Anyway, lets try observing some music history shall we?...Rock n roll may have begun in america, but in the 60s the british invasian paved the way for a whole sh*tload of sub-genres and styles, and influencing many of the bands associated with heavy metal, punk, alternative and progressive rock.

And since the 60s, more british rock bands have gotten more mainstream attention in america than actual american bands, for example lets go by the biggest artists of each decade.

1950s:

US - Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly Bo Diddley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Ricky Nelson, Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Roy Orbison, Bill Haley, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Louis Jordan.

UK - Lonnie Donegan, Cliff Richard, Gene Vincent, ?

1960s:

US - Bob Dylan, The Doors, Velvet Underground, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Santana, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Rivival, MC5, Mothers Of Invention, Mamas And The Papas, Aretha Franklin, Simon And Garfunkel.

UK - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, Cream, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Zombies, The Moody Blues, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Small Faces, Donovan.

1970s:

US - Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Santana, The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, The Stooges, Alice Cooper, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Television, New York Dolls, Steely Dan, Tom Waits, Van Halen, Heart, Thin Lizzy, Kiss, Big Star, Lou Reed, Parliament/Funkadelic, Boston, War, Sly & The Family Stone, Gram Parsons, Tom Petty, James Taylor, Creedence Clearwater Rivival, ZZ Top, Marvin ***e.

UK - Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, King Crimson, Eric Clapton, Queen, Deep Purple, Yes, Elvis Costello, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Bee Gees, Mott The Hoople, Genesis, The Police, T.Rex, Jethro Tull, Elton John, Gentle Giant, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, The Buzzcocks.

1980s:
US - Sonic Youth, Pixies, Paul Simon, Talking Heads, Blondie, The Cars, Van Halen, REM, Husker Du, Black Flag, X, Guns N Roses, Metallica, Public Enemy, Run DMC, Dinosaur Jr, Tom Waits, The Replacements, ZZ Top, Slayer.

UK - The Police, The Smiths, The Cure, The Pretenders, The Clash, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Jesus And Mary Chain, Stone Roses, Def Leppard, Peter Gabriel, Yes, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, New Order, Motorhead, Echo And The Bunnymen, Dire Straits.

1990s:

US - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, Flaming Lips, Rage Against The Machine, Janes Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pavement, Guns N Roses, Metallica, REM, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Primus, Weezer, Faith No More, Neutral Milk Hotel, Dr Dre.

UK - Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Massive Attack, Portishead, PJ Harvey, The Verve, Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Supergrass, Stone Roses, Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream.

2000s-Present:

US - Flaming Lips, Mars Volta, Wilco, Tool, My Morning Jacket, White Stripes, The Strokes, Incubus, Neutral Milk Hotel, Kings Of Leon, Foo Fighters, Audioslave, Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes.

UK - Radiohead, Muse, Cooper Temple Clause, The Artic Monkeys, Oasis, Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Supergrass, Blur, Gorillaz, Coldplay.

1950s = US
1960s = UK
1970s = UK
1980s = UK
1990s = US
2000s = Tie

It goes to the UK me thinks....Because the only people who have more influence on modern american music than the british are the black people, and most black people come from Africa, meaning that both Europe and Africa are superior to us in terms of musical quality, deal with with it. ;)

you forgot the most inportant british band of the 00's so far - the libertines.
plus franz and bloc party.
and i happen to think british music in the 90's was a lot more original and diverse than U.S music in the 90s

Wayne Collie has called Radiohead one of Flaming Lips primary influences, in fact most of their influences are british bands, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, etc.

Listen to Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, amazing album, and it has Radiohead written all over it.

Ok, i was being biased, i f*cking hate The Libertines. :laughing:

Boo Boo

You missed out Primal Scream AGAIN :(

Screamadelica was one of THE most important albums of the 90s

Sorry, will add them.

:)

but for influence alone, they are the most important british band of the last 6 years. face it, british music kicks the yanks arse. their greatest musical input of the last 30 years is grunge..and my didnt that last. still, QOTSA are a fantastic band you've overlooked. and the white stripes...so maybe the US beats us for the 00s

Based on that list, I would give the 60's through the 80's to the US. I like a ton of bands from both countries that you have listed from those decades, but most of my favorites fall under US:

Frank Zappa, The Stooges, Television, Tom Waits, Sonic Youth, X, Dinosaur Jr, Husker Du vs. Black Sabbath, Joy Division, and King Crimson.

I could add a lot more to the 80s list

XTC , Cabaret Voltaire , The Jam , Japan , Orange Juice , Gang Of Four ,The Fall .....

but we`ve already won it so there`s no need :)