders in the United States, yet had far more illustrious careers elsewhere. Eternal was one of the most popular groups of the 90s, yet were only famous in the US for "Stay;" Take That only saw "Back for Good" reach American shores; Madness only garnered popularity here with "Our House;" and sadly the list just goes on an on. I've found that the vast majority of soccer hits throughout history are among my favourite pop songs of all time, so it really bites to know that my country never let stuff like "Wouldn't It Be Good" and "Bring It All Back" find top 40 success, yet did give plenty of leeway to "Laffy Taffy," "Walk It Out," and other similar abominations of audio.

Quite devastatingly, the two most famous songs by my favourite musical act of the Y2K era were never hit singles in the United States.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfcAvS4QbDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIGv23PvfMo

Both of these songs were top 10 hits in the majority of First World European countries, as well as the grunge/punk-oriented Australia and hip hop-leaning New Zealand. They apparently weren't released as singles in the United States or Canada, where the group was instead promoted primarily through their television show.


That's quite odd. Considering that the US is the biggest market in the western world, you'd think that "Bring It All Back" would have been released as a single for sure. Pretty bizarre move really. Interestingly enough, S Club 7 were actually pretty big in Australia. 7 of their songs charted within the ARIA Top-50 between 1999-2001.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW9TyLQ9jGg

Also, speaking of S Club 7 and music charts, I coincidentally have a recording of the music video for "Bring It All Back" on VHS. My Dad recorded a countdown of the ARIA chart Top-50 back on the 5th December 1999 and "Bring It All Back" was at #3 on the chart at the time. The video is above if you are interested in watching it. :)

That's quite odd. Considering that the US is the biggest market in the western world, you'd think that "Bring It All Back" would have been released as a single for sure. Pretty bizarre move really.

I suppose my only guesses as to why "Bring It All Back" wasn't released as a single in late 1999 or early 2000 here would be that UK pop groups had already had an inconsistent track record of success? Though the Spice Girls, also managed by Simon Fuller, were a massive phenomenon in the United States, they were also becoming extremely unpopular by the time S Club 7 in Miami began broadcasting in America. Additionally, Steps, a really similar pop group to S Club 7, hadn't scored any hit singles by this time despite having a year and a half advance and toured with Britney Spears. Whatever the case, EMI apparently wasn't willing to gamble releasing "Bring It All Back" in at the turn of the century, and perhaps only decided to go through with promoting "Never Had a Dream Come True" once the show's popularity in the United States was firmly traceable and it felt like a logical move to improve its ratings.

I'm less surprised by "Don't Stop Movin'" never seeing the light of day as a hit single in the United States because Hollywood 7 premiered on television right after 9/11 and Y2K-era teen pop was simultaneously falling out of favour, as well as becoming harder and more hip hop/r&b-oriented, as opposed to the more upbeat 90s style that was popular beforehand. In fact, the song's parent album, Sunshine, didn't get released here at all. Instead, Interscope, S Club's American distributor, put the most popular songs from the album on a compilation with the biggest tracks from Seeing Double after Viva S Club and the movie Seeing Double came out. This, however, was December 2002, by which point Y2K-era teen pop was completely scrubbed clean from the American charts and Avril Lavigne had redefined teen pop for the 2000s decade. "Don't Stop Movin'" obviously wouldn't have stood a chance in the United States under that environment.

Interestingly enough, S Club 7 were actually pretty big in Australia. 7 of their songs charted within the ARIA Top-50 between 1999-2001.

Yeah, somehow they connected heavily with the same country that was still fully embracing punk and post-grunge. Maybe because Australia's native pop industry isn't nearly as large as the United States', the country is less resistant to importing its pop groups from the UK?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW9TyLQ9jGg

Also, speaking of S Club 7 and music charts, I coincidentally have a recording of the music video for "Bring It All Back" on VHS. My Dad recorded a countdown of the ARIA chart Top-50 back on the 5th December 1999 and "Bring It All Back" was at #3 on the chart at the time. The video is above if you are interested in watching it. :)


I've studied the ARIA chart for the 1990s before, but it's definitely interesting to see everything on a television countdown. It's pretty crazy just how old a VHS recording can make something look, even if the fashion is a world away from the beginning of the decade!

I suppose my only guesses as to why "Bring It All Back" wasn't released as a single in late 1999 or early 2000 here would be that UK pop groups had already had an inconsistent track record of success? Though the Spice Girls, also managed by Simon Fuller, were a massive phenomenon in the United States, they were also becoming extremely unpopular by the time S Club 7 in Miami began broadcasting in America. Additionally, Steps, a really similar pop group to S Club 7, hadn't scored any hit singles by this time despite having a year and a half advance and toured with Britney Spears. Whatever the case, EMI apparently wasn't willing to gamble releasing "Bring It All Back" in at the turn of the century, and perhaps only decided to go through with promoting "Never Had a Dream Come True" once the show's popularity in the United States was firmly traceable and it felt like a logical move to improve its ratings.

