History UsefulNotes / TheBritishInvasion

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"The British Invasion" was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of [[UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom British]] pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" really began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November of 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels pick up the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single the day after Christmas, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well ahead of the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' appearance and prompting the country's Top 40 radio stations to crank up the hype machine even further.

The key here is that this actually was part of a cycle of cultural exchange, as most of these bands were actually influenced by American rock and blues, including some featured in the Creator/JayneMansfield film ''Film/TheGirlCantHelpIt''. Many of these bands took things to the next level, and not just the oft-cited Beatles; consider bands who laid the groundwork for hard rock and heavy metal, such as Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}}, Music/TheAnimals, Music/TheKinks, Music/TheWho, and Music/TheYardbirds. (It may not be a coincidence that the [[BuccaneerBroadcaster offshore pirate radio boom]] took place around the same time, giving bands much-needed airplay that Creator/TheBBC didn't have time for until the launch of Radio 1 in 1967.)

!!Invasion #1
The British didn't invade themselves, of course, and the term "British Invasion" sounds to British ears like a bad case of Americentrism. In fact, it all begins with an ''American ''invasion; not [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII the 1944 invasion of France]];, but the period before that when American [=GIs=] were, in the common phrase of the time, [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks "overpaid, overfed, oversexed and over here"]]. They brought with them – from an America little touched at home by the war – goods that the bombed and beleaguered British were learning to live without, such as chocolate, chewing-gum, and novelties like nylon stockings. The Yanks also brought a new kind of music with them, and for many Britons this was their first exposure to American R&B and (especially) blues. Blues didn't get played on domestic radio, but after the war was over British enthusiasts could seek it out on the American Forces Network broadcasts from occupied Germany, and from there began to import recordings and try playing it themselves. American blues artists then began touring the UK and growing a following, but it was in 1958 when Music/MuddyWaters came over, bringing with him the electric blues, that the British Blues movement really took off, led by performers like Alexis Korner.

A second front opened, largely in Liverpool for reasons that are no accident. Liverpool was the biggest transatlantic port and more heavy manufactured goods in those days were heading west than east. Ships arriving in Liverpool carried recordings of Black music, particularly {{Soul}}, and also comics, as ballast and these were eagerly seized on by the locals. The locals formed bands to play Soul covers in underground cellar clubs, sometimes creating their own version of Soul inflected with Music Hall and children's' street songs.

Popular British artists like Music/CliffRichard had hitherto been billed as [[TransAtlanticEquivalent homegrown equivalents of American acts]]; in his early days, Cliff was very much the British Music/ElvisPresley. What was evolving and emerging from the blues clubs in UsefulNotes/{{London}} and the cellars of Liverpool was something new and something that many British people felt was needed; a popular music to call their own. From the perspective of American mainstream radio at the time it had a particular merit; it was a "white" music that was "safe" for mainstream American audiences, and thus America's black music, previously the stuff of Black-oriented radio, could be played back to a mainstream American audience.

!!Invasion #2
The first invasion may have just been in the 1960s, but it turned full circle when American artists took the sound yet further, such as [[Music/JimiHendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience]] (even if only the guitarist and second bassist were American) and early heavy metal bands. This lead to the Second British Invasion in the late [[TheSeventies 1970s]] and early [[TheEighties 1980s]], with PunkRock, PostPunk, the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal (or NWOBHM), [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] (not to be confused with the heavy metal), and early AlternativeRock. This second wave of British music was brought on, perhaps inadvertently, by Creator/{{MTV}}. In their early years, MTV was desperate for any music videos they could get their hands on, and it just so happened that most of the music videos of that time were coming out of Britain, thanks to shows like ''Series/TopOfThePops'' that helped to popularize the format over there in TheSeventies. By contrast, most American music videos during the same period were merely videotaped concert performances. MTV threw these British videos on the air, and the bands suddenly saw themselves developing [[{{Squee}} screaming]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff American fanbases]] virtually overnight. Combine this with the [[AudienceAlienatingEra creative slump]] in American popular music following [[DiscoSucks the anti-disco backlash]] of the late '70s/early '80s, and British pop and rock took over the American music market.

One odd influence here is that, anytime there is a large influx of artists of any media from "across the pond" (such as Music/{{Oasis}}, Music/{{Radiohead}}, Music/FranzFerdinand or Music/ArcticMonkeys), it is often labeled as a "British Invasion" by enthusiasts of that particular medium. For instance:

When British ComicBook talents like Creator/AlanMoore and Creator/GrantMorrison started coming over in 1980s America to make their mark, their tremendous success was likened to being a comic book British Invasion.

