What's with England?

[No Muscle Mary]

How in the hell does a tiny island of 60 million claim so many great bands?

England is not an island. It's just one part of an island.

[skyhigh]

How in the hell does a tiny island of 60 million claim so many great bands? Beatles, Stones, Radiohead, PSB, Pink Floyd, New Order, Smiths, Elton John, David Bowie, Genesis, The Clash, Oasis, Blur, Prodigy, etc. etc. These aren't even just popular artists, but among the most influential and shockingly good. Anyone have any ideas on why?

Maybe it is because children in Britain are singing a lot in the church?

wtf???

[raggatwin]

I don't dislike the Scots, Welsh or Northern Irish, but I don't for a second class myself as British, even though we seem to be pushed towards accepting our nationality as such.

I am from England - I am English, not British.

Yes, there does seem to be a lot of good music come from these shores. Indeed,just about all of the bands I like are from England, or 'Britain'.


StevePSB

English is an ethnicity, British is a nationality.

[diana]

How in the hell does a tiny island of 60 million claim so many great bands? Beatles, Stones, Radiohead, PSB, Pink Floyd, New Order, Smiths, Elton John, David Bowie, Genesis, The Clash, Oasis, Blur, Prodigy, etc. etc. These aren't even just popular artists, but among the most influential and shockingly good. Anyone have any ideas on why?

Maybe it is because children in Britain are singing a lot in the church?

wtf???

Yes, they sing a lot in churches in Britain. It's true.

[Deschanel]

To Danny C: "Great" in "Great Britain" is a geographical term, like "Great Barrier Reef" or "Greater Outlying Islands". It's not a reference to how fabulous the inhabitants are.

That said, Britain and the English ARE fabulous, and ARE indeed astonishing in their vast achievements, in every field. No question there.

There seems to be an internecine quarrel lately that I can only see as an observer, where "England" suddenly is no longer proud of the former Empire. Nationalism used to be about Scots/Irish/Welsh resentment against England's dominance for centuries; it's quite interesting to see English appropriating the same nationalism, an evocation of distaste for being lumped with "ethnics".
This is quite a reversal from decades of English pride in the vastness of the BE, or Commonwealth.
It's interesting.

Recent DNA studies have found that the inhabitants of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are vastly homogenous, 95% Celtic stock, and that historic incursions of Normans, Vikings, and Saxons are statistically so small in the genetic population of the UK/Ireland as to be meaningless.

But there is indeed something amazing culturally about the UK/Britain/ England and why they are indeed marvellous at creating culture.

My theory, only spreading past the last 3 centuries: Shitty ,rainy weather, sexual repression (advanced by poor hygiene), and a real knack for competitive resentment.

Seriously, screw those French- OUR navy will kick their ass. Those bastards. Hence, military dominance of the seas, and ultimately trade.

Literature, science, business, music,- all indoor activities , intellectual ones. Again, that shitty British weather. Why did Italians excel at painting and romance? Because they had great weather and light, that encouraged art, as well as f******. And is why they never got anything else done.
Siesta!

Advancing to the postwar 1960s, the British people were DONE with postwar austerity, the grim grey gruel. When the Beatles appeared, it was fresh air, and the modern culture industry of the UK really took wing, to the dazzling heights we know today. I'd say Brits have an educated populace, that craves novelty, and is admirably open to new ideas.
Plus, it's raining cats and dogs outside- what's on the telly?

My above crackpot theory is meant with immense affection and admiration for British culture, please take with a grain of salt. I hugely agree that the question of "What's with the Brits?" in terms of their massive cultural output is a great one, that sociologists ought to consider as a serious topic.*

*Paraphrased the OP there, because all the achievements of British culture just can't be ascribed solely to England. Sorry, no way.

[Dipso]

Maybe it is because children in Britain are singing a lot in the church?

wtf???

Yes, they sing a lot in churches in Britain. It's true.

It's really not, you know. The proportion of Britons who regularly attend church is rather small. The fact that Neil was an altar boy over forty years ago does not mean that this is the norm. I am British, by the way.

[diana]

To Danny C: "Great" in "Great Britain" is a geographical term, like "Great Barrier Reef" or "Greater Outlying Islands". It's not a reference to how fabulous the inhabitants are.

That said, Britain and the English ARE fabulous, and ARE indeed astonishing in their vast achievements, in every field. No question there.

There seems to be an internecine quarrel lately that I can only see as an observer, where "England" suddenly is no longer proud of the former Empire. Nationalism used to be about Scots/Irish/Welsh resentment against England's dominance for centuries; it's quite interesting to see English appropriating the same nationalism, an evocation of distaste for being lumped with "ethnics".
This is quite a reversal from decades of English pride in the vastness of the BE, or Commonwealth.
It's interesting.

Recent DNA studies have found that the inhabitants of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are vastly homogenous, 95% Celtic stock, and that historic incursions of Normans, Vikings, and Saxons are statistically so small in the genetic population of the UK/Ireland as to be meaningless.

But there is indeed something amazing culturally about the UK/Britain/ England and why they are indeed marvellous at creating culture.

My theory, only spreading past the last 3 centuries: Shitty ,rainy weather, sexual repression (advanced by poor hygiene), and a real knack for competitive resentment.

Seriously, screw those French- OUR navy will kick their ass. Those bastards. Hence, military dominance of the seas, and ultimately trade.

Literature, science, business, music,- all indoor activities , intellectual ones. Again, that shitty British weather. Why did Italians excel at painting and romance? Because they had great weather and light, that encouraged art, as well as f***ing. And is why they never got anything else done.
Siesta!

Advancing to the postwar 1960s, the British people were DONE with postwar austerity, the grim grey gruel. When the Beatles appeared, it was fresh air, and the modern culture industry of the UK really took wing, to the dazzling heights we know today. I'd say Brits have an educated populace, that craves novelty, and is admirably open to new ideas.
Plus, it's raining cats and dogs outside- what's on the telly?

My above crackpot theory is meant with immense affection and admiration for British culture, please take with a grain of salt. I hugely agree that the question of "What's with the Brits?" in terms of their massive cultural output is a great one, that sociologists ought to consider as a serious topic.*

*Paraphrased the OP there, because all the achievements of British culture just can't be ascribed solely to England. Sorry, no way.

We and Germany have the same weather.
No, I think it's the language. GB is great in music and literature. English language has music in it and is beautiful to express yourself. Holland has much better painters. Our language it's not great, so we are good in doing things in which language is not important. We are better observers -- like Anton Corbijn is. Germany has a language that... let's not speak about that.
The proof is that US has also great musicians and writers. US has no history, Europe is more artistic and that's why GB has an advantage.

[alig]

But looking at the derivative retro crap coming out of the UK recently, I fear the glory days of British music are over, the same goes for literature. If you are interested in challenging literature with an edge, turn to the USA.