I'm less surprised by "Don't Stop Movin'" never seeing the light of day as a hit single in the United States because Hollywood 7 premiered on television right after 9/11 and Y2K-era teen pop was simultaneously falling out of favour, as well as becoming harder and more hip hop/r&b-oriented, as opposed to the more upbeat 90s style that was popular beforehand. In fact, the song's parent album, Sunshine, didn't get released here at all. Instead, Interscope, S Club's American distributor, put the most popular songs from the album on a compilation with the biggest tracks from Seeing Double after Viva S Club and the movie Seeing Double came out. This, however, was December 2002, by which point Y2K-era teen pop was completely scrubbed clean from the American charts and Avril Lavigne had redefined teen pop for the 2000s decade. "Don't Stop Movin'" obviously wouldn't have stood a chance in the United States under that environment.


Possibly, although it seems strange, given the upbeat and positive nature of pop culture at the time of it's release. I know UK artists have traditionally struggled to breakthrough in America, but considering that the Spice Girls achieved critical acclaim just 2-3 years earlier (like you mentioned), you think EMI would have cherished the prospect of possibly having another successful British act in the form of S Club 7. It's a shame really, because "Bring It All Back" could have achieved reasonable success in the US, had it been released as a single.

Yeah, somehow they connected heavily with the same country that was still fully embracing punk and post-grunge. Maybe because Australia's native pop industry isn't nearly as large as the United States', the country is less resistant to importing its pop groups from the UK?

Possibly, although Australia has always been very welcoming of British and other overseas artists. We generally get a pretty healthy dose of both US and UK artists on our charts. From what I've observed, it seems to be that America is the only western country which is truly hesitant in accepting overseas bands and artists, which is why many overseas talent simply can't breakthrough into the country. Even Canada is much more accepting of these artists/bands than what the US is.

It's pretty crazy just how old a VHS recording can make something look, even if the fashion is a world away from the beginning of the decade!

I agree! I used to record onto VHS on a regular basis when I was a kid (I have always had a strong interest in the media) and from a 2017 perspective, it's funny how the video recordings make 2008 and 2009 seem so much older than what they actually are!

Maybe a bit different, but this is a song that was massive across mainland Europe in the mid-80s, but flopped hard in the UK, reaching only #87:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=l1DIV8V_zwQ

It also didn’t chart at all in America, but typically, songs like these, where the UK is the only European country to pass up on an otherwise gigantic hit single, are far less common than those that only fail to penetrate American exceptionalism.

Add this to the list; courtesy of Shemp97 for introducing me to it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHoT4N43jK8

Apparently, it went to #1 in a buttload of countries and made at least some impact in others, but Americans were only barely exposed to it, simply in the middle of certain dance mixes rather than as a legitimate threat to "I Gotta Feeling" and "Poker Face."


It's the same for his song 2013 song "Papaoutai" ;)

There's a version of Alors on Danse featuring Kanye West, that's the version that was popular here in Canada.

Possibly, although it seems strange, given the upbeat and positive nature of pop culture at the time of it's release. I know UK artists have traditionally struggled to breakthrough in America, but considering that the Spice Girls achieved critical acclaim just 2-3 years earlier (like you mentioned), you think EMI would have cherished the prospect of possibly having another successful British act in the form of S Club 7. It's a shame really, because "Bring It All Back" could have achieved reasonable success in the US, had it been released as a single.

I just researched the song on Discogs yesterday, and it turns out it did get an American release. :\'( The fact that it didn’t even make the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, Hot Dance Singles chart, or Mainstream Top 40 or something suggests the suits at Interscope probably didn’t press many copies of the single and basically slacked off while they devoted their promotional efforts to Eminem instead. In my opinion, it’s sacrilegious that the cold, redneck United States was the only country that didn’t get to experience that bubblegummy, yet quintessentially uplifting pop classic.

Possibly, although Australia has always been very welcoming of British and other overseas artists. We generally get a pretty healthy dose of both US and UK artists on our charts. From what I've observed, it seems to be that America is the only western country which is truly hesitant in accepting overseas bands and artists, which is why many overseas talent simply can't breakthrough into the country. Even Canada is much more accepting of these artists/bands than what the US is.