On a smaller note you could also annotate the British influence in the American video game scene of the 1980's, with the American-made Commodore 64 being a massive success there (even though most of the games were developed by Americans) as well as the British-made UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum and UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC. There was laso a British influence on video games of the 1990s, when Creator/{{Rare}}ware, thanks to the success of games such as VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry and VideoGame/BanjoKazooie, became a household name for most video game enthusiasts and would make of the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem the best selling video game console during UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames.

!!Invasion #3
There was a third British music invasion in the late 1990s, after the success of Music/TheSpiceGirls caused American record execs to snap up any British (or Irish, for that matter) pop artists they could find. Following in the wake of the Spice Girls were [[Music/{{Five}} 5ive]], [=BBMak=], Samantha Mumba, B*Witched, and Music/SClub7. However, none of them were able to score multiple top 40 hits.

Finally, in about 2005, there was a British television invasion on American shores, thanks to the creation of BBC America as well as the rise of video sharing websites and the revival of British juggernaut ''Series/DoctorWho.'' Following in ''Who's'' footsteps were both of its spinoffs, ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' and ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures,'' ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}},'' ''Series/{{Sherlock}},'' ''Series/TopGear,'' ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}},'' and ''Series/DowntonAbbey.''

!!Invasion #4
A fourth British invasion started in 2007, when Music/AmyWinehouse's album ''Music/BackToBlack'' enjoyed huge commercial and critical acclaim, including winning 5 Grammy's in a single night then more than any other British artist had ever won. It also became the highest charting debut album on the Billboard 200 by a British female artist at that point. ''Back to Black'' subsequently paved the way for British artists, particularly for female and soul artists to enjoy success on the Billboard charts. Following ''Back to Black'''s release, artists like Music/{{Adele}}, Music/{{Duffy}}, Music/FlorenceAndTheMachine, Music/LilyAllen, Music/{{MIA}}, Music/MumfordAndSons, Jay Sean and Music/LeonaLewis all enjoyed critical and commercial success stateside to different degrees. Many of these artists, including Music/EllieGoulding and the aforementioned Florence Welch (who lends her name to Florence + The Machine) and Adele, cited Winehouse's success with paving the way for them. In 2009, Susan Boyle's debut album ''I Dreamed a Dream'' became the best selling album of the year, hot on the heels of the Internet sensation that was her ''Series/BritainsGotTalent'' audition.

In 2011 Adele's album ''21'' became the best-seller of the year and gave her three number-one hit songs and other artists like Taio Cruz, Mumford & Sons, Music/JessieJ, Music/TinieTempah and Music/TheWanted started having hits crossing over the Atlantic. The invasion continued into 2012, when an onslaught of British artists invaded the American pop charts. The only one of these artists to join Music/{{Adele}} and Mumford & Sons in becoming U.S. superstars were Music/OneDirection; in fact, those three artists (along with Music/{{Coldplay}}, who have been popular since the decade before, long before the start of this invasion), were the only British acts to have topped the Billboard 200 since ''21'' was first released. Still, The Wanted, Ellie Goulding, Music/CherLloyd, Alex Clare, Music/EdSheeran, Music/OllyMurs, Music/EmeliSande, Labrinth, Passenger, Music/{{Bastille}} and John Newman have all scored one top 40 hit each, while Music/CalvinHarris, the other big British breakout, had four top 40 hits (not counting a Music/{{Rihanna}} song he was featured on), but all were sung by different people. Artists like Music/RitaOra, Music/MarinaDiamandis, Music/PalomaFaith, Music/LittleMix, Music/TheSaturdays, Conor Maynard, Disclosure, and Naughty Boy are also aiming for American stardom.

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A [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_invasion#Early_British_Invasion_artists list of bands for the first two invasions]] can be found at Website/TheOtherWiki.

Not to be confused with UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution or the UsefulNotes/WarOf1812, the only occasions of an actual invasion by [[UsefulNotes/BritsWithBattleships His Majesty's Armed Forces]] of the United States. Nor with any military British invasion anywhere else, for that matter.
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!!Notable Artists:
[[index]]
* Music/TheAnimals
* Music/TheBeatles
* Chad & Jeremy
* The Dave Clark Five
* Music/PetulaClark
* The Spencer Davis Group
* Music/{{Donovan}}
* Music/MarianneFaithfull
* The Fortunes
* Freddie and the Dreamers
* Gerry and the Pacemakers
* Music/HermansHermits
* Music/TheHollies
* Music/TomJones
* Music/TheKinks
* Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas
* Lulu
* Music/ManfredMann
* The Mindbenders
* Music/TheMoodyBlues
* Music/VanMorrison
* Music/TheMove
* Peter & Gordon
* Music/ThePrettyThings
* Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}}
* Music/TheSearchers
* Music/TheSmallFaces
* Music/SoftMachine
* Music/DustySpringfield
* Music/StatusQuo
* Them (with Music/VanMorrison)
* The Troggs
* Music/TheWho
* Music/TheYardbirds
* Music/TheZombies
[[/index]]
----

