2006-07-20 12:50:32 · 14 answers · asked by »»§@N†I@ĞǾ2Ụ™«« 5 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
They could never make it big in the U.S. because of their idiosyncratic way of designing album covers. Look at a band like U2 - they became the biggest band in the world because they allowed their record company to put them of the cover of Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum - after that it didn't matter.
The Smiths pretended to be artists and refused to appear on the album cover. Instead the chose pictures of old movie stars and photographs that highlighted the anxiety and boredom of growing up in a bourgois household. These images revealed nothing about the group making the music or the sounds that one would hear by playing the disc. Thus, they became an underground band.
Look at how big Natalie Merchant and the 10,000 Maniacs became by actually listening to the record company and allowing their image to be marketed. I never thought they would hit it big, but they did !
2006-07-20 13:05:22 · answer #1 · answered by Andrew Noselli 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
When they first hit the U.S. , I think the pop market was becoming more new-wave/new-romantic influenced with the likes of ABC, Human League and stuff liek that. The Smiths were so much different to all that that I think it scared mainstream music fans.
If AMerica didn't take to the Smiths that was America's problem. They were one of the all time greatest bands to ever preform. I know they had a cult following in America but I think the main stream opinion for music at the time, apart from the new romantics, was Michael Jackson and the like. Sad really. The Smiths should have been HUGE in the U.S. but I suppose that they were too ahead of their time for the U.S. How they weren't the biggestband in the world at the time is still beyond me.
2006-07-21 03:15:40 · answer #2 · answered by theallknowingscouser 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, during the 80s, not very many bands of that genre "hit big time in the USA" relatively because the distribution channels those days were limited, and filled with just a small group of crap: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, and 80s fillers.
If The Smiths were to have started today, they would have thrived and would have reached the level of success they deserved.
With that said, they still made a huge impact in the States, even today. The organizers of Coachella Festival offered them $2million to reform this last year. They refused...
2006-07-20 19:56:00 · answer #3 · answered by abunnyman27 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe they are and were too intense, for the pre-baked Pop cult 80's era, Bananarama, Dead Or Alive, New Kids On The Block and all those hot actors / singers (Like the guy from Knight Rider, Miami Vice and etc.)
2006-07-20 20:46:47 · answer #4 · answered by Lil' Gay Monster 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because Americans need their music spoonfed to them and they never understood the irony and cynicsm of Morrisey. One of the greatest bands ever. Actually I don't mean all Americans. I learned about The Smiths from a American.
2006-07-20 19:55:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Smiths never made it big in any country except for the UK, and they only had 2 songs make it into the top ten there. I guess they just weren't that good.
2006-07-20 19:56:00 · answer #6 · answered by Idunno 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I cannot stand The Smiths. Not one song.
2006-07-20 20:06:09 · answer #7 · answered by LoveMyLife 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same reason the Violent Femmes didn't. Radio was / is too lame to play thier music.
2006-07-20 19:55:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They sure did. When I was in HS, every girl I knew was somehow emotionally involved with them.
2006-07-20 19:54:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They broke up just as they were starting to get big there - shame!
2006-07-20 19:54:22 · answer #10 · answered by trouble_gum 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