What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?I named them because of their immense popularity.(Original post by democracyforum)
Abba ? Oh right, one Swedish band, compared to dozens if not a hundred or more British bands who produced great music.
They are one of the highest selling artists of all time, despite wether you like them or not. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?Perhaps. Although It's not as if britain has been short on that front. Handel, Holst, Purcell, Elgar etc.(Original post by Jtking3000)
Nah, if anything its the Germans, dominating western classical music for over 300 years. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?Handel was born and raised in Germany and only moved to England at 27 years old.(Original post by limetang)
Perhaps. Although It's not as if britain has been short on that front. Handel, Holst, Purcell, Elgar etc. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?Their money thus their ability to get a lot of exposure on the world music scene. It's the same with Americans, Canadians etc but I don't think they are necessarily the best musicians.
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?As much as it makes me feel slightly proud of being English for acts such as Queen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and the Beatles I still like to think that these musicians and singers were and are all individuals with talent and are able to pull it off slickly. Just like Elvis and Meatloaf. The important thing is that all of these people have been popular globally and have cast down national barriers to create a unified world for rock n roll.
It's arrogant to say any particular country is the best. The US can churn out more people but only because it's the biggest western country and the world loves western music. It still has just as much of a capability of creating something perfect as England has.Last edited by Snagprophet; 11-05-2012 at 18:01. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?You do realise (s)he wasn't just naming 'random' musicians, right? The point s/he was making was that perhaps two of the most influential and famous artists of all time came from the UK.(Original post by NR09)
As are Elvis Presley, Micheal Jackson and Abba.
Naming random popular bands/musicians doesn't prove anything.
Not that Elvis and MJ aren't just as influential and famous as those two if not more, but can't see why ABBA are on that list.
Basically, you misunderstood him or just aren't making sense. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?Well if you're going for 'real' classical music, that died out in around 1830, but contemporary classical music is still going strong. Composers like James MacMillan and Thomas Adés are good British examples (Listen to Adés' 2007 Violin Concerto, it's absolutely breathtaking), and some of the later modernist composers continued to compose well after 1970 (Stockhausen, Messiaen, Ligeti) and there are many other composers who are making good music currently.(Original post by democracyforum)
Classical music, real classical music, basically died out after 1970, -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?Her/his point was that Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin are listened to around the world. I then just named some non-British artists that are aswell (which Abba undeniably are) to show that just because a country produces some incredibly popular musicians, it doesn't mean that they therefor produce the greatest musicians in the world.(Original post by benpearson1)
You do realise (s)he wasn't just naming 'random' musicians, right? The point s/he was making was that perhaps two of the most influential and famous artists of all time came from the UK.
Not that Elvis and MJ aren't just as influential and famous as those two if not more, but can't see why ABBA are on that list.
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?After some googling this seemed like the most informed answer:(Original post by democracyforum)
It seems like every generations from the 60s, and especially the 80s was dominated by British musicians, my favourites being Duran Duran.
What is it about Britain, which makes this, do you think ? Can it be explained ?
There's a variety of reasons for the dominance of British artists throughout the 60s and 70s.
The young people of Britain in the 50s and 60s were much more accepting of African American music than previous generations, and much more accepting than most Americans. They idolized blues musicians whose records were imported into Britain, and brought back by sailors and seaman from America. It could be that the destruction, rationing and hardship across Britain caused by WWII helped young Britons identify with the situations discussed in American blues. The young British accepted this music as their own, and sought to emulate it.
In America, generally whites did not purchase these records, which at the time was classified as "race" music. White parents did not want their children listening to these records because many thought they obscene, and without talent or merit. (However recordings of the same songs by white artists was generally accepted.)
So, dissemination of blues to white audiences was at a standstill in America, but flourishing in the UK. By the early 60s, American blues, R&B and jazz were accepted as youth music. The young English musicians sought to emulate these artists and create their own sound. The Rolling Stones are a great example of a group that worked hard to copy American bluesmen, and then later developed their own repertoire.
Since Americans parents were not allowing their children to listen to black artists, it was easier for them to purchase albums by white British blues bands and have them accepted at home. So, with the British Invasion, America was flooded by English blues based bands like the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, Cream, and The Yardbirds.
These bands modified existing blues structures and themes and incorporated other parts of English music, such as skiffle. The result was poppier, more positive and less "obscene" rock and roll. Granted, lots of older Americans still didn't like these rock and roll artists, but they preffered them over the African American musicians.
As time went on, the British knew they could never have the same authenticity as blues artists as Americans. This helped foster a new creativity that pushed barriers and limits and created new sounds, and helped British bands define rock and roll in the later 60s and 70s as well. Most all had blues roots, but they didn't seek to emulate American bluesmen anymore. Bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and others recognized the blues as the origin of their style, but did not seek to be strictly blues artists.
The dominance can also partly be explained that during the British Invasion, record labels and music publicists were jumping on just about any band from Britain that sounded anything like the popular bands. Being British helped sell records, and for at least a short period of time, American rock and roll record companies either sought out British bands and ignored American groups, or attempted to create American bands that sounded just like British groups.
Hope that can kind of explain things. If you're interested in the ways musical styles change places and the methods of cultural diffusion like this, check out some Cultural Geography work. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?What do you mean by "real" classical music? Technically, Beethoven was the last classical composer and also the first romantic composer. The whole point of neo-classicalism in the early 20th century was to bring back the 18th century style.(Original post by seanfromtheblock)
Well if you're going for 'real' classical music, that died out in around 1830 -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?For the 200-odd years between Purcell and Elgar Britain was known in Europe as 'the land without music'.(Original post by limetang)
It's not as if britain has been short on that front. Handel, Holst, Purcell, Elgar etc.Last edited by 1.X.1905; 12-05-2012 at 18:35. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?'What makes the British the best musicians in the world?'
Firstly by musicians I assume you mean bands, acts solo artists song writers etc not individual instrumentalists because there is a difference between the two. Secondly based on what source does it make you think the British are the best musicians in the world? -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?(Original post by ShredMaster)
In Flames
Soilwork
Scar Symmetry
All better than those ****ty pop bands you are so fond of.
Subjectivity is a bitch ain't it?
The Scandinavians are pretty good at Metal mind - Ceremonial Oath, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility, Amon Amarth, Opeth, Skyfire, Children of Bodom etc. Norway's Black Metal scene is stunning as well. -
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Re: What makes the British the best musicians in the world ?My point is, its just retarded saying one type of music is the best. I can't believe people actually argue over this ****.(Original post by Alofleicester)
The Scandinavians are pretty good at Metal mind - Ceremonial Oath, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility, Amon Amarth, Opeth, Skyfire, Children of Bodom etc. Norway's Black Metal scene is stunning as well.