"The British Invasion" was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of [[UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom British]] pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" really began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels pick up the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single the day after Christmas, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well ahead of the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' appearance and prompting the country's Top 40 radio stations to crank up the hype machine even further.

"The British Invasion" was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of [[UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom British]] pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" really began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels pick up the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single right after Christmas, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well ahead of the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' appearance and prompting the country's Top 40 radio stations to crank up the hype machine even further.

This was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of British pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" really began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels pick up the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single right after Christmas, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well ahead of the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' appearance and prompting the country's Top 40 radio stations to crank up the hype machine even further.

The British didn't invade themselves, of course, and the term "British Invasion" sounds to British ears like a bad case of Americentrism. In fact, it all begins with an ''American ''invasion; not the 1944 invasion of France, but the period before that when American [=GIs=] were, in the common phrase of the time, [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks "overpaid, overfed, oversexed and over here"]]. They brought with them – from an America little touched at home by the war – goods that the bombed and beleaguered British were learning to live without, such as chocolate, chewing-gum, and novelties like nylon stockings. The Yanks also brought a new kind of music with them, and for many Britons this was their first exposure to American R&B and (especially) blues. Blues didn't get played on domestic radio, but after the war was over British enthusiasts could seek it out on the American Forces Network broadcasts from occupied Germany, and from there began to import recordings and try playing it themselves. American blues artists then began touring the UK and growing a following, but it was in 1958 when Music/MuddyWaters came over, bringing with him the electric blues, that the British Blues movement really took off, led by performers like Alexis Korner.

The British didn't invade themselves, of course, and the term "British Invasion" sounds to British ears like a bad case of WeAllLiveInAmerica. In fact, it all begins with an ''American ''invasion; not the 1944 invasion of France, but the period before that when American [=GIs=] were, in the common phrase of the time, [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks "overpaid, overfed, oversexed and over here"]]. They brought with them – from an America little touched at home by the war – goods that the bombed and beleaguered British were learning to live without, such as chocolate, chewing-gum, and novelties like nylon stockings. The Yanks also brought a new kind of music with them, and for many Britons this was their first exposure to American R&B and (especially) blues. Blues didn't get played on domestic radio, but after the war was over British enthusiasts could seek it out on the American Forces Network broadcasts from occupied Germany, and from there began to import recordings and try playing it themselves. American blues artists then began touring the UK and growing a following, but it was in 1958 when Music/MuddyWaters came over, bringing with him the electric blues, that the British Blues movement really took off, led by performers like Alexis Korner.

This was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of British pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" really began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels pick up the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol then released their first Beatles single around Christmas of 1963, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 even before the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' appearance.

This was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of British pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" really began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels have the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single around Christmas 1963, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – then proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well in advance of the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' appearance.

This was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of British pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" actually began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels have the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single around Christmas 1963, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – then proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well in advance of the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' appearance.

This was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of British pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" actually began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels have the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single around Christmas 1963, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – then proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well in advance of the ''Sullivan'' appearance.

This was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of British pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While it's popularly considered as having gotten underway when British bands started headlining concerts in America, beginning with Music/TheBeatles' legendary live US debut on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9, 1964, the "invasion" actually began the year before. Beatlemania – meaning the entire sociocultural phenomenon, not just the music – first attracted the attention of US news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. It was then that Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the group's British label Creator/{{EMI}} (who'd passed on releasing their debut album and first few singles, letting other labels have the rights) finally realized that the Fab Four were, in fact, marketable; and, having made the realization, proceeded to market the band like crazy. Capitol released their first Beatles single around Christmas 1963, and that single – "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – proceeded to shoot up the American charts, reaching #1 well in advance of the ''Sullivan'' appearance.

