bands who were big in the UK, but never really made it in the States, beyond perhaps a cult following:
(And it's sad only for the US and no, I won't define "big")

•The Move
•Small Faces
•The Jam
•Suede
•Cast
•Buzzcocks
•Bonzo Dog Band

etc.
etc.
etc.
etc.........

Feel free to add your faqvorites

The Pixies? (im talking about the first go 'round, not this johnny come lately revisionist history cum cash grab)

LOL Aaron.

• Madness

Predictable answer from me, but :

- The Wildhearts

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Yup. Although, I think to a certain extent it goes both ways. Yes, bands that get huge here definitely get played in the UK, but I'm not so sure that great American bands that are a bit under the surface will illicit anything other than a blank stare from your average music listener in the UK.

I could be wrong.

Steve

Are you saying they don't like, or maybe don't even know, the Wrens?

Blasphemy!

... And, fuck it, let's not speak English anymore, either. Shred any connection we have to those uneducated mooks.

You are not wrong.
This is just a one-sided thread, posted by a musical Anglophile.

Hanson are British?

Is that whole Oklahoma thing a bit like the Bay City Rollers being from Michigan, then?

<------------------ knew two guys named Mike from Lansing, Mich., that were huge Van Halen fans, but who had a more than grudging respect for the Bay City Rollers; also, they loved the Lansing Lugnuts

I was thinkin' artists like these:
Built To Spill
Dinosaur Jr. (back in the day)
Drive By Truckers
Guided By Voices
Gun Club
Husker Du
Jawbox
Minutemen
Mission of Burma
Naked Raygun
Replacements (back in the day)
Matthew Sweet
X

Maybe Sketch can fill me in if I'm right that these artists are not particularly well known in the UK or at least weren't back in the day.

Steve, I don't think those are the best examples. Sure, the UK following of them is proportionately smaller, but they never made much (if any) mainstream impact on either side of the pond. The bands on PopTodd's list, however, charted pretty often in the UK (yes, I defined "big"). Your examples are "big" in niche genres or demographics, but outside that they don't mean much. I think better examples of what you're trying to get at are US classic rock groups and jam bands (Eagles, Dave Matthews, et al.).

Sham 69
Richard Thompson/Sandy Denny/Fairport Convention
Pulp
the one i'm forgeting is really gonna piss me off later.

Actually it's more likely the other way around Steve, bands that are under the radar here, or rather not mainstream successes, have phenomenal success in the UK. Take Kevin Tihista for instance, he has a HUGE fanbase in the UK. Joseph Arthur's biggest following is in FRANCE.

Here they're known and loved by many people, but there they are appreciated more.

That's just the way it is.

The Beautiful South (I think their Best Of was one of the fastest sellers in UK history).

T. Rex..... wasn't he huge in the UK and got very little airplay here?
Roxy Music

This list is NOT limited to UK-based bands. It's ANY band that's big over there and not so much over here.

Another example:
Green
Chicago-based power pop band had several hits in Holland. Here, they are a cult band, known pretty much only by those who are obsessed with quality power pop.

I think Steve is right to a point, but there have been a few that caught on first over the pond and then over here later, if at all. I mean, look at the way the Brits took the music of black American soul & r&b artists and gave them back to us in the form of Chris Farlowe, Eric Burdon, early Fleetwood Mac or even the Rolling Stones.

But as for those who basically got ignored stateside, I'm throwing in
The Ramones
Tony Joe White

Ahha. Apparently I can't read this morning.

Weren't the Red Hot Chili Peppers ignored in England untill somewhat recently?

They should be ignored everywhere.

I think Mercury Rev has always had a much bigger following over there.

Hefner
Mansun

SWERVEDRIVER

Ned's Atomic's Dustin Bin
Spiral Carpets
Curve
The Wonder Stuff

these are all british bands though

how about Throwing Muses???