Songs that were successful worldwide, but not in the US

This Eurodance cover was an international success around the turn of 2003, peaking at #2 in the UK, #3 in New Zealand (where it was certified platinum) and the Top-10 in several other countries. In the US, however, "The Boys of Summer" could only muster a peak of #5 on the Hot Dance Music chart. Interestingly enough, it didn't chart at all in it's native Spain.


Yep. It's a shame, because the US has missed out on a lot of great songs over the years. 

Here's another massive soccer hit, this time from 1995:



Simply Red had more than his share of hit songs in the US, but for some reason, the rise of alternative music seemed to really wreck his career here in a way it did not elsewhere. "Fairground" is one of the most delightfully unique pop songs of all time (it actually samples the drum loop from the intro to The Goodmen's "Give It Up", but turns it into something totally different), and it's a huge, huge shame that it only made it to #114 here, missing the Hot 100, whereas pretty much everywhere else saw it become a huge hit; even Canada welcomed it into its top 40.

Simply Red was not of the right genre of music to appeal to Americans in the '90s. Alternative in the '90s in America was generally very scroungy, rootsy, jaded, and grunge-oriented. People here opted for Gin Blossoms, Dave Matthews Band, and Hootie & the Blowfish before uplifting, experimental dance songs from Europe. Simply Red was most likely seen as an outdated relic in America by 1995. Britpop also failed to catch on in the US aside from Oasis due to being characteristically out of touch with the American zeitgeist at the time.

Many critics regard this as being one of the greatest songs of all time, but despite it's high appraisal and Top-10 success in many other parts of the world, "Waterloo Sunset" failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. It's dismal performance in the United States is bizarre for a couple of reasons. First off, The Kinks had already developed a large following in the US prior to the release of "Waterloo Sunset". In fact, they had two Top-10 Billboard hits in 1964 alone; "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night".

Secondly, "Waterloo Sunset" was released as a single in the United States. It was released as the lead single off Something Else by The Kinks. I think it's a real shame that it failed to chart in the US, because "Waterloo Sunset" is such a great song and I would personally regard it as one of my favourite songs of the 1960s. I wonder why it didn't resonate with the American public?

The fact that "Lush Life" didn't enter the Top-40 in the US doesn't really surprise me, to be honest, because Zara Larrson is Swedish and the US has always been reluctant to embrace imported pop releases. There are so many artists/bands who were household names worldwide, but never got the chance to crack the US market.

That's a really catchy song, but for some reason it just gave me mini-tinnitus

It surprises me to read that, because I thought the collaboration with Rihanna (who was at the peak of her career at the time) would have helped the song to surge up the chart. Interesting to hear that it performed so poorly. 

As for the Dance Club Chart, it's hard to say. I think the Dance Club Chart may have been somewhat relevant during the '80s and '90s, but like the Modern Rock Chart, it has gradually been rendered useless overtime. It has probably never been an overly significant chart though.