!!Notable Bands:

* Music/TheDaveClarkFive

* Music/GerryAndThePacemakers

* Music/{{Lulu}}

* Music/TheRollingStonesBand

* Music/TheSpencerDavisGroup

* Music/{{Them}}
* Music/TheTroggs

This was a moniker applied by the American media to the huge influx of British pop music, notably RockAndRoll, to American consumers in TheSixties. While it's traditionally considered to have started when British bands started headlining concerts in America, starting with Music/TheBeatles on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' on February 9th, 1964, it actually started the year before. Beatlemania -- not just the music, but the entire phenomenon -- attracted the attention of news agencies and talk show hosts in November 1963. Creator/CapitolRecords, the American outlet of the Fab Four's British label Creator/{{EMI}}, finally realized then that the Beatles were, in fact, marketable, marketed the band like crazy, and their first American hit single hit the charts around Christmas 1963.

The key here is this actually was a cycle, as most of these bands were actually influenced by American rock and blues, including some featured in the Creator/JayneMansfield film ''Film/TheGirlCantHelpIt''. Many of these bands took it to the next level, and not just the oft-cited Beatles; consider bands who laid the groundwork for hard rock and heavy metal, such as Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}}, Music/TheAnimals, Music/TheKinks, Music/TheWho, and Music/TheYardbirds. (It may not be a coincidence that the [[BuccaneerBroadcaster offshore pirate radio boom]] took place around the same time, giving bands much-needed airplay that Creator/TheBBC didn't have time for until the launch of Radio 1 in 1967.)

The British didn't invade themselves, of course, and the term British Invasion sounds to British ears like a bad case of WeAllLiveInAmerica. In fact, it all begins with an American invasion; not the 1944 invasion of France but the period before that when American [=GIs=] were, in the common phrase of the time, [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks "overpaid, overfed, oversexed and over here"]]. They brought with them from an America little touched at home by the war goods that the bombed and beleaguered British were learning to do without, such as chocolate, chewing-gum, and novelties like nylon stockings. They also brought a new kind of music with them, and for many this was their first exposure to jive and -- especially -- blues. Blues didn't get played on domestic radio but after the war was over enthusiasts could seek it out on the American Forces Network from occupied Germany, and from there began to import recordings and try playing it themselves. American blues artists then began touring and growing a following, but it was in 1958 when Music/MuddyWaters came over, bringing with him the electric blues, that the British Blues movement really took off, led by performers like Alexis Korner.

Popular British artists like Music/CliffRichard were hitherto being billed as [[TransAtlanticEquivalent homegrown of American acts]]; so Cliff was the British Music/ElvisPresley. What was evolving and emerging from the blues clubs in UsefulNotes/{{London}} and the cellars of Liverpool was something new and something that many British people felt was needed; a popular music to call their own. From the perspective of American mainstream radio at the time it had a particular merit; it was a "white" music that was "safe" for mainstream American audiences, and thus America's black music, previously the stuff of Black-oriented radio, could be played back to a mainstream American audience.

The first invasion may have just been in the 1960s, but it turned full circle when American artists took the sound yet further, such as [[Music/JimiHendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience]] (even if only the guitarist and second bassist were American) and early heavy metal bands. This lead to the Second British Invasion in the late [[TheSeventies 1970s]] and early [[TheEighties 1980s]], with PunkRock, PostPunk, the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal (or NWOBHM), [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] (not to be confused with the heavy metal), and early AlternativeRock. This second wave of British music was brought on, perhaps inadvertently, by Creator/{{MTV}}. In their early years, MTV was desperate for any music videos they could get their hands on, and it just so happened that most of the music videos of that time were coming out of Britain, thanks to shows like ''Series/TopOfThePops'' that helped to popularize the format over there in TheSeventies. By contrast, most American music videos during the same period were merely videotaped concert performances. MTV threw these British videos on the air, and the bands suddenly saw themselves developing [[{{Squee}} screaming]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff American fanbases]] virtually overnight. Combine this with the [[DorkAge creative slump]] in American popular music following [[DiscoSucks the anti-disco backlash]] of the late '70s/early '80s, and British pop and rock took over the American music market.

The first invasion may have just been in the 1960s, but it turned full circle when American artists took the sound yet further, such as [[Music/JimiHendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience]] (even if only the guitarist and second bassist were American) and early heavy metal bands. This lead to the Second British Invasion in the late [[TheSeventies 1970s]] and early [[TheEighties 1980s]], with {{punk rock}}, the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal (or NWOBHM), [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] (not to be confused with the heavy metal), and early AlternativeRock. This second wave of British music was brought on, perhaps inadvertently, by Creator/{{MTV}}. In their early years, MTV was desperate for any music videos they could get their hands on, and it just so happened that most of the music videos of that time were coming out of Britain, thanks to shows like ''Series/TopOfThePops'' that helped to popularize the format over there in TheSeventies. By contrast, most American music videos during the same period were merely videotaped concert performances. MTV threw these British videos on the air, and the bands suddenly saw themselves developing [[{{Squee}} screaming]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff American fanbases]] virtually overnight. Combine this with the [[DorkAge creative slump]] in American popular music following [[DiscoSucks the anti-disco backlash]] of the late '70s/early '80s, and British pop and rock took over the American music market.