It’s certainly this close-minded elitism that has caused me to appreciate how much more cosmopolitan other countries are with regards to music. America is far too caught up in trashy shock music and bland machoism from its own soil. The fact that even a country as punky, alternative-oriented as Australia can embrace most of my favourite pop acts just magnifies my frustration with the American charts even further.

I agree! I used to record onto VHS on a regular basis when I was a kid (I have always had a strong interest in the media) and from a 2017 perspective, it's funny how the video recordings make 2008 and 2009 seem so much older than what they actually are!

Wow, you Aussies were still using VHS in the late 2000s? No wonder Netflix took so long to reach your shores!

I have a couple more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdXu_BWlzpw

This was released in 1999, but it looks and sounds like something that could have been released in 1993-1994. It wasn't too successful at the time of it's release. The song peaked at #49 on the ARIA Chart in August 1999 and only stayed on the chart for one week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ0lLicNauc

In the year that artists such as Destiny's Child and NSYNC were enjoying success worldwide, little-known Australian band Lash enjoyed reasonable chart success with this Mid-Late '90s sounding composition back in 2001. It peaked at #33 on the ARIA chart and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks.


It’s certainly this close-minded elitism that has caused me to appreciate how much more cosmopolitan other countries are with regards to music. America is far too caught up in trashy shock music and bland machoism from its own soil. The fact that even a country as punky, alternative-oriented as Australia can embrace most of my favourite pop acts just magnifies my frustration with the American charts even further.


Australia was strange though, because even though it still heavily embraced punk & alternative-rock during the Late '90s/Early 2000's, it also seemed to really take to bubblegum, pop music as well. In fact, the country even produced it's fair share of bubblegum hits during the Y2K Era:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1FFfBp9zsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2AJ9vjsD7E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05LwCE3FyMQ

Wow, you Aussies were still using VHS in the late 2000s? No wonder Netflix took so long to reach your shores!

A lot of people still did, however it was definitely on the decline in the Late 2000s.

I have a couple more:

Sounds like you meant to post this here instead?

Australia was strange though, because even though it still heavily embraced punk & alternative-rock during the Late '90s/Early 2000's, it also seemed to really take to bubblegum, pop music as well. In fact, the country even produced it's fair share of bubblegum hits during the Y2K Era:

The first song actually achieved success in the UK, reaching #10 and showing up on Now 47. It also topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, though like many dance/electronic songs from the 90s and 2000s, it didn't appear on anything else in the United States.

A lot of people still did, however it was definitely on the decline in the Late 2000s.

Even if it was on its way out, the fact that a lot of people still used it in Australia is definitely interesting. VHS was as dead as the dodo by the late 2000s in the United States, with Eragon being the final movie released on video cassette, in I think early 2007 (the movie came out in December 2006).

I have a couple more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdXu_BWlzpw

This was released in 1999, but it looks and sounds like something that could have been released in 1993-1994. It wasn't too successful at the time of it's release. The song peaked at #49 on the ARIA Chart in August 1999 and only stayed on the chart for one week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ0lLicNauc

In the year that artists such as Destiny's Child and NSYNC were enjoying success worldwide, little-known Australian band Lash enjoyed reasonable chart success with this Mid-Late '90s sounding composition back in 2001. It peaked at #33 on the ARIA chart and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks.

Australia was strange though, because even though it still heavily embraced punk & alternative-rock during the Late '90s/Early 2000's, it also seemed to really take to bubblegum, pop music as well. In fact, the country even produced it's fair share of bubblegum hits during the Y2K Era:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1FFfBp9zsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2AJ9vjsD7E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05LwCE3FyMQ

A lot of people still did, however it was definitely on the decline in the Late 2000s.
The last song is so much like late '90s-early '00s Swedish girly pop. (Think Caramell, Bubbles, or A*Teens.) Like, it has an amount of cheese that would mean that if it were released in America, it would be popular among Disney Channel watchers/Disney Radio listeners and pretty much no one else.

The last song is so much like late '90s-early '00s Swedish girly pop. (Think Caramell, Bubbles, or A*Teens.) Like, it has an amount of cheese that would mean that if it were released in America, it would be popular among Disney Channel watchers/Disney Radio listeners and pretty much no one else.
HuhqVHINmOg 2003 single from Brazil which was a cover of that song, from a 2002 album.

