Which country (within the Anglosphere) makes the best music?

Argento · 10-16-2011, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Hmmm...

Miles Davis
John Coltrane
Thelonius Monk
Art Blakey
Sonny Rollins
Horace Silver
Charles Mingus
Louis Armstrong
Lennie Tristano
Duke Ellington
Benny Goodman
Gene Krupa
Art Tatum
Charlie Haden
Lionel Hampton
Stan Getz
Matthew Shipp
John Zorn
John Lewis
Count Basie
Sun Ra
Ahmad Jamal
Charlie Parker
Clifford Brown
Max Roach
Dizzy Gillespie
Jelly Roll Morton
Eric Dolphy
Fats Navarro
Freddie Hubbard
Ornette Coleman
Stuff Smith
Gutbucket
Last Exit
Cecil Taylor
Anthony Braxton
Chick Corea
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Moondog
Cab Calloway
Louis Jordan
Lonnie Smith
Chick Webb
Herbie Hancock

...all give the US quite the edge over the UK for me.

Well, I think that USA haves a very good second place.

USA made a lot of excellent music, and is more varied than UK. It's just that, from the list of bands I most liked, UK wins.

lucifer_sam · 10-16-2011, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackhammer

^^^

To be fair we don't have a leg to stand on regarding Jazz, Blues etc.

America provided the base sauce for virtually all modern music but the U.K filled the pot with all sorts of ingredients that enhanced the stew. Terrible analogy I know but it's the best I can come up with.

Any self respecting music fan cannot deny the massive impact of American music on modern music but I still maintain that our musical heritage is hugely influential. Outside of Germany regarding Electronic music, very few nations have spat out such a diverse set of sounds with that much longevity.

I say the UK wins the electronica & post-punk wars. Outside of those two expansive genres America has a pretty dominant position in modern music.

TheNiceGuy · 10-17-2011, 05:41 AM

I feel very Un-Australian by giving the Pommies credit for anything, but they take the cake when it comes to music! From a population of what, 60 million? they have made countless great bands. The US has made some good music but not in the quantity of British music. Think about it many say the Rock "Holy Trinity" is The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. See the pattern?

The Final Track · 10-17-2011, 10:01 AM

As of now I give the US the edge.

zachsd · 10-17-2011, 05:37 PM

Definitely the US. Of course, the UK should receive credit for contributing so much and for being so comparatively small in terms of population.

One example that hasn't really been discussed is minimalism. For the past 30+ years the United States has been pioneering the genre, which has in turn influenced electronic music tremendously, not to mention music as a whole. Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, William Basinski, La Monte Young. It's really pretty extraordinary that the UK has no one in that department who can compare to any of the American greats. I guess Gavin Bryars, or am I missing other people?

Ben Butler · 10-18-2011, 01:51 PM

Well it's a two way contest between the UK and USA. The others don't come close and the commercial success backs that up.

freakingidol · 10-24-2011, 06:35 PM

If I would have to listen to the music of only one country for the rest of my life, it would be of USA.

Argento · 10-25-2011, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachsd

Definitely the US. Of course, the UK should receive credit for contributing so much and for being so comparatively small in terms of population.

One example that hasn't really been discussed is minimalism. For the past 30+ years the United States has been pioneering the genre, which has in turn influenced electronic music tremendously, not to mention music as a whole. Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, William Basinski, La Monte Young. It's really pretty extraordinary that the UK has no one in that department who can compare to any of the American greats. I guess Gavin Bryars, or am I missing other people?

No idea about what is minimalism.

Please, show me a "killer song" (use your criteria) from youtube.

Phantom Limb · 10-25-2011, 02:49 AM

The US has a way bigger, better, and more varied amount of music than anywhere else.

lucifer_sam · 10-25-2011, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argento

No idea about what is minimalism.

Please, show me a "killer song" (use your criteria) from youtube.

Steve Reich:

Steve Reich "Music for 18 Musicians" -Pulse - YouTube

Phillip Glass:

philip glass: glassworks - YouTube

Terry Riley:

Terry Riley - A Rainbow in a curved air - 1969 - YouTube
(You might recognize this from the intro to "Baba O'Riley").

William Basinski:

Melancholia - William Basinski - YouTube

Minimalism is a philosophical approach to music that could essentially apply to any genre, but is most commonly associated with classical composers such as these. Almost all noteworthy minimalist composers are American.

View Poll Results: Which English-speaking country produce the best music?
The United Kingdom	99	40.57%
Ireland	4	1.64%
The United States	106	43.44%
Canada	14	5.74%
Australia	8	3.28%
New Zealand	4	1.64%
Jamaica	2	0.82%
Other (which?)	7	2.87%
Voters: 244. You may not vote on this poll

10-17-2011, 05:41 AM	#343 (permalink)
TheNiceGuy Living under the bridge Join Date: May 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 317	I feel very Un-Australian by giving the Pommies credit for anything, but they take the cake when it comes to music! From a population of what, 60 million? they have made countless great bands. The US has made some good music but not in the quantity of British music. Think about it many say the Rock "Holy Trinity" is The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. See the pattern? __________________ My Music Review Blog-It's Only Rock 'n' Roll There is no Dark Side of the Moon really, matter of fact it's all dark...

10-17-2011, 05:37 PM	#345 (permalink)
zachsd Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 347	Definitely the US. Of course, the UK should receive credit for contributing so much and for being so comparatively small in terms of population. One example that hasn't really been discussed is minimalism. For the past 30+ years the United States has been pioneering the genre, which has in turn influenced electronic music tremendously, not to mention music as a whole. Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, William Basinski, La Monte Young. It's really pretty extraordinary that the UK has no one in that department who can compare to any of the American greats. I guess Gavin Bryars, or am I missing other people? __________________ lastfm rym

10-17-2011, 10:01 AM	#344 (permalink)
The Final Track The Boney King of Norway Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lost in a lullaby Posts: 129	As of now I give the US the edge.

10-18-2011, 01:51 PM	#346 (permalink)
Ben Butler Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Rudheath Posts: 393	Well it's a two way contest between the UK and USA. The others don't come close and the commercial success backs that up.

10-24-2011, 06:35 PM	#347 (permalink)
freakingidol Groupie Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 16	If I would have to listen to the music of only one country for the rest of my life, it would be of USA.