On a smaller note you could also annotate the British influence in the American video game scene of the 1980's, with the British made Commodore 64 being a massive success there (even though most of the games were developed by Americans) and the British influence on video games of the 1990's, when Creator/{{Rare}}ware, thanks to the success of games such as VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry and VideoGame/BanjoKazooie, became a household name for most video game enthusiasts and would make of the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem the best selling video game console during UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames.

A [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_invasion#Early_British_Invasion_artists list of bands for the first two invasions]] can be found at Wiki/TheOtherWiki.

* Music/TheRollingStones

The key here is this actually was a cycle, as most of these bands were actually influenced by American rock and blues, including some featured in the Creator/JayneMansfield film ''Film/TheGirlCantHelpIt''. Many of these bands took it to the next level, and not just the oft-cited Beatles; consider bands who laid the groundwork for hard rock and heavy metal, such as Music/TheRollingStones, Music/TheAnimals, Music/TheKinks, Music/TheWho, and Music/TheYardbirds. (It may not be a coincidence that the [[BuccaneerBroadcaster offshore pirate radio boom]] took place around the same time, giving bands much-needed airplay that Creator/TheBBC didn't have time for until the launch of Radio 1 in 1967.)

On a smaller note you could also annotate the British influence in the American video game scene of the 1980's, with the British made Commodore 64 being a massive success there (even though most of the games were developed by Americans) and the British influence on video games of the 1990's, when Creator/{{Rareware}}, thanks to the success of games such as VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry and VideoGame/BanjoKazooie, became a household name for most video game enthusiasts and would make of the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem the best selling video game console during UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames.

Not to be confused with UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution or the UsefulNotes/WarOf1812, the only occasions of an actual invasion by [[UsefulNotes/BritsWithBattleships His Majesty's Armed Forces]] of the United States.

In 2011 Adele's album ''21'' became the best-seller of the year and gave her three number-one hit songs and other artists like Taio Cruz, Mumford & Sons, Music/JessieJ, Music/TinieTempah and Music/TheWanted started having hits crossing over the Atlantic. The invasion continued into 2012, when an onslaught of British artists invaded the American pop charts. The only one of these artists to join Music/{{Adele}} and Mumford & Sons in becoming U.S. superstars were Music/OneDirection; in fact, those three artists (along with Music/{{Coldplay}}, who have been popular since the decade before, long before the start of this invasion), were the only British acts to have topped the Billboard 200 since ''21'' was first released. Still, The Wanted, Ellie Goulding, Music/CherLloyd, Alex Clare, Music/EdSheeran, Music/OllyMurs, Music/EmeliSande, Labrinth, Passenger, Music/{{Bastille}} and John Newman have all scored one top 40 hit each, while Music/CalvinHarris, the other big British breakout, had four top 40 hits (not counting a Music/{{Rihanna}} song he was featured on), but all were sung by different people. Artists like Music/RitaOra, Music/MarinaAndTheDiamonds, Music/PalomaFaith, Music/LittleMix, Music/TheSaturdays, Conor Maynard, Disclosure, and Naughty Boy are also aiming for American stardom.

The first invasion may have just been in the 1960s, but it turned full circle when American artists took the sound yet further, such as [[Music/JimiHendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience]] (even if only the guitarist and second bassist were American) and early heavy metal bands. This lead to the Second British Invasion in the late [[TheSeventies 1970s]] and early [[TheEighties 1980s]], with {{punk rock}}, the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal (or NWOBHM), [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] (not to be confused with the heavy metal), and early AlternativeRock. This second wave of British music was brought on, perhaps inadvertently, by Creator/{{MTV}}. In their early years, MTV was desperate for any music videos they could get their hands on, and it just so happened that most of the music videos of that time were coming out of Britain, thanks to shows like ''Series/TopOfThePops'' that helped to popularize the format over there in TheSeventies. By contrast, most American music videos during the same period were merely videotaped concert performances. MTV threw these British videos on the air, and the bands suddenly saw themselves developing [[{{Squee}} screaming]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff American fanbases]] virtually overnight. Combine this with the [[DorkAge creative slump]] in American popular music following [[CondemnedByHistory the anti-disco backlash]] of the late '70s/early '80s, and British pop and rock took over the American music market.