Here’s another one of the biggest soccer hits of the 80s, a track which hit #1 in numerous countries, including Canada, but only made it to #57 in the United States. Like Scissor Sisters, the artist is from the American city of New York, making the track’s native failure even more ironic.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=b_zHQ6kFuQ0

Jennifer Rush’s “The Power of Love” is in my top 10 best songs of the 1980s, so I’m quite displeased that the United States was really the only country where it utterly flopped, aside maybe from France. Laura Branigan did turn it into a minor top 40 hit here in 1987, and Celine Dion even brought it to the top of the Hot 100 in 1994, but the original by Jennifer Rush is still easily the best, in my opinion


The 1985 version of The Power of Love by Air Supply also missed the US Top 40 but made the Top 40 in Canada.  It also missed the UK and Australian charts completely and the Laura Branigan version missed the Canadian chart completely

"Hit That Perfect Meatball Beat" by Bronski Beat.

"Hit That Perfect Meatball Beat" by Bronski Beat.


I like that song.  It charted in Canada, but only made it to #91.  Not a big hit here, but sometimes the ones that don't make the top 40 are better than some that do

I like that song.  It charted in Canada, but only made it to #91.  Not a big hit here, but sometimes the ones that don't make the top 40 are better than some that do

I totally agree.

Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
This one made it to #48 in the US.  It made #3 in the UK, #9 in Canada and was a solid Top 20 hit in many parts of the world


"Hit That Perfect Meatball Beat" by Bronski Beat.


I do know both of these (having heard them on radio); perhaps Bronski Beat didn't do so well in US markets?

Whenever You Need Somebody is a popular song by Rick Astley, released as the 2nd single from his 1987 debut album of the same name and charted just about everywhere but the US, but to be fair, it was never released as a single in the US.  Originally, it was not chosen for single release in Canada either, but after his first 3 North American single releases all peaked at #1 in Canada, his record label decided to release it as the 4th single in Canada and while it only peaked at #60, I can tell you it was on the radio all the time and was one of my favourites growing up

BeyEGebJ1l4

Here is 29 Palms by Robert Plant from 1993.  This one was a hit in many countries including The UK (#21) and Canada (#11) but in the US, it failed to enter the Hot 100, though it did peak at #11 on the Bubbling Under Chart (which means position #111)

wD5qPWHIDPo

I'm quite surprised the 1997 single Drinking In L.A. by Bran Van 3000 did not chart in the US.  It peaked at #3 in the UK, #35 in Canada and Top 40 in several other countries.  24 years later, and this song still sounds great!

OQsQZvsR_QI

Ask most people, and they will tell you that Chumbawamba were one hit wonders for the 1997 song Tubthumping but what you may not know is the follow-up single Amnesia was just as popular almost everywhere but the US.  It peaked at #10 in the UK, #7 in Canada and while it did not enter the US Hot 100, it peaked at #1 on the Bubbling Under Chart (#101)

To this day, I still prefer Amnesia over Tubthumping

3e7vfZIC_U0

I feel like I mention this one too often, but it 100% fits into this topic ...

Boys (Summertime Love) is a 1987 song by an Italian singer named Sabrina.  Best known for it's risque music video (which I won't be posting for obvious reasons lol), the song became a smash hit by 1988 in several countries including #3 in the UK and #2 on the Canadian Dance Chart.  Not a hit in the US Hot 100, so I figured a song like this would have hit the clubs in the US, but it did not make the US dance charts at all

This one is such a guilty pleasure.  It is so fun and catchy ...

_OIPDU8kCNo

Mouldy Old Dough, a 1972 single by a British novelty act called Lieutenant Pigeon.  This peaked in the Top 10 in many countries including #1 in the UK and #8 in Canada.  This one is so catchy, I am surprised it didn't chart in the US. 

aO5GWJJP3FM

Gotta love songs with a whip crack!
The Legend Of Xanadu was a UK #1 single by British quintet Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich in 1968.  It also reached the Top 20 in many countries including #10 in Canada.  While it never made the US Hot 100, it didn't go totally unnoticed in America as it peaked at #23 on the Bubbling Under Chart (US #123) but if you were listening to American Top 40 radio back in the day, chances are good, this one slipped under your radar

rsExj_0IHEs

Sandie Shaw is a British singer, who had a handful of hits in her native UK during the 60s.  She wasn't an unknown to America and despite never reaching the US Top 40, she did chart three singles in the US Hot 100.  This wasn't one of them ...

Message Understood was released in 1965 and reached #6 in the UK, #21 in Canada, and peaked in the Top 40 in several other countries.  Love this song!

gz9G48sV9HE

On seeing the group America live this past October, Gerry Beckley introduced the song pointing out (again) that Survival was a huge hit in Italy (but not the U.S.):

America - Survival (From their 1980 LP Alibi)  :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyWpHfkh63A
...Italian TV show version...

This happens way too often, b/c let's face it: America's taste in music sucks. Anyway, the biggest example this decade so far was Physical by Dua Lipa.