The United States of America is known as the melting pot, and American music is no different. American music has always been influenced by so many artists around the world. While America has produced some of the largest names in music history, international artists time and time again have been able to cross the border and take over the American music scene. From the british invasion to latin superstars and K Pop sensations, For decades artists have proven that their music doesn’t need to come from america to be popular. Here are 5 international acts that took over the United States.
- The Beatles and the British Invasion
When thinking about international acts the first group that comes to mind is John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, better known as the Beatles. In the 1960s this legendary british rock band arrie in the united states and sparked what is now more popularly known as the “British Invasion” their initial appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, a then popular television program that showcased new and popular artists had over 70 million viewers. This is now known as one of the most important moments in music history.
The Beatles had a short but illustrious career filled with drama and hits. Songs like “i want to hold your hand” “Twist and Shout” “let it be” and “Hey Jude” have all become all time classics and the beatles became a household name. The Beatles’ success opened the door for other brush acts such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin to find their footings in American music. The Beatles had an influence much farther than the music that they themselves created and their arrival marked the beginning of a new era in both music and pop culture.
- One Direction
Nearly 50 years after the Beatles and company helped usher in the British Invasion, another UK Based group took America by storm. One direction became one of the biggest boy bands of all time. First appearing all solo on the X Factor, music mogul Simon Cowell brought Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik together as a group in 2010 and named them “One Direction”
Despite losing the competition One Direction quickly gained a following across the globe. Their debut album Up All Night reached number 1 on the billboard 200 album charts making them the first British group to achieve this feat on a debut album. They also had countless hits such as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life” and “Best Song Ever”
Even once splitting in 2016 the members of the band have had major success in their solo ventures. Harry Styles just completed a 30 night residency at Madison Square garden while Niall Louis and Zayn continue to find their own success. Liam Payne had tragically passed away a few years ago and he had a successful solo career before that as well.
- Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny has been someone to completely change the landscape of pop music. Bad Bunny helped bring Latin music into the mainstream of American music. Unlike the majority of artists popular in the United States, Bad Bunny has built his entire career with his music in Spanish. . Songs like “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Moscow Mule” and “Me Porto Bonito” became international hits. His music helps introduce Spanish to listeners who have not always seeked out the genre.
His 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti, became the first all-Spanish-language album nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He also became Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally multiple times. He also (controversially) headlined the super bowl halftime show this past year. Bad Bunny’s success in the American music industry has shown that language is no longer a barrier to popularity.
- Drake
Although he has been associated with American Hip Hop, all real fans know Drake is from Toronto or as he calls it “The 6” Aubrey Drake Graham is one of if not the most successful artists in hip hop and all of music history. Since his debut he has dominated the radio and the charts.
First an actor appearing on the canadian TV series “degrassi” He then transitioned to music. In 2009 he met with lil wayne in houston to discuss furthering his music career after mostly playing small shows in Toronto. He then came out with the albums So Far Gone and Thank Me Later that showed his talents to the mainstream media. He had hits such as “best i ever had” and “over” Since then Drake has given us so many classic albums such as Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, Views, and If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Drake has the most amount of #1 albums in history and countless #1 hits and grammy awards to go along with it. Drake’s ability to combine hip hop with so many other genres such as R&B, pop and dancehall have made him one of the most versatile artists in the game and one of the greatest artists of all time.
- BTS and the Rise of K Pop
South Korean group BTS has helped bring K-pop into the center of American popular culture. Consisting of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook, the group developed a massive international following through their music, choreography and connection with fans. Although corporate driven, groups like BTS have garnered an insane amount of popularity both in Asia and Across the globe.
BTS had a few breakthrough hits in America all simultaneously. Songs like “Dynamite” and “Butter” both went viral on tik tok in 2020. “Dynamite” became their first #1 hit on the billboard Hot 100 charts. BTS also became the first K Pop act to receive major recognition at award shows in the United States. BTS helped create more opportunities for other K Pop acts such as BLACKPINK or Katseye to gain major mainstream attention in American